16 Parenting Hacks For Preventing Major Messes

Kids are wonderfully imaginative creatures, but could they possibly be creative without trashing the house? No, apparently not, because as every parent knows, all the love and joy of parenthood is matched equally by the horror of bananas squished into the carpet, permanent marker masterpieces on the wall, and unidentifiable sticky stuff all over the sofa. 

But it doesn't have to be this way...

1. Let the kids draw on the walls and floor. Okay, hear me out...

With the help of a vinyl shower curtain, now they can safely do what they were going to do anyway. Word to the wise: Make sure it is super clear where the curtain ends and the floor begins!

2. Secure the bubble wand. 

Bubble wands are adored by kids but loathed by parents who end up having to clean sticky messes from clothes, furniture, and, well, just about everywhere spillages occur. But keep the wand upright like this and that mess is reduced.

3. Use a tackle or craft box for all those car ride snacks. 

Replace all those bags and tubs of different sizes, with one compartmentalized box — and as an added bonus, you only have one item to wash up!

4. Make paint and take it outdoors. 

Painting the walls, painting the furniture, painting the TV... Trust me, it's much easier to take it outdoors, mix chalk and water, and let them paint the sidewalk. Then, let the rain clean up the mess.

5. Stop dribbles with a strategically positioned muffin liner.

You know kids take forever to eat anything — even treats. So next time, avoid the inevitable sticky mess in one quick move. Your kids' clothes — and your entire house — will thank you for it. 

6. Finger painting doesn't have to be such a nightmare. Just put a piece of paper and a couple of blobs of paint in a zip lock bag.

Even the most Type A mom will love finger painting without all the associated mess and destruction!

7. An old box + some crayons = mess free art!

We all know we're supposed to let our little ones explore their creativity, so why not let them surround themselves with their art? This trick gets bonus points because it contains the child as well as the creativity. 

8. Glitter, grrr... 

Unless you clear it up straight away, you will forever be finding it in places that defy explanation. Or, you can let your child have a ball picking it up with tape wrapped around their hand! Game time! 

9. Keep bath, pool, and water table toys fresh with mesh containers that allow the water to drip out.

Kids love playing with water, but where there's water, there's eventually mold. Not anymore! #MomOfTheYear

10. Create a designated craft or play area, using an inflatable pool. Keep all toys and craft items in the play area only.

The rest of the house is off limits. 

Pssst... This can easily be turned into an sleepover spot when the kids get a bit older.

11. Make fast food runs fun again.

When is a shower caddy not a shower caddy? When it's preventing food from being spread around your car's interior. It's also handy for keeping the wrappers and food scraps in one place when you've finished.

12. Keep dirty clothes separated from clean ones when traveling, using Ziplock bags.

Ziplock bags should be in good supply whenever parents leave the house — in the car, in the handbag, everywhere. Because kids are messy.

13. Hanging shoe holders are great for keeping craft items and other toys all in one place...

...and off the furniture and carpet. Bonus: Kids can put their toys back into the lower hanging ones without much struggle at all. #EverybodyDoYourShare

14. If your child is a messy eater, ditch plates and bowls (for now). #PickYourBattles

Give them their snacks in containers with lids until they learn the golden rule: More food in the mouth than on the floor.

15. Parenting is messy, childhood is messy, and some mess is necessary...but it can be organized. 

Kids need a lot of stuff but they don't need it all at once and they don't need it spread around the house. Containers are your friend. Use them. 

16. Turn everything into a competition — even cleaning up!

Let's just face it: Life is one massive competition. Teach them young, teach them smart.
"Look at Mommy, picking up all the Lego faster than you..." Work it while you can, Mom... eventually they get wiser than you (trust me).