Parent Hacks

Make a no-sew Moby wrap baby carrier

Heather of Rookie Moms made her own Moby Wrap-style baby carrier (which she refers to as her Fauxby). And you can, too. Really, you can.

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Baby wipes as face cleansing cloths

I've ALWAYS questioned the need for specialized facial and body cleansers. If there's a good reason why using baby wipes on one's face is a problem, please say so in the comments.

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Piddle Pad protects car seat from diaper blowouts

In response to a hack suggesting disposable changing pads as car seat poop-protectors, @Heatherikki pointed out a smart non-disposable solution.

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Childproof a switch cover with recycled plastic

"The kitchen sink in our new house is on the island, which means that the disposal switch is at a height of three feet, begging my son to play with it. What could be a worse idea?" Here's one way to babyproof it.

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Strap the car seat to rolling luggage to "tote" toddlers through the airport

A clever hack for traveling solo with little kids, or for simply lugging the car seat through the airport.

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Hack request: Biking with baby

Send us your best "biking with kids" tips! Summary to follow.

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Amazon TODAY ONLY: Fisher-Price Infant to Toddler Swing 50% off

This is one of those simple, inexpensive items that will make your kid(s), future siblings, visiting friends and neighborhood children very happy for years to come. A swing hanging on a tree in the front yard invites families to come together. In fact, I met a good friend for the...

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Amazon deal: Chan rubber teether (by the maker of the famous Sophie the Giraffe) 20% off

Sophie the Giraffe came along after my kids were past teething age, so while I haven't experienced the phenomenon myself, I've spoken to parents who have. They lovingly liken Sophie -- a soft, natural rubber teething toy --- to "baby crack." Comments such as NOTHING SOOTHES MY BABY LIKE SOPHIE...

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One simple maneuver for cleaner diaper changes

Stacy has been changing diapers for seven years. That's a LOT of diapers. And she has just discovered a simple change in technique that keeps her baby's hands out of the "poop zone."

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How to find downtime when your kid won't nap

The religion all parents practice: the Worship of the Nap. Naptime equals quiet time, get-

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"Paint on" diaper cream with a makeup brush

Cristina's solution to sticky diaper cream-covered hands: To keep hands (and thus everything else) clean during changes when we have to apply rash cream, I bought an inexpensive foundation makeup brush. The gloppiest cream can be applied liberally this way and the clean diaper put on without all the cream...

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Potty training inspiration: make custom underwear decals!

Becky titled this hack "Inspiring underwear." I say: inspired underwear for those who are looking to motivate beginning potty-trainers: They say you should let your potty-training child pick out some big-kid underwear at the store so that he/she is inspired to keep them dry for potty training. But when I...

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"Childproof" kitchen cabinets by hiding the knobs behind towels

Did your childproofing standards change when you had more than one child?

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The Happiest Mom giveaway winners!

My son is taller than I am. Okay, that's not saying much, as I'm barely five feet. The point is, he's growing up. I remember, when he was a baby and a toddler, feeling like my life would always be a crazy blur of hormones and nursing and frenetic toddler...

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Review and giveaway: The Happiest Mom: 10 Secrets to Enjoying Motherhood

There was a time when the title -- even the premise -- of this book would have tripped my skepticism alarm. "What can a parenting 'expert' tell me about being happy, especially in ten little steps?" Harumph. I'm now older and more experienced, and I know better than to pooh-pooh...

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