If you're a mum, these 4 hacks will make life a whole lot easier.

We always hear about how we women are supposedly judging one another constantly – especially when we women are mothers.

It was so refreshing and, to be quite honest, a privilege to sit down at the recent DAIRYLEA “Hackademy” with 11 other women from radically different backgrounds, cultures and stages of their lives to discuss and break down one thing: how we can help make life easier for other mums.

As a team, we discussed and shared the little things – those “MUMMY HACKS” that we’ve discovered as parents that can make life easier for us all. And it was a revelation.

At the Hackademy we discussed so many topics. From first day of school anxieties to screen time right through to homework, we seemed to cover all of the big issues that go hand in hand with having children, both at home and at school.

Just as an FYI, you should know that this post is an advertorial for DAIRYLEA Cheese. But all opinions expressed by the author are 100% authentic and written in their own words. 

Surprisingly, we were (mostly) all on the same page – although I’m not sure if my “on the first day I like to kiss them at the school gate and run like I’m being chased” comment was a sentiment that was held by all. But all jokes aside, that first day at school is daunting for you and your child and if we’re all honest, I’d say that we sometimes take it harder than they do.

My children are older now and with my youngest heading into Year 3, I admit I felt like I was already well equipped and that there wasn’t much I could learn from these other ladies, especially about school lunches.

After a couple of hours with these ladies, I realised I was doing it ALL wrong. I was missing out on some really fun and engaging ways to not only get my kids to eat healthily, but also have fun doing so.

Here are just a few of the brilliant MUMMY HACKS they came up with:

MUMMY HACK 1: Pop a special note in their lunch box.

It doesn’t have to say much. It could be a picture, a treat or even a little toy. Just something, especially in that first week back at school, to remind them that you are thinking about them, even when they’re not with you.

MUMMY HACK 2: Place a frozen sponge in a ziplock bag or ¾ filled frozen drink bottle in their lunch box.

This helps keep food cool and also allows them to have a drink that slowly thaws throughout the day. It is especially handy if your child takes salad sandwiches to school. The sponge is also great for washing up with later.

MUMMY HACK 3: Stock up on bulk plastic or eco-friendly disposable spoons and forks.

Teaspoons seem to get lost in that same mysterious black hole that hair ties and pens do. Putting in a disposable spoon or fork to eat yoghurt or salads with will save both of you the angst of losing the good cutlery.

MUMMY HACK 4: Be sure to tell your child NOT to eat their entire lunch at first break.

This was more advice than a hack, but you’d be surprised how many children sit down and eat everything in their lunch box on first break during their first year at school. Take the time to explain how they need to pace themselves. Even putting the first break and second break foods into different containers might help to get them started.

Those four tips are only a taste of some of the brilliant ideas these mums came up with. There were a whole lot more which will be available on their website, and let me tell you, when the prize for coming up with the best ideas is a magnum of expensive champagne, you wouldn’t believe what women can come up with.

Come share your “MUMMY HACKS” with us.

DAIRYLEA cheese believes in a world where the best food is made with simple and honest ingredients. Where fun and play should be part of your every day, for kids as well as mums…So to support the fun loving mums of the world, we’ve invented MUMMY HACKS. These are the mummy inspired ideas that help take the ‘um’ out of being a mum.

​For more useful tips, tricks and parenting tidbits visit mummyhacks.com.au

DAIRYLEA, the DAIRYLEA device and MUMMY HACK are trademarks of MONDELEZ INTERNATIONAL GROUP used under licence.