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

2009/10/22

[Parent Hacks] 2 new posts in Parent Hacks

Hello, ignoble.experiment@arconati.us, and thank you for subscribing to Parent Hacks. Got a hack you'd like to share? Send it to hacks@parenthacks.com, along with your name and Web address (if you'd like us to link to you).

Toddler's nightly rubdown goes easier (and quieter) with toothbrush distraction

Ah, the beauty of distraction. The trick is to find that thing that really lights your kid up (it's different for every kid, and not always what you'd imagine). From Rachael@Pineapplebabble:

My daughter is 13 months old and has eczema so every single night, without fail, we lotion her up. As you might guess, she HATES this and protests - LOUDLY. The neighbors have commented on it - and we live in a home - it's that loud.

For the longest time, we just sort of suffered through it. But about 2 months ago, I had a great idea. She's been teething for a long time and I know that brushing is important for wee ones, so one evening after her bath as we were preparing for the lotioning process, I grabbed her toothbrush and loaded it up with training toothpaste. I handed it over, encouraging her to brush; understanding that she would have no clue what I was talking about but would enjoy the feel of the bristles on her abused gums. JACKPOT! She LOVED it. She stopped screaming and crying immediately and actually did a few little brushing motions.

Since that night, we do this every evening. I can even clip her nails (*GASP*) without the top of her head popping off as long as she has that toothbrush. It's good for her teeth, it's good for our ears and it's excellent for our sanity. I realize it's not a trip to Disneyland but really, isn't something that gives us a few moments of happy peace better than the Haunted Castle? OK, maybe not.

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Write driving directions on the back of the party invitation

Raise your hand if you have ever a) bought a birthday present for your kid's friend while on the way to the kid's birthday party, and/or b) hopped in the car with minutes to spare before the start of said party only to realize you have no idea where it is. I've never done either of these things, mind you. I'm just wondering if you have. Ahem.

Shivani's hack won't get the present purchased the week before the party, but it will help save some driving hassle on the way there:

As soon as I get an invite in the mail (birthday, wedding, party, etc.), I write down the directions on the back of the card using the Internet. That way, there is no scrambling the day of the event to get the directions.