My daughter’s three and a half & I just learned the best two-second mum hack – it’ll save your sofas & kids’ tempers
THERE are few things more annoying than giving your child a juice carton, and them squeezing the liquid all over the sofa – and you.
And despite the fact her daughter is three and a half, one mum has just learned a hack that would have saved her on more than one occasion.
Jessica took to TikTok to pass on the tip she’d been told at a recent baby shower, when another mum had pulled a carton out of her bag.
However, while the boxes are sold in a rectangular shape, her one was flattened at the top.
“She told me that she always has a problem with her son grabbing the juice box,” Jessica said.
“You know when the straw’s in, they squeeze it every time.
“Every time your kid squeezes it.”
So instead, the mum lifts up the flaps on either side of the carton, before flattening out the top to create that effect.
Then she puts the straw in to the carton – the flat part.
“So when they grab it, it doesn’t do anything!” she marvelled.
Concluding, Jessica wrote: “My daughter’s three -and-a-half years old and I just found this out today!”
And in the comments section, other mums admitted they were equally stunned by the revelation.
“My kids are 28/26/24/17,” one wrote.
“This would have been helpful 3 couches ago!”
“Ummm I’m 46 and didn’t know. Thank you,” another said.
“My daughter is 38… And I just found this out today!” a third laughed.
“NO SERIOUSLY THANK YOU,” someone else added.
“Wow this is good to know! thank you!” another wrote.
Time-saving mum hacks
Morning Routine
Nighttime Preparation: Set out clothes for yourself and the kids, pack lunches, and organise backpacks before bed.
Effortless Breakfasts: Keep simple, healthy breakfast options on hand, such as overnight oats, smoothie packs, or pre-made breakfast burritos.
Meal Planning
Weekly Meal Prep: Dedicate time each week to plan your meals to eliminate daily decision-making.
Bulk Cooking: Prepare larger quantities and freeze portions for future use.
Hands-Off Cooking: Make use of slow cookers or Instant Pots for easy, unattended meal prep.
Ready-to-Use Veggies: Purchase pre-chopped vegetables or chop them all at once to save time during the week.
Household Chores
Daily Laundry: Do a load of laundry every day to prevent a buildup of dirty clothes.
Continuous Cleaning: Encourage kids to clean up after themselves and perform small cleaning tasks throughout the day.
Efficient Multitasking: Fold laundry while watching TV or listen to audiobooks/podcasts while cleaning.
Organisation
Family Command Centre: Set up a central hub with a calendar, to-do lists, and important documents.
Daily Decluttering: Spend a few minutes each day decluttering to maintain an organised home.
Organised Storage: Use bins and baskets to keep items neat and easy to locate.
Kid Management
Prepared Activity Bags: Have bags packed with essentials for various activities (e.g., swimming, sports).
Routine Visuals: Implement visual charts to help kids follow their routines independently.
Task Delegation: Assign age-appropriate chores to children to foster responsibility and reduce your workload.
“You may have saved me half the juice boxes my son spills and drinks,” someone else said.
“WHAT?!” another admitted.
“I’ve been a mum for almost 10 years and I just learned this today!”
While others used the comments section to share their own hacks to avoid spillages.
With many admitting they use the “flaps” method – pulling out the tabs on either side of the carton and instructing their kids to only hold it by those flaps.
“This is crazy! I’ve ALWAYS pulled the little tabs out,” one wrote.
“We call them our ‘bat wings’ so we don’t spill… never have I ever thought of flattening it.
“Mind blown!”
“I lift the sides only and teach them to hold it by the flaps,” another added.
“Been doing this for years.”
“Oh that’s a great tip!!!” Jessica replied.