While it might seem like their lives are hectic with filming, interviews, and everything "celebrity" entails, stars aren't immune to a busy parenting schedule. Thankfully, celebrities such as Kristen Bell, Kate Middleton, and Elton John have come up with some quirky tips, tricks, and parenting hacks to (hopefully) make things go a bit more smoothly around the house.
Elton John Teaches His Kids About Finances In A Great Way
Chores are a normal way for kids to make a little bit of money. But Elton John takes the message of "a hard day work" a bit further with this nifty little hack. Instead of just handing money over to his sons, he turns their earnings into a little lesson in finances.
There are three jars in the Furnish-John home: a savings jar, an earnings jar, and a jar for charity. After he "pays" his sons, he has them equally disperse their money into each of the three jars!
Blake Lively Is All About Constructive Criticism
When Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds are the parents, there are bound to be a few quirky things in the house. In this instance, it's Blake's "comment box." During an interview, she told an Australian news outlet that she likes the idea of the comment box because her kids can feel free to speak openly about things the parents or even their siblings should change.
Can't you imagine the Lively-Reynolds household sitting down and discussing the comments? Considering their parents, the little ones probably have some interesting recommendations!
Kristen Bell Has Her Kids Put Their "Hands On The Circle"
Getting out of the car with kids in the back is not easy. Parents have to make sure the little ones are safe and won't potentially run into traffic when their back is turned. Thankfully, actress Kristen Bell has a quirky little trick to ensure her children's safety.
When Bell's kids get out of the car, she makes sure they put their "hands on the circle," the circle being the gas cap. This way, her kids stay in one spot!
Chance The Rapper Is All About Combing With No Tears
Chance the Rapper doesn't take any risks when brushing out his little girls' hair. In fact, the talented rapper came up with his own little recipe to ensure both of his daughters are tear-free when he brushes out her hair.
His self-proclaimed "cheat code" includes water, argan oil, shea butter, and a very, very, wide-toothed comb. It's a sweet and simple hack that won't only leave kids' hair shiny and healthy, but it will save time because they won't be crying over tangles.
Kate Middleton Is A Huge Advocate For Active Listening
Looking closely at many pictures of The Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, there is a trend when it comes to children. The Duchess tends to bend down if a child needs her attention.
This is because Kate is a huge advocate for active listening. This means bending down to get on the level of their children. This handy tip makes it so that kids can see the adults are fully engaged with whatever they're saying.
When It Comes To Veggies, Busy Philipps Uses Sibling Rivalry
For those who have siblings, the concept of sibling rivalry is all too real. But Dawson's Creek actress Busy Philipps found a way to use competition to her advantage -- making her kids eat their greens!
During an interview with US Weekly, Philipps explained how she uses friendly competition to get Cricket and Birdie to eat broccoli. "I'm like, 'I feel like Cricket's going to finish her broccoli first,' and then Birdie's like, 'I can finish it first.'" Not a half-bad plan!
Hilary Duff Puts Something Extra In The Diaper Bag
Diaper bags are typically filled to the brim with everything a child needs for a five-day stay at a hotel. The thing is, parents, don't tend to think about packing themselves an extra shirt or pair of pants. What will they need it for?
Insert Hilary Duff's hack. It took one accident on a plane with her son Luca to realize she needed to pack herself a shirt. Her tip: parents never know when things are going to get messy, so pack extra clothes!
Tamera Mowry Insists On Nighttime Routines & Sound Machines
Actress Tamera Mowry knows a thing or two about putting children to bed. With two young kids, she's got her system down. What does that system look like? Mowry swears it comes down to a little thing called routine.
Her tip is to have a set time to start putting the child to sleep, giving them a bit of consistency. To make things go a bit smoother, Mowry also recommends a sound machine!
Melissa Joan Hart Uses A Specific Organizer For LEGO Blocks
Lego sets not only come with a wide variety of pieces, but when a lot of sets start to jumble together, and they're thrown into one communal bucket of blocks, it's game over ever finding specific pieces again.
That's why actress Melissa Joan Hart came up with a neat organizational hack to ensure her three boys' Legos were always organized. Hart uses a clear plastic jewelry organizer to separate pieces. No more dumping entire buckets of Lego blocks on the floor!
Jenna Fischer's "Adventure" Hack Includes A Trip To Ikea
Living on a hill without any sidewalks leaves few places to wander for an 18-month olds. That's why actress Jenna Fischer came up with a quirky little adventure hack for her little one. She takes her son, Weston, to Ikea!
