Bloody brilliant! 11 awesome dad hacks you need to see to believe
My toddler has a meltdown every time the trailer detaches from his favourite toy truck. He’s forever toddling up to me and wailing until I fix it.
Then, the other day, my dad had a brilliant solution. He took the truck to his garage and came back with a cable tie and tied the trailer to the truck so it can never come off again. Ever.
It was a clap-the-hands brilliant (gran)dad hack. Go Dad!
So, in celebration of all the weird and wacky solutions that dads come up with to everyday parenting problems, here are some of our latest faves all sourced from the #dadhack Instagram hashtag.
1. Beer swing
This is multitasking dad-style. Simply tie a rope from your baby’s backyard swing to your finger and enjoy a beer from the comfort of your deck chair.
2. Swaddle solution
When all the baby wraps are in the wash, this dad has the solution – simply using the pants his baby is yet to grow into.
3. Keep your hands to yourself
This dad of triplets has found the ultimate car hack for silencing squabbles (we’re not sure his little passengers are that happy about it though).
4. IKEA toddler bed
When you need to do an epic IKEA shop and know your toddler won’t have the stamina, grab a trolley each and turn one into a bed with this idea using bath mats.
5. Bedtime countdown clock
This nifty clock visual shows little ones exactly what needs to be done and when to cut down on the evening bath/dinner/bed tears. Brilliant, Dad!
6. Twin bathing SOLVED
Babies are slippery when wet and when you have twins bathing two at a time is a little tricky. This dad has invented a solution with these genius hands-free bath floaties. Plus, they are CUTE!
7. Banana bottle holder
Many mums wish they had more hands and this dad has come up with one wacky but useful idea. We think the ‘banana hand’ is actually pretty clever.
8. Drawing box
If your little one loves to draw but you want to spare your soft furnishings from his art, let him go to town on four cardboard walls with the box canvas.
9. Dad on the go
No nappy bag, no worries! Just hook everything you need for bub onto the baby carrier and go. This dad hack is hands-free, too.
10. Duct tape nappy trick
If your toddler is in the habit of taking off his nappy, this dad has the solution for you. Secure the nappy tags with duct tape so he can’t undo them. Sorted.
11. Wrap peg hack
If dad finds swaddling a little tricky, get him to take a look at this trick using a humble peg to secure bub’s wrap.
