Parent Hacks

TiVo the kids to bed early on New Year's Eve

My kids are still too young to care about New Year's Eve, so I'm off the hook. If you're not, here's Amie's hack: This one is for getting kids to go to bed at a decent hour when they really, really want to stay up until midnight on New Year's...

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Top 10 Parent Hacks of 2006: Voting ends today

Last chance to vote for your favorite Parent Hack of 2006...winners will appear here on New Year's Day.

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Meet the Parenthackers: Stu Mark

Soon after Parent Hacks launched, Stu's comments popped off the page and into my psyche. Honest, wise, and positive...I found myself waiting to hear what he had to say, and almost always taking it to heart. He models the sort of respectful yet firm (and fun) parenting I admire. Examples:...

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Meet the Parenthackers: Sara Carlstead Brumfield

Sara, a native of Austin, Texas, has been an incredible contributor to Parent Hacks since the beginning. She's become one of my Internet friends and I hope to see her when I'm in Austin for SXSW in March (more about that soon!). So far, she's sent in over fifty hacks,...

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Top Parent Hacks of 2006: the tension mounts...

Get in on the action! Vote now! The winners will appear here on New Year's Day.

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Send your best "getting organized" hacks

If you're like me, "getting organized" is one of your annual New Year's resolutions. I'd like to highlight everyone's best clutter-busting hacks in January, so send 'em in now! A few ideas to get you started: Tips for keeping your house relatively tidy Simplifying kid's room cleaning Reducing mental clutter...

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Parent Hacks admin: New square link badge

You've got a Parent Hacks link badge on your site, right? Well, Charlene didn't, but when she went to add one, she found my offerings wouldn't fit properly. So she created her own, and kindly passed it along for all to use (thank you, Charlene!). For your linking pleasure, a...

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Meet the Parenthackers: Amie

Vegas, baby! No, really. Amie lives in Las Vegas, NV, and just had a baby! Congratulations, Amie! For as long as I can remember, Amie has been a constant, friendly source of enthusiasm. She's been submitting hacks from the beginning (Make your own diaper caddy). She recently prompted a great...

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Happy holidays!

Happy holidays to you all. May it be a safe, warm time...a time to marvel at those little beings who push you be your hackerish best. Lately I've been beset by what I call "attacks of joy;" those moments when my love for my kids hits me like a thunderbolt,...

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Meet the Parenthackers: Kirsten

Kirsten (who likely has no Net access as she's in the super-snowy Rocky Mountain region) has submitted some incredible hacks, including the homemade calendar for preschoolers, the illustrated potty training tutorial, and using a spray bottle as portable air conditioning. I always enjoy getting her notes -- I imagine her...

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"Christmas smell" without chemicals

Kristen's on a jolly roll. Here's her second holiday hack (the first being "assemble then wrap"): nice, spicy house scent without chemical air fresheners or cloying scented candles: Here's a great (and fairly cheap) way to make your kitchen (and adjoining rooms depending on your house size) smell great without...

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Because reindeer need their carbs, too

Julie's family doesn't stop with cookies for Santa: We make reindeer food for Santa's reindeer to snack on when he stops at our house. In a bowl, mix rolled oats, glitter (this is what helps the reindeer fly), cookie sprinkles and or sugar (for flavoring), and baby carrots ('cause they...

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Meet the Parenthackers: Duane Morin

Duane Morin hails from New England (NE United States), and has been a reader since just about the beginning. We "met" at Lifehacker, where he left a suggestion that Parent Hacks should publish its full feed (he was right; we published a partial feed at the time) and he's been...

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Vote for your favorite Parent Hacks of 2006!

Parent Hacks is officially a year old. And along with the goopy cake and the uncomfortable hats, every good first birthday party includes a little reminiscing. "Remember her first smile?" "Remember when he started crawling?" "Remember when he peed on Grandma's silk blouse while she was changing him?" Well, we've...

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Assemble before you wrap

My friend Kristen of Motherhood Uncensored and Cool Mom Picks reminds us we can avoid the Ghost of Christmas Twisties: Make some eggnog, grab some cookies, get the family together and make sure all the toys (for the folks who celebrate Christmas) are put together BEFORE they go under the...

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