11 Parenting Hacks That Could Only Have Been Invented By Engineers

2. Small hands can play big games too

Children have small hands and they can have a hard time holding their cards when playing card games. This ingenious life hack makes it easier for tiny tots to entertain themselves with card games without the cards going everywhere.

Just take an old egg carton, turn it upside down and you'll get the perfect card holding device for small card sharks.

3. Keep it tidy and showcase your collection

This tip is perfect for car enthusiasts and type-A organizers! This hack will keep your kid's matchbox car collection looking sharp and protect them from damage when kept in a box. 

It also turns them into pretty cool house decor. Simply install a magnetic strip on a convenient wall and place the metal cars on it as you wish.

4. The prank that never hurt anyone

Children are not the only ones teasing and pranking each other: adults have a lot of fun devising and plotting funny pranks on their friends. And sometimes even at work!

Engineering interns have been known to be sent on wild-goose chases by their superiors, including being asked to 'go look for the striped paint'. Why not apply the same logic to your kids?

Hand them some 'paint', which is actually just water, and a brush and let them go at the fence while you sit back and relax.  

 

Hot weather activities - paint the fence with water #toddlerlife #toddlerapproved #toddlersafe #toddler #toddleractivities #toddleractivity #thingstodowithtoddlers

A post shared by Hala Merola (@halamerola) on Mar 1, 2016 at 8:52pm PST

5. Get a racetrack for less than $5

Engineers build some of the most expensive stuff in the world and they know how to use resources wisely and without waste.  

So why spend money on an expensive toy race track or race track mat for your matchbox cars when you can have something even better for a fraction of the cost?

Just give your child a roll of masking tape and some space and let their creativity run wild as they create and recreate the ultimate race track circuits for almost zero cost. 

 

Masking tape and monster trucks at dawn. This kid… #maskingtape #painterstape #monstertrucks #cars #playtime #toddlerhacks #hoursoffun

A post shared by Tiffany McCrum (@tmccrum_mua) on Feb 23, 2015 at 7:57am PST

6. Study hard 

To make this brilliant parenting hack come to life, simply remove the sliding barrier of the child's crib and take away the mattress. In seconds, you have a perfect sized desk for your child.

Creative parents can get fancy by adding chalkboard paint and hooks to complete the transformation.

7. Get your old controllers out and thank us later

Having kids often means you need to give up your own hobbies in order to look after them. With this ingenious parenting life hack, you'll never need to miss another second of precious gaming time.

Not only are you entertaining the kids, you will be getting some well deserved R & R too.

8. In case of emergency

Engineers know the value of good grades pretty much better than anyone. This parent is setting the standard for education clearly. 

There may be no better motivation for a teenager to get their grades up than to get their phone confiscated.

9. Take their gadgets out of the picture

This is a genius way to get your kids to clean their room, participate in family activities or do their chores. Simply add a padlock to the plug of their favorite electronics. 

This simple parenting life hack gives you all the power to get what you need from your gadget addicted kids. 

10. No waste

Engineers are brilliant at being able to solve problems with few resources. A newly toilet-trained kid can drive parents crazy playing with toilet paper.

Not in this household. This genius parent has created an indicator line for toilet paper usage. The perfect amount every time.

11. Get Your Toddler Gardening

This awesome parenting hack is genius. If you want to be out in the garden doing chores, simply bring your baby out in their playpen and cover them with a fitted sheet. 

The elastic edges of the sheet will keep the top of the playpen secure and create a nice shady and bug-free environment, so you can get all your gardening done without distraction.