Parent Hacks

Weather still cold? Get fingerless gloves!

I HATE dealing with the kids' cold weather paraphernalia while wearing my own gloves! Here's Jodi's great tip: I was surprised by the usefulness of these fingerless gloves. I am able to fiddle with zippers, buttons, car seat fastenings, keys, and my 10 month old son's tiny mittens. All without...

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"Active resting" clears your parent brain

Clearing your mind doesn't necessarily require retreating from the world. Here's how hedra reboots her parent brain: Dancing along with the kids to some Motown on the CD player is one of my favorite ways to 'sweep' my brain. Dance for me has always been a form of physical meditation....

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links for 2007-04-30

Cool Mom Picks: Cute camera tote Speaking of gifts for Geek moms, CMP points to an adorable clip-on camera case. Available for purchase from our friends at Photojojo. (Lots of other great stuff there, too.) (tags: parenthacks photography shopping) Aquaphor as under-eye cream » Self-Made Mom Who knew? (tags: parenthacks...

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Simplify general cleanup with bulk bar towels

Elizabeth's cleanup tip: Kids of all ages are messy. The best thing I have found to help with the battle is a bulk package of white dishtowels, sometimes called bar towels . I usually get them at Costco in the tool/auto section. Bar towels are bigger than a washcloth but...

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Handy postpartum gadget: a reacher

Here's how Jennifer got the "third hand" we all wish for while nursing: when i was still pregnant, i had bad hip pain which made it difficult for me to bend down and climb stairs (let alone a ladder to reach a high shelf), so i got a grabbing stick...

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Diaper cartoons as changing table entertainment

Nic's hack, from the "we do what we must" file: One thing that I've started doing recently and found really useful is to use the nappy to entertain him on the changing table. We use a combination of disposables and reusables and unfortunately this only works with disposables. Most disposable...

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Mealtime hacks for new eaters

Amberlynn shares her tips for mealtimes with babies who are just starting to eat solid food: My little boy still loves nursing, so eating is still an entertaining novelty to him. However, so far (six months of solid foods, and they're still just a game to him) he's been a...

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links for 2007-04-29

How to Install a Child Safety Seat That Won’t Budge @ raising4boys.com How to use that infernal metal locking clip. (tags: parenthacks baby) To Motherhood And Beyond...: Eat Those Veggies How to encourage sweet-loving babies to eat those peas! (tags: parenthacks baby) GeekDads wanted! I'm lookin' at YOU, buddy. (tags:...

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Rubber bands keep wooden puzzles in one piece

From veteran Parenthacker Sara: We've reached the stage where toys start coming in many small pieces -- it's starting to drive me crazy! On fast fix to keep those wooden toddler puzzles together -- rubber bands. There's usually only a couple of pieces, so 2 or 3 rubber bands stretched...

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links for 2007-04-29

How to Install a Child Safety Seat That Won’t Budge @ raising4boys.com How to use that infernal metal locking clip. (tags: parenthacks baby) To Motherhood And Beyond...: Eat Those Veggies How to encourage sweet-loving babies to eat those peas! (tags: parenthacks baby) GeekDads wanted! I'm lookin' at YOU, buddy. (tags:...

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How to cook hard boiled eggs perfectly every time

Breakfast, courtesy of Duane.

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Use Google Calendar to remind yourself to get a life

"Planned spontaneity" is sometimes all we can do to harken back to those carefree days of, well, maybe not our youth, but our pre-parenthood.

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Plan for sick time after vaccinations and after starting school or day care

Smart advance planning advice from Laura.

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Make your own decorated wall clock

Never underestimate the resourcefulness of a Parenthacker. From Marisa: I found an adorable "elephant stampede" clock online for $39.99, plus shipping and fell in love with it. I listed as a gift idea for my baby shower, updated the wishlist for Christmas, etc, but never received it. Then I had...

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Clothes dryer as changing table

Amy's dual-floor diaper-changing solution: We have a two-story house, and her changing table has always been upstairs in her bedroom (I figured that if I went upstairs for every change, I was getting much-needed exercise, a little at a time). Well, I got pregnant again when she was 10 months...

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