Thus far, most of our Mama Hacks have been geared toward the really little ones. There’s good reason for that, as I happen to have a nine-month old, and I’ve been sharing ideas as we’ve come across them here at the Hacks house. Some of the ideas so far can be used with older kids, too, like emailing your pictures in to be printed or buying pre-decorated scrapbooks to highlight the kids’ soccer games or Christmas pageant.
I realized today that I haven’t tapped one of my own best resources. A few years ago, PapaHacks and I were foster parents to a beautiful, if somewhat resistant, preteen girl. While welcoming her to our home in those first couple of weeks, I remember being completely at a loss for what responsibilities she should have. After all, I’d never had a ten-year old before.
That’s where GrandmaHacks comes into the picture. I mentioned my dilemma on the phone with her one afternoon. “I just don’t know what chores are appropriate,” I told her.
Now, my mother has said a lot of wise things to me over the course of our thirty-mumble-mumble years together, but this is one of those bits of advice that truly stands out.
She asked, “What do you really hate to do around the house? Make that her job.” Yes, my mother is brilliant. It wasn’t a matter of giving our foster daughter the worst job, it was a matter of choosing something that was appropriate for her age, while managing to make my life a little easier.
For the next two years, I did not have to load and unload the dishwasher. I still washed the pots and pans by hand, as I thought that was probably asking a bit much, but the loading and unloading was done for me. Since it was her chore and her means for earning an allowance, I also had the added bonus of having it done every night after dinner, whereas I would have procrastinated and had to look at those dirty dishes until I finally got around to putting them away.
So, when it comes time to choose chores, take your own needs into consideration. Hate going outside in the winter? Assign your daughter the duty of taking it out after dinner. Can’t stand to mop the floor? Teach your son how and make his allowance reliant upon getting it done once a week.
Mama Hack: n. A tip or technique that reduces the chaos in a mama’s life and makes it easier to manage or more convenient. Because no one looks back and says, “Nah, I didn’t need any help.”)
It’s no secret that babies are expensive. The hospital bill alone tells me that BabyHacks is work at least ten grand. And the expenses don’t stop there, do they? Babies need stuff, and some of it is pretty darn expensive. Fortunately, there are some great ways to save a little cashola.
Entertaining kids is hard. And expensive. It seemed like every time our foster daughter left the house, it cost PapaHacks and me at least 20 bucks. Not only that, but the activities she and her friends were involved in could sometimes leave a bit to be desired. I mean, what eleven-year old really needs to spend that much time at the mall?
I think BabyHacks may have been a fish in a former life. That’s not true. If she is reincarnated, I’m pretty sure she was our cat Iago, but cats don’t like water, and that means that my analogy is all washed up. Oh, no. A pun within an analogy. Someone stop me.
As I’ve shared some of my Mama Hacks over the last couple of months, I’ve mentioned the idea of doubling up or buying in bulk a couple of times. Buying 
Living in a digital age has a lot of benefits. For example, I love being able to post pictures to my Facebook page or my personal blog so that my sister can log in and keep tabs on the most recent photographic evidence of her niece’s genius. I can hunt and peck with one hand while nursing the baby, which ensures that I’m able to keep up with my college friends via email, at least. And the ability to hit “erase” on the digital camera has come in handy on more than one bad hair day.
Today’s Mama Hack isn’t something I can actually take credit for myself, but it’s a pretty good one, so I thought I’d pass it along. I’d give credit to whomever gave me the idea, but I think it happened at Bunco Night, and I’m not allowed to divulge what happens at Bunco Night. Actually, I just don’t remember who shared the idea.
As BabyHacks grows, it seem like she “needs” more and more things. Our 
As the mother of a squirmy-wormy little seven-month old, I have discovered that while shoes may be a necessity for me, they are little more than an accessory for her. A very entertaining, oh-so-fun to tug on, I-want-that-in-my-mouth kind of accessory. The few times that I have actually put shoes on BabyHacks, I’ve spent most of the day putting them back on her.
