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Archive: October 2006
Book a "nap flight" for holiday travel
31 Oct 06 | Comments: 5
Halloween's here, which means that the holiday travel season is around the corner. Here's a travel tip (more "power of suggestion," really) from raising4boys that may make your air travel a bit easier. Tags: Family travel, Parenting
Ping pong ball as potty training prop
31 Oct 06 | Comments: 10
From Paul: A family friend's son resisted potty training, so she put a ping-pong ball in the toilet bowl and had him aim at it. Aiming at the ball helped the little fella keep his concentration. Neat hey? Tags: Parenting,...
Self-adhesive DOT-It LED light as Halloween headlamp
30 Oct 06 | Comments: 6
Barb, author of Great Family Gadgets, slipped this hack in under the wire. Great idea, Barb! I just came up with (what I think is) a great Halloween hack yesterday, as I was working on a post for my site....
How to turn a ceiling-hung mobile into a crib mobile? Talk amongst yourselves.
30 Oct 06 | Comments: 7
Nicole, who's Much More Than a Mom, would like to appeal to the collective wisdom regarding the hanging of her new mobile: I’m not a mobile person. (That sounds funny. I’m quite mobile actually. I even run on a regular...
Email for the underage: a follow-up
30 Oct 06 | Comments: 3
Sandy's tips point to why you might want to get an email address for your kid: (I know you had an article on this already early on this year. Just an add-on.) We created an email address for our son...
How to supervise your child's online conduct
29 Oct 06 | Comments: 8
Now that I've fanned the flames of MySpace dread, here's a fascinating list (passed along by Satch) of 11 tips for online parental supervision. We've discussed Internet filtering and online supervision before, but not as much as I'd expect, given...
What to do if your teenager wants to meet a MySpace friend IRL? Talk amongst yourselves.
29 Oct 06 | Comments: 4
My kids are out of MySpace range for the moment (they're 7 and 3), but the time will come. Oh, yes. It will come. In ten years, it probably won't be MySpace...by then I imagine the Internet will be much...
No Halloween costume yet? Swap!
28 Oct 06 | Comments: 1
I'd bet there's a fair percentage of us who are still scrambling for Halloween costumes. Here's Jill's solution: If you don't want to spend much and don't have time or creativity to make a costume, consider staging a costume swap...
We have three winners!
27 Oct 06 | Comments: 1
Congratulations to Carolina, Ashley and Megin, winners of Go, Diego Go! Wolf Pup Rescue DVDs! Thanks for playing along with my silly trivia contest. For the record, the working name for this site before my brother in-law Robin came up...
Go, Diego, Goes
27 Oct 06 | Comments: 4
Parent Hacks is now on the radar of PR folks and others with Stuff Parents Might Like To Buy. Which is fine, because the people getting in touch have generally done their homework and get the Parenthacker vibe. I turn...
Cheap window gels keep the car seat-bound entertained
27 Oct 06 | Comments: 2
From the Instant Hausfrau! So, after benefiting so much from the collective parenting wisdom that is Parent Hacks, I'm so excited to finally have something to contribute! I mean, I came up with this, and it didn't hackfire! It's working!...
Send teacher notes to school in junk mail envelopes
26 Oct 06 | Comments: 4
My son's first grade teacher suggested that we send notes to her in envelopes -- they're more likely to make it onto her desk (and less likely to end up in a dirty wad at the bottom of the backpack)....
Watch out for lead in Halloween props and toys
26 Oct 06 | Comments: 1
The folks from the Sierra Club passed along this info about lead in Halloween toys. Interesting, unsettling stuff, and worth sharing: With Halloween just around the corner, we’re trying to get the word out about toxic toys and toy jewelry....
Bake your own energy bars
26 Oct 06 | Comments: 8
It's not often that a hack comes out of getting to know a Parent Hacks advertiser, but that's exactly what happened here. A small button ad from Matisse and Jack's, makers of TrailBlaze Homemade Energy Bar mix, came through recently,...
Personalized playing cards? Talk amongst yourselves.
25 Oct 06 | Comments: 14
Amy wants to know: I read somewhere recently about making your own playing cards -- someone had a template where you could insert your own pictures for the face cards, etc. Thought it would make a great family present. Now...
