Parent Hacks

Stroller toys as "undropable" baby entertainment

Eric found another way for his son to play with a magnetic stroller toy: My six-month-old son has a plush rattle that has a magnetic clasp wrapped in fabric that can easily attach to his car seat or stroller. The other night, we were in an auditorium listening to my...

Read more →

Cut broom handles down for toddlers

From uber-Parenthackers Sara and Ben: I was looking for a child size broom for J, but not having a lot of luck finding one that was affordable. Ben went to the grocery store, bought a cheap wisk broom with a wooden handle, cut it off at about J.'s height, and...

Read more →

Leave the glass out of a fancy wall frame for easy kid art swapping

So simple, so smart. From Shannon of Babies Online: We hung a glassless fancy picture frame on the wall and swap artwork as it's brought home from school. It's a big hit with both kids and adults!

Read more →

links for 2007-06-29

FDA News Release: Veggie Booty Recall Possible salmonella! Thanks for passing this on, Tim. (tags