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Parenting is a dynamic and challenging endeavor often learned through a lot of trial and error. OK, mostly error. But luckily, billions of people have been through it before us and have learned a few great tricks through their own mistakes so we don't have to make them ourselves.

Here are some of the best parenting "cheat codes" that reduce tantrums, ease kids' anxiety, and make life easier on us parents.

Don't end up like Ron Swanson. Giphy

1. Make (almost) everything a game

Psychology Today says, "Play is a cheat code for parenting—it helps parents co-regulate, teach skills, and build deep connection."

The old-school, authoritarian parent would just force their kids to do chores through threats and consequences. More parents now are turning chores into a game: "Let's see how many toys we can pick up before this song ends!" or, "I hid a sticker in your laundry, you'll have to put it all away to find it."

The kids will be more cooperative and you'll have fun together: Win-win.

2. Try the Broken Record technique

Tired of arguing with your kids when they push back against your "No"? Don't yell, just be a broken record.

Parenting coach Carol Canineu who posts under Mom Out of Office explains in a recent post:

"Pick a simple, clear response ... Stay calm and repeat it exactly the same way ... Don’t argue, don’t change your tone just hold your ground. If I get frustrated and waver, of course they think I might change my decision too! But when I stay consistent? Fewer arguments, way less yelling, and way more peace."

3. Make liberal use of binary choices

Kids love feeling a sense of freedom and independence. Think about it, being told what to do and when to do it all the time would get pretty demoralizing after a while, right?

That's why a lot of experts and parents swear by giving their kids choices, but not just any choices: choices that lead to a desired outcome. Here's an example.

"It’s not 'time to go to bed' it’s 'do you want to go to your bed upside down, or on daddy’s shoulders?' Toddlers LOVE control. Works every time, 89% of the time," one user writes on Reddit.

4. Take a picture

Taking kids to the store is a great way to get time together, but the problem is that they always want you to buy them something. You can stand firm, but you'll run a high risk of arguments and tantrums.

Next time, try this:

"If your kid wants something in the store and you cant or don't want to buy it for them, offer to take a picture of it so they can remember it for later. Saved me a lot of tantrums," another parent added in the Reddit thread.

5. Make time for "Special Time"

"Special Time" is a concept popular in therapy for kids with ADHD and is designed to reduce attention-seeking behavior by giving the child frequent doses of focused, positive attention.

But it can be useful and have positive results for anyone who feels like they're not getting enough "quality time" with their kids. Just 10 minutes of hyper-focused (no phone, no screens) time spent playing or doing an activity together with no distractions or interruptions goes a long way. In fact, the best Special Time usually involves the parent being a relatively passive participant — just be nearby, focused, and positively engaged by saying phrases like "You're doing such a great job!" and "I'm really enjoying playing with you."

Canineu uses a similar technique she calls "I see you."

6. Cut everything into finger food

It's amazing watching a kid go from turning their nose up at a piece of chicken to happily gobbling it down once its been cut into a bite sized piece.

All hail the pizza cutter!

"Pizza Cutters are an amazing tool. Little toast strips? Pizza Cutter. Tacos or quesadillas? Pizza cutter. Green beans, pepper strips and even fried eggs all are so much easier to cut into finger food with a pizza cutter. I can't believe i wasted 3 months messed around trying to cut things with knives," one parent write.

7. Move toys around

An old toy in a new location is a new toy. Photo by Nick Nice on Unsplash

Toy rotation is an incredible hack for kids that crave novelty. When they're bored of their toys, bring some old ones out of the closet, or move the same toy into a different room.

"An old toy in a new location is a new toy," one user writes.

8. Never ask

The way we say things is important. Just take it from this parent who wrote, " NEVER ask a child if they want to do something that isn't optional. ... Never say 'do you want to go to bed?' Or 'do you want to go potty?' Always ... 'time to go to bed!'"

Even adding a harmless "OK?" at the end of a request dilutes its power. When you phrase a demand as a question, you may not like the answer.

9. Utilize convenient lies

Parents agree it's wise to take advantage of your young kids' naivety while you can:

Tell them the noisy toy ran out of batteries. Explain that the ice cream truck playing music means they're out of ice cream.

Make it work for you while you can with little white lies.

10. Hold their wrist, not their hand

Canineu says young kids are notorious for chasing after shiny objects. Their little, sweaty hands can be slippery when crossing busy roads and you never quite know when they'll yank out of your grip and go running to see a friend or catch a squirrel.

Many safety experts agree with her when she recommends a more secure alternative: Get a firm grip on their wrist.

11. Protect the socks

The smaller the child, the more infuriating it is doing their laundry. One great tip from a new mom on Reddit can help make things just a smidge simpler.

"Laundry tip - use a mesh wash bag for the little socks. Then they're all together when the load is done."

If only the mesh bag could fold and put everything away for you...

12. Master transitions with a timer

Most kids struggle with transitions, whether it's ending play because it's time to eat, getting dressed and leaving the house, or even being cooperative for family plans the next day.

Many parents find a timer to be an invaluable tool. The beep at the end of the timer is objective and final, and saves you from being the bad guy. It also represents a quantifiable amount of time ("You can play for five minutes and then we need to leave") that even kids can understand.

"Timers for transitions. I thought he was too young to really get it, but we started OT for some sensory issues and the therapist used a timer to tell him when we are done with an activity. He LOVES it. Now he asks for a timer anytime we need to stop doing something. I can’t believe I never tried it before," one user wrote.

13. The perfect response to "I'm bored"

Back to Canineu, she recently discovered an excellent response when her kids tell her they're bored. (And no, it's not "Hi Bored, I'm Mom!")

She recommends trying the Wow Method:

Say “Wow! That’s awesome! It’s a great chance for you to get creative. ... What’s something you wish you knew how to do?”

"At first, my daughter just stared at me. Nothing. Crickets. But then she said she wanted to learn how to make coffee in the coffee machine. We tried it together, and soon she was making it by herself. Before I knew it… she had turned our kitchen into a full-on coffee shop. And wow… it became one of her favorite ways to play. She’s now my personal barista: taking orders, pouring imaginary lattes, and loving every minute," Canineu writes.

There's no magical hack or cheat code that can make raising kids a breeze. Every day is filled with obstacles and new challenges. But not everything has to feel difficult all the time. All parents could use a few easy wins, and fortunately most of us are willing to share our best techniques with the rest of our village for the greater good.