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, topics for conversation, and links to interesting doodads...amazing! Some of my favorites:

• Snot-wiping best practices
• How to make hair ribbons stay put
• 'Amelie'-style bangs

Kids?
Miss J. is 19 months.  I figure she's growing up with Parenthacks, since I discovered PH shortly after I returned to work (and had time for websurfing after those first foggy months...).  Parenthacks gave me an identity as a parent -- I'm a parent, and a hacker, and I (obviously!) take to this hacking approach to parenting.

One-line parenting motto?
Be the best parent I can be on *my* terms.

Favorite hack?
Gosh, I use so many of them.  I think the one about you and your child being on one side and THE PROBLEM being on the other, has made me a much more patient parent. [Which, at the moment, has the most votes in the Top 10 Parent Hacks of 2006, and was written by Stu, who you'll meet tomorrow. -- Ed.]

Comments

[Stu Mark]

First, Sara, thank you. What a lovely thing to hear. I'm really glad my hack works for you.

Second, if you're interested, I polished it a touch and featured it as a post on my blog here.

Third, your post on using your cell phone as a time management tool helped convince me to buy a cellphone. And, to this very day, I use it as a significant part of my time management process.

Lastly, you rock!

[Stu Mark]

I tried to put the url for my blog item in code, but it didn't take, so here's the link: http://stunewsandphotos.blogspot.com/2006/09/person-isnt-problem-problem-is-problem.html