Fischer and her husband grab a coffee and just let Weston roam, since everything is pretty much baby-proofed, to begin with. According to the actress, it keeps him occupied for a long time, especially since he loves following the arrows on the floor.
Ashton Kutcher Recommends A SNOO Crib
After having issues getting their firstborn to sleep, Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis stepped up their game for baby number two. Now, Kutcher is all about the SNOO, a robotic crib that actually rocks s a child to sleep.
On a podcast, Kutcher said, "it has a sensor in it so the louder the kid cries, the faster it goes and puts the kid back to sleep. It's incredible." This is a great investment for parents who need their beauty sleep.
Sarah Michelle Gellar's Answer To Boredom: Play-Doh Molds!
When school and homework are no longer there to keep young children busy, it takes a bit of creativity. Thankfully, actress Sarah Michelle Gellar created a fun, new, and creative way to make baking a bit more fun for youngsters.
Her idea is instead of making boring old cookies, grab the children's Play-Doh molds. Have the kids help make the cookie dough and then have them use the various molds to create unique cookies. Of course, make sure to wash the molds before using them!
Melissa McCarthy Advises An "Early Bird Special"
When kids are thrown into the mix, parents need to remember to take some time for themselves. That's why Melissa McCarthy and her husband Ben Falcone make sure to go out for the "early bird special" when they get the chance.
This way, they're home to tuck their kids into bed, and they themselves can also get to bed early. Hey, they're going to have to get up early anyway, so why not go out early and get to bed at a decent hour!
Elka Whalan's Groceries Are Categorized For Her Kids
As an Olympic swimmer, Elka Whalan is used to a strict diet, which she is now instilling into her four kids. Unfortunately, though, kids enjoy junk food, so she's had to come up with a clever way to restrict her children's sweet tooth indulgences.
Her hack? All of the food in Whalan's house is split into "everyday foods" and "sometimes foods." This way, the kids will grow up with a notion of what is healthy and what shouldn't be eaten every day, like bags of chips.
Kristen Bell Is All About The Hair Tie
According to Kristen Bell, hair ties can be used for more than a ponytail. In fact, in certain instances, they're actually huge lifesavers. Bell advises all parents to have some on hand, just in case something rips and needs to be mended quickly.
What does the actress mean? If a pull-up or diaper rips and there are no extras in the diaper bag, a hair tie can be used to hold the two broken ends together. Talk about genius.
Chrissy Teigen Makes Bath Time More Comfortable
While some babies enjoy bath time, there are those who will throw a fit the entire way through. Chrissy Teigen's daughter, Luna, falls into the latter category. So, the mama had to figure out a way to make bathtime a bit more bearable.
Her hack? Teigen puts Luna's favorite blanket on the bottom of the bath. This way, she's a bit more comfortable, and there is no chance of her slipping and sliding all over the basin.
Drew Barrymore Uses Hair Ties To Lock Things Down
Drew Barrymore learned that there is no way to trust another person's house, a hotel, or really anywhere to be baby-proofed. So, to keep her two children safe when they were toddlers, she came up with a genius little hack -- keep hair ties around at all times!
Barrymore learned that just by having a hair tie, she was able to secure cabinet doors, drawers, and anything else that a curious toddler might wind up opening and hitting their head with.
Tom Fletcher And The iPad That Only Works On An Airplane
In this day and age, kids get very zoned into their electronics. From a young age, iPads, iPhones, laptops, and various other tablets are the norm for many families. But not in the Fletcher household!
Musician Tom Fletcher came up with a genius hack to ensure his kids aren't "logged on" all the time. He told his kids that iPads only work on airplanes! This way, they're not asking for the technology at home. Hopefully, the kids won't hold too much of a grudge when they grow up!
Sarah Michelle Gellar Makes Her Kids "Pay" For Wasting Milk
Celebrities might have a lot of money, but that doesn't mean they want their children wasting groceries. That's why actress Sarah Michelle Gellar came up with this genius hack for when her daughter wastes milk.
If Gellar's daughter asks for a glass of milk and doesn't drink it or finish it, Gellar takes a quarter out of her little girl's piggy bank! According to the actress, someone has to pay for that milk! It's a good way to learn the value of a dollar.
Chrissy Teigen Created A Breakfast Menu
A fun hack Chrissy Teigen came up with to make mornings more fun and to bypass the whole "I don't know what I want to eat for breakfast" question was making a kid-friendly breakfast menu.
It's a sneaky way to get the kids to pick what they want to eat, have them properly "order it" like they're adults at a restaurant, and all the while making breakfast into a pseudo-roll-playing game, both mama and child will enjoy.
