When I was 27, I welcomed twins into my life. My eldest was just shy of 4 years old, and my middle child was only 19 months at that time. Fast forward to today—my twins are 11, my creative middle child is 12, and my firstborn is now 14. Having finally stepped out of the “New Parent Fog” (yes, it took nearly a decade), I’ve come to realize that some of my most cherished parenting hacks were a bit eccentric. Each parent has their own unique spin on raising children, often making strange practices feel completely normal. Here are some of the inventive strategies I employed during those busy years:
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Pre-Chewing Their Food
Nursing one (or two) babies while another child complains about their food being tough? No problem—just hand it over! I’d pre-chew their meals, easing the burden for little mouths. Thankfully, my kids don’t remember those moments when I’d extract mushy bites from my mouth like a devoted bird feeding its chicks. -
Bathtub Dental Hygiene
With a single bathroom for four kids, I turned tooth-brushing into a group activity. I’d line them up along the bathtub, and they’d all brush at once. No need for step stools, and I could keep an eye on the little ones while avoiding any potential accidents on the stairs. -
Wholesale Socks
If I had realized earlier that my 10-year-olds deserved their own socks, I might have avoided the chaos. Instead, I kept a bin of nearly identical socks by the door, ensuring there were always enough to go around. Matching socks? Who needs them! Now, they hoard their individual collections and refuse to wear matching pairs. -
Singing About Vaccines
No child enjoys getting shots, but when they understand that diseases like polio can be serious, they’re more willing to cooperate. I created catchy songs about vaccines—“Polio! No, no Polio! A shot hurts less than polio, oh, oh!”—and soon, they were singing about other vaccines, too. -
Upset Stomach Protocol
I developed the Upset Stomach Protocol (USP), a lifesaver when the kids were old enough to manage their own buckets. They learned to vomit into a bucket, dispose of it, and clean up after themselves. With each version, the protocol evolved, including training them to be “enforcers,” though “helpers” might have been a better term. -
Ditching Baby Clothes
During my pregnancy with twins, I received countless adorable outfits—until I realized they were more trouble than they were worth. I opted to skip dressing my babies altogether, eliminating snaps and fuss. Problem solved! -
No Television
I thought life would be more productive without a TV. When we finally got one, my son mistook a McDonald’s commercial for a movie about hamburgers! In hindsight, using the TV as a babysitter might have been more beneficial, especially when managing toddlers and a firstborn. -
7 p.m. Bedtime Rule
I’ve always been a fan of early bedtimes, but now that my kids are older, they’re starting to push back. When my 12-year-old mentioned her friends stay up until 9 p.m., I adjusted our bedtime to 8:30. Sleep is essential, but I wish we had explored more relaxing family activities together in the evenings. -
Backyard Farming
Growing food in my backyard turned out to be easier than grocery shopping. I stocked up on flour and butter and made our own bread and pasta. I was ahead of the carb curve long before low-carb diets became popular!
There were also times I shaved my head to avoid haircuts, got into powerlifting to manage my kids better, and even mastered grocery shopping while carrying one child, pushing a double stroller, and pulling a cart.
Now, I’m back to work outside the home, have taken showers, and even managed to apply makeup! I’m remarried and navigating life with six kids aged 9, 11, 11, 11, 12, and 14. I can only imagine the quirky hacks I’ll come up with in the next five years.
While some parenting tips may seem odd, if they make your life easier, they are definitely worth trying.
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Summary
Navigating parenthood with four kids has led to some unconventional yet effective parenting hacks. From pre-chewing food and group dental hygiene sessions to creating catchy vaccine songs, these strategies have made the chaos of raising children a bit more manageable. As I embrace this new phase of parenting, I continue to find joy in discovering what works best for our family.