MeFi on fatherhood
25 Oct 06 | Comments: 0
Rebel Dad comments on two Ask MetaFilter threads on fatherhood: one practical, one poignant (and practical). An aside: consider subscribing to the RSS feed for MeFi posts tagged as "kids" or "parenting" (or other topics you're interested in). I'm late...
Social networking site for parents: Maya's Mom launches today
25 Oct 06 | Comments: 6
Social networking sites for parents are hot, hot, hot! New entrant Maya's Mom launched today, and it looks great. It shares some features with MothersClick, namely, that you can create private discussion spaces for your offline groups, and you can...
Geocaching: treasure hunting with your GPS
24 Oct 06 | Comments: 4
Jay, of The Zero Boss and Parents Behaving Badly, passed along this Silicon Valley Moms Blog post about geocaching...basically GPS-powered treasure hunting. I've never done it myself, but I've known people who've become absolutely addicted, both at home and while...
How do you dole out the Halloween candy?
24 Oct 06 | Comments: 12
Moxie guest-starred on Kristen Chase's ClubMom blog, The Mom Trap, last week, and shared her suggestions on distributing the Halloween haul of sweets. I generally let my kids (7 and 3) have a piece after lunch (or after school) and...
Halloween Fairy swaps candy for toys
24 Oct 06 | Comments: 3
Jackie Weissman of Rock Mama Films invites the Halloween Fairy to swap her son's candy for a new toy every year. Her son is thrilled with the trade, and the candy parade is over before it starts. (In some families,...
Sharpcast Photos takes the pain out of uploading digital photos
23 Oct 06 | Comments: 4
I'm in a bit of trouble with my family as I've fallen off the digital photo uploading wagon. I ran into a Flickr problem months ago and just haven't taken the time to figure it out. In the meantime, my...
Build-a-Bear Workshop outfits as baby Halloween costumes
23 Oct 06 | Comments: 1
If you're still recovering from the sticker shock at Build-A-Bear Workshop, follow Ken's suggestion: reuse the bear's outfit as a Halloween costume for your baby. (Check out those cute pix!) Warning: unless dressing the baby for a quick photo-op, make...
Can we call it "regoodie-ing"?
23 Oct 06 | Comments: 13
Here's how Jill redirects the flow of junky toys back out of the house: Too many trinkets from birthday party goodie bags? We now have a box of them, plus the "treasure chest" rewards from the dentist and the teacher...
Baby gear deals at Returnsforsale.com
22 Oct 06 | Comments: 0
Stollers! Getcher strollers here! (Among other things.) [Via daddytypes] Tags: Baby gear, Parenting, Returnsforsale.com, Strollers
More on chores, allowance, and independence
22 Oct 06 | Comments: 0
Leslie Morgan Steiner, author of the Washington Post blog On Balance, has kicked off a great discussion on teaching kids independence -- a topic close to our heart. Tags: Parenting
Parent Hacks admin: All is well
22 Oct 06 | Comments: 2
Ha! I have triumphed over the all-consuming inbox! If you've been holding off writing to me out of pity, pity no longer! All is well in the land of Parent Hacks. Thanks for your patience and offers of help. You...
Make healthy snacks easiest to grab
22 Oct 06 | Comments: 5
This barely counts as a hack given how simple and obvious it is...or perhaps that best qualifies it as a hack, come to think of it. I find that my kids and I are most likely to snack on the...
Wading pool keeps "scissor practice" paper scraps contained
21 Oct 06 | Comments: 3
So simple, so smart, from Jill: The toddler (2's) teacher at my son's PMO (Parent's morning out) has a wading pool in the classroom filled with old magazines and catalogs. What's it for? Scissors practice! Sit and Chop is one...
A trick for figuring out which plate and glass are yours at a crowded table
20 Oct 06 | Comments: 4
From Sara: Politeness and good manners are highly valued in our house; I've been known to dance across the kitchen when my 15 month old uses both "please" and "thank you" in a transaction without a prompt. [15 months and...
Pill pockets make medication palatable to cats
20 Oct 06 | Comments: 6
Okay, so you'll either think this is cool, or you'll think I'm a creepy dork who spends her limited free time checking out products her readers buy at Amazon. But, come on, if you saw Pill Pockets for Cats Chicken...
No-sew modular Halloween costumes
20 Oct 06 | Comments: 6
Hedra just sent this Halloween costume hack, and it's so good I had to post it right away so you can make a fabric store run this weekend! Over time, my costume-making has evolved into a fairly simple hack. I...
More than you ever wanted to know about how to tie shoes
19 Oct 06 | Comments: 2
From Kip: Here's the most interesting shoelace site I've found: http://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/index.htm (I don't really know how much competition there is, but he seems to have given the matter a good deal of thought, anyway, and has some novel methods that...
How do you prepare a toddler for his first Halloween? Talk amongst yourselves.
19 Oct 06 | Comments: 9
Kim asks: How do you get a 2 year-old prepared for Halloween? In other words, how do you get them to understand the concept of trick or treating and wearing a costume? Our son is going to be an oompa...
Hacking your favorite games so they're easier for young kids to play
19 Oct 06 | Comments: 0
Jill hacks the game of 'Go Fish'! It's potty training boot camp here today, and my son and I are playing all sorts of games while we're home. He pulled out a card memory game (actually a game of Go...
MotherTalk Blog Book Tour: Sleep Solutions for Your Baby, Toddler and Preschooler
19 Oct 06 | Comments: 2
Parent Hacks is a stop on the MotherTalk Blog Book Tour for one of the first books in Ann Douglas's new Mother of All Solutions series: Sleep Solutions for your Baby, Toddler and Preschooler. I don't think Ann would mind...
Join a CSA and have fresh produce to delivered to you each week
18 Oct 06 | Comments: 4
Kris shared her experience belonging to a CSA: We belong to a local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) and receive fresh produce every week during the growing season (May to November in Utah) that was hand-picked that morning. It's pesticide free...
10 tips for photographing babies
18 Oct 06 | Comments: 1
More great taking-pictures-of-the-kids tips, this time from Joey at the Digital Photography School. Lots of good advice in the post, and he ends with a zinger: I wanted to remind us all that having a baby is not just a...
How to get hair ribbons to stay put
18 Oct 06 | Comments: 7
If only my mom had known this hack 35 years ago! Thanks, Sara. If you like putting ribbons in your daughter's hair, a trick for ponytails is to wrap the ribbon in the rubber band as if it was a...
Starfall.com teaches beginning reading
17 Oct 06 | Comments: 5
Jay Allen (The Zero Boss) pinged me about Starfall.com, "where children have fun learning to read." The next day, I got a note home from my son's first grade teacher recommending the site as a good weekend activity or homework...
Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF
17 Oct 06 | Comments: 4
Maria Bailey, host of Mom Talk Radio, passed along the details about a fantastic program, Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF, which I am happy to pass along to you: For most parents Halloween is all about finding the best costume for their...
MothersClick: new networking site for parents
17 Oct 06 | Comments: 5
Launched today: MothersClick, a new site for sharing ideas, creating private discussion groups, and generally hanging out together online. Cool Mom Picks has already done such a good job describing MothersClick I'll send you there for the lowdown. Founder Andra...
Bellybutton match game gets underpants on straight
17 Oct 06 | Comments: 5
SJ's self-dressing hack: When we started potty training there was a lot of backwards underwear-wearing, because it's hard to tell which way girls' panties go of there is no tag or bow. Sometimes my daughter would get it wrong even...
How to entertain a toddler while holding a newborn? Talk amongst yourselves.
16 Oct 06 | Comments: 16
Charlie is not only a supplier of cool PR samples, he's also the father of a newborn. And he needs a hack. How do you, a stay at home mom, play with your toddler (3) while also holding your baby...
"Homemade" digital ecards at Yuva Studio
16 Oct 06 | Comments: 0
Yuva Studio as a beautiful "creative playground" where kids can produce digital art, share it as ecards or printed posters with friends and family, and save it in an electronic sketchbook. The resulting art is lovely, and I like the...
Should your teen's cell phone have GPS tracking?
16 Oct 06 | Comments: 8
From Amy, mother of teenagers: I have more to learn than to share, but I will tell you something another mom told me. You ask them to call to let you know where they are, and they do. From their...
Pros and cons of having kids: add yours to the list!
15 Oct 06 | Comments: 3
From Darren: I guess this is kind of a pre-parenting hack, so I'm not sure it qualifies. Regardless, I thought I'd pass along our little social experiment in the wisdom of crowds: http://www.darrenbarefoot.com/archives/2006/09/lazyweb-project-should-we-become-parents.html Which points to our editable list of...
How to Photoshop the background clutter out of your photos
15 Oct 06 | Comments: 5
Amy at Shooting the Kids passed along this super-helpful tutorial, especially as family photo season is upon us: Here's my "how to" on removing unwanted clutter from the background of your photos. What I find is that, with kids, we...
Free postal supply kit for sending toys to Iraq
14 Oct 06 | Comments: 18
Updated 8/07: Two of Edmay's comrades have taken over her role, and are accepting toy donations. send your donations to: Michael Fellenz or Natalie Sudman USACE-GRS APO-AE 09331 Thank you so much, Nicole, for passing this along: I was sharing...
Update from Edmay in Iraq: Toys are arriving daily!
14 Oct 06 | Comments: 15
Updated 8/07: Two of Edmay's comrades have taken over her role, and are accepting toy donations. Send your donations to: Michael Fellenz or Natalie Sudman USACE-GRS APO-AE 09331 Thank you, thank you Parenthackers and everyone else who has responded so...
Hacks to keep a toddler walking without wanting to be carried
13 Oct 06 | Comments: 19
Cyd has come up with some fantastic diversions that keep her daughter from wanting to be picked up while Cyd's arms are already full: A small but often challenging part of my day involves traveling to and from the metro...
Cell phone as baby monitor
13 Oct 06 | Comments: 5
We've talked before about using regular phones as baby monitors, but Jack and his partner used their cell phones: My partner and I were vacationing at a B&B with our 1-year old daughter. When she fell asleep at 8PM, there...
Uses for anti-theft wire ties
12 Oct 06 | Comments: 4
Michael G. has a different take on those infernal anti-theft wire ties that keep toys attached to the packaging. These ideas were so hack-worthy I promoted them from the comments: Those wires are better off intact and out of the...
Games to play with the alphabet floor mat
12 Oct 06 | Comments: 7
Kristen, much-admired author of Motherhood Uncensored and The Mom Trap and co-founder of Cool Mom Picks, finally found a use for the alphabet floor mat: So, you know those foam letter puzzle floor covering things that you buy to keep...
Random objects stand in for a crib mobile
12 Oct 06 | Comments: 1
Kris came up with a novel alternative to a crib mobile: I didn't want a traditional crib mobile for our son because they seemed so tacky, gaudy and loud. We had decorated his room in a very soothing, natural manner...
Reducing the SpaghettiO mess factor
12 Oct 06 | Comments: 3
Here's how Andrea, homeschooling mom of 4 and prolific blogger, simplifies post-SpaghettiO cleanup: With small picky toddlers, sometimes one of the few things they will eat is those canned noodles in tomato sauce, often in special character shapes. But they...
Buy redundant baby blankets
12 Oct 06 | Comments: 16
Mike passes along a save-the-day tip: Most infants and toddlers develop an affinity for a certain blanket that they always must have in order to fall asleep. Most parents know that this can cause much anguish if you forget it...
Happy hydration hour
12 Oct 06 | Comments: 9
SJ (who isn't living up to the URL given the excellent hack) keeps the kid in fluids: Happy hydration hour: I used to worry excessively about hydration with my oldest when she was throwing up or otherwise ill, and I...
Nail clippers make short work of anti-theft twist ties
11 Oct 06 | Comments: 9
Stefania (who blogs a bit here, here, here, here and here) has strong feelings -- and a hack! -- about those finger-breaking twist thingies: You know those ANNOYING AS [**beeeeeep!**] toys that come twist-tied with wire onto a cardboard backing?...
Fast-forward puts you in control of TV timing
11 Oct 06 | Comments: 4
Here's how Katie ends TV tantrums before they begin: This one is simple enough that it's hard for me to legitimately call it a hack, but once I figured out that my kids (7 and 2) would accept it, we...
Cyberchase is calling all kid inventors
10 Oct 06 | Comments: 0
The PBS series Cyberchase is inviting kid inventors ages 6 -12 years old to send videos of themselves and their inventions as part of My Big Idea: Cyberchase Inventions Initiative. Selected videos will be shown on the Cyberchase website and...
Squibbles features Halloween links
10 Oct 06 | Comments: 2
Parent Hacks reader Mike Botsko recently launched Squibbles, a place for parents and teachers to share their favorite kid-related sites. Submit a link, vote on your favorites, the "cream" rises to the top. Right now, Squibbles is featuring Halloween-related links....
Make photo displays out of tin cans
10 Oct 06 | Comments: 1
Amit of Photojojo passed this along: Thought you might like this recent tutorial we did on using tin cans and bottles to show off your photos. It's a super simple project anyone can do, they make cool gifts, and it's...
20 minute dinner: Instant Enchiladas
09 Oct 06 | Comments: 5
I'm the only one in my family who likes enchiladas, so I'm not liable to cook this traditionally time-consuming dish for dinner. BUT I am a fiend for using up leftovers, and I love to eat something warm and nourishing...
How to diffuse a tantrum
09 Oct 06 | Comments: 2
Gretchen at The Happiness Project recently passed along her seven tips for diffusing a child's tantrum. Great stuff here you may not have read elsewhere, including acknowledging your child's feelings by writing them down ("weirdly effective," says Gretchen). Tags: Parenting,...
How to process new clothing purchases
08 Oct 06 | Comments: 5
One of my least favorite aspects of back-to-school clothes shopping (any clothes shopping for that matter) is removing the tags, stickers, and other plastic thingamabobs from the clothes once I get them home. I'm always left scrabbling on the floor,...
Coozies keep sippy cups cool
07 Oct 06 | Comments: 0
Next time you see a kid swigging 2% out of a cup marked "Keep on Truckin'," you'll know Sara's nearby: It turns out that Coozies -- those insulated sleeves most often found around beer cans on boats or while tubin'...
Tastingmenu.com on combining toddlers and restaurants
07 Oct 06 | Comments: 2
From James: Here's an awesome post from Tastingmenu.com on how to eat out at decent restaurants -- and bring your toddlers. As a parent of an 11-month-old, I'm looking forward to putting these ideas in action (and I'm hoping they...
BabySpareWear: Possibly more expensive than the clothes your kid is already wearing
06 Oct 06 | Comments: 14
I don't condone flaming, nor am I a fan of that most-common of blog entries, the rant. But I just can't let this one go unmentioned -- it goes to the heart of one of the reasons I started Parent...
Satch's mum on dealing with the strong will of a three year-old
06 Oct 06 | Comments: 2
Satch shared a lovely story: Well, our little girl turned three to much fanfaire and excitement. Great fun, If I'd known that you got to eat chocolate crackles as an adult when you have children we'd have started breeding earlier!...
Inexpensive melamine dishes look grownup but don't break
06 Oct 06 | Comments: 3
Sara, on dishes: If, like me, you like to give your children "real" dishes to eat off of, but don't want to have to worry about the dishes being broken when they are inevitably tossed off the tabletop or dropped...
Gift idea: Photo mobile
06 Oct 06 | Comments: 0
Chris passed along what I think could be a fun gift idea: Not sure if this is a hack or a make or just something interesting, but I ran across this site with direction and patterns to make photo mobiles....
One family's experience sending toys to Iraq
05 Oct 06 | Comments: 1
I just came across this lovely post by a mother who, with her children, packed a box of toys to ship off to Edmay in Iraq. The conversation that resulted between her and her daughters is wonderful. Updated 8/07: Two...
Make extra $ at the resale shop
05 Oct 06 | Comments: 1
If you like to buy and sell kids' clothes at the resale shop (something I recommend highly), you must, I repeat, must read Mir's Want Not post on maximizing thrift store thriftiness. She buys low at Goodwill and sells high...
Kids on a Plane! (More tips on flying with kids.)
05 Oct 06 | Comments: 1
Here are Laura's tips for airplane travel with kids -- a favorite topic here at Parent Hacks. Tags: Family travel, Parenting
More on hiding, er, integrating vegetables into kid-friendly food
05 Oct 06 | Comments: 0
Which is not to say veggies aren't kid-friendly. But still. From Momcast: Inspired by the crudite post, I've written about my favourite way of getting veg into my 3 yo: hiding them in the food! [Note bagged spinach alert. --...
Making kid-friendly restaurant straws
05 Oct 06 | Comments: 3
In the "duh, why didn't I think of that?" category. Thanks, Mike! When we go out with our toddler (which is frequently) we often get milk in a paper cup with a straw. If the restaurant doesn't have bendy straws...
Washable markers as face paint
05 Oct 06 | Comments: 3
Cathy's a braver mom than me: I see you’ve got a hack about washable markers acting as nail polish, but they make great face and body paint as well. Our 3-year-old daughter goes through these phases where she wants to...
Parent Hacks admin: Where we are right now
04 Oct 06 | Comments: 8
I thought it was a good time to chat with you about the goings on at Parent Hacks -- what's happening now, and what I'm thinking about for the future. Now More and more people are finding Parent Hacks, thanks...
How are you handling giving your teens more independence? Talk amongst yourselves.
04 Oct 06 | Comments: 1
We've shared many wonderful ideas for encouraging independence in kids. Anne wonders how it's going for the parents of teens: I'm the mom of an almost 14 year-old daughter. Wow. What a trip it is. I am wondering if there...
Bring a familiar night light along while traveling
04 Oct 06 | Comments: 0
Rachael's sage advice: All the discussion on the contents of our diaper bags made me think of two staples we recently added: We went to Costco and bought an 8-pack of these night lights (much cheaper at Costco). We keep...
Baby headphones help your kid appreciate his Video iPod
04 Oct 06 | Comments: 5
Pamela, member of Team FM among other things, has this travel tip: I got my 1 year old baby headphones from Kidz Gear (review here) and converted his baby sign language and Baby Einstein DVDs into an iPod-ready format with...
Use your digital photos to create abstract wrapping paper
03 Oct 06 | Comments: 1
Another winner from Amy at Shooting the Kids...perfect for wrapping the photo calendars you're giving away as gifts! You can make cool wrapping paper for your kids (or gifts for their friends) out of your photos. Not only does it...
KidsCanTravel.com helps you plot your international family adventure
03 Oct 06 | Comments: 1
Ann LoCicero, CEO of KidsCanTravel.com, pinged me about her relatively new site: kids can travel is an emergent website for families intent on making the most of the their leisure time together. The site is structured like a magazine and...
Sleep and relaxation CD for kids
03 Oct 06 | Comments: 4
From Sara: No clue if this works or not, but a pediatrician for a fellow Mom on one of my mailing lists recommended this to help children learn to relax and put themselves to sleep. I haven't heard "Snuggle Down...
Ask Moxie: On helping to create a happy childhood
02 Oct 06 | Comments: 0
It's the $64K question, isn't it? How to give our kids a happy childhood? The answer's different for each child, or course, but Moxie and her readers are engaging in a wonderful discussion about their own thoughts on the topic....
Turn broken crayons into "cookie crayons"
02 Oct 06 | Comments: 3
Dumb Little Man posted this classic broken crayon hack a while back. I seem to recall doing this when I was a kid... Tags: Art projects, Crayons, Parenting
Car's panic alarm as intruder alert
02 Oct 06 | Comments: 3
Jennifer passed along this tip, sent to her by her dad: Start keeping your car keys next to your bed on the nightstand when you go to bed. If you think someone is trying to get into your house, or...
How to find a good nanny or babysitter? Talk amongst yourselves.
02 Oct 06 | Comments: 13
Any advice for Patrick on finding a trustworthy babysitter? We are just starting to look for a babysitter or part-time nanny for our 2 kids (4YO and 2YO) - up to now it's just been family helping us out. I...

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