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

Sunday breakfast, courtesy of Duane: I love it when the kids want boiled eggs in the morning. Much more nutritious than a Pop Tart. But not exactly the speediest thing to cook on a school day. Here are my tricks for the best eggs every time: The more water you...

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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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Fearless Friday: Fear is my companion

Arianna Huffington's recent book, On Becoming Fearless...In Love, Work, and Life, is now out in paperback. To commemorate the occasion, Mother Talk is hosting Fearless Friday, and I'm happy to participate. I never really knew fear until I became a mother. Frankly, up till then, everything had been pretty easy....

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