During the summer, taking kids to the park or the public pool is a staple activity—but getting them to leave without a huge fight? Sometimes impossible. That’s why moms everywhere are in awe of one parent who posted on Reddit about their genius hack for getting kids out of the pool without any complaints. We’ll all be using this one all summer long.
“With summer here, my kids want to be at the community pool all day (Understandably, but sometimes impractically!). When prepping our pool bags on Sunday, I was kind of dreading the tug of war of getting them home, before we had even left the house,” they wrote on Reddit’s Parenting forum. “Impulsively, I decided not to pack the snack bag that I normally would.”
They continued, “Got to the pool at 10, and by 11:30 they were “starving!!?” I told them we would have to head home for lunch if they were hungry, and by 12, they were ready to go. It was like… magic! I am so conditioned to keep my kids comfortable, I forget sometimes the ability to use their comfort as an aide in directing their behavior.”
This is so simple, yet so genius. In the comments, other parents chimed in with a ton of praise for this simple trick—plus their own similar hacks that they’ve used to get their kids to cooperate when leaving fun places like the park without a battle.
“I used to conveniently forget to remind my kids to grab jackets when we went to the park in the late fall. They would be ready to go home in an hour. No crying, nothing,” one parent wrote.
Another added this tip: “Pool time [wins] as a sleepover evening activity. Kids go hard in the pool for a few hours and everyone is passed out by 10pm. No more telling kids to be quiet at midnight.”
Also genius!
Several parents recommended the “picture trick” for kids who whine about wanting toys at the store.
“When you go shopping with the kids and they see a toy they absolutely ‘need’, don’t let them beg,” one wrote. “Admire it wholeheartedly and tell them you’ll take a picture of them with the toy for their birthday/Santa wishlist. If they’re still talking about that toy when a gift giving date comes close, you know what to get, otherwise they’ve forgotten about it without trouble.”
Seriously, these parents belong in Mensa. These tips are life-changing!
What unexpected parenting hacks have you discovered?
