An Ignoble Experiment: [Parent Hacks] 2 new posts in Parent Hacks

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Tidying up is more fun with cooking tongs

Erin's found a way to make cleanup a fun part of play (good for motor coordination, too):

My son has always been much happier to help me tidy us his toys if I give him a pair of cooking tongs to use. This has worked from before he was old enough to be into robots or anything - he just loves using the tongs. Tidying up can take a while as each block or whatever has to be lifted and put away carefully with machine-like precision, but it is more fun for all of us. Especially if I get to use tongs too.

Sometimes if I can't find the tongs or they wouldn't work, I suggest that 'The Giant Claw' help me tidy up and he immediately makes his hand into a shape like a claw and uses it like a crane grab to lift things into their place.

Related: 'Toy library' promotes cleanup AND creativity (one of my favorite hacks)

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On Parent Hacks at: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/parenthacks/~3/382247485/tidying-up-is-m.html

Serve lunchbox condiments in a medicine syringe

OK, T. E., this is ingenious. For all the ketchup-lovers out there:

While waiting for my nifty condiment holders from Japan to get here, I've been using small plastic containers to put ketchup in my son's lunchbox. (He puts ketchup on everything.) This morning I didn't have the space in his bento or bag to squeeze another container for his much-beloved condiment soooo...... I filled one of our un-used clean medicine syringes with ketchup. This way he has just a tsp or so and can place it directly on his turkey dog himself. Should be less messy than a cup of ketchup too. Our pharmacy gives us one with any liquid prescription and we tend to use the cups instead, so I've got a few stashed away in a drawer. Who knew I'd ever use them!

Related: Plenty o' lunchbox hacks in the Feeding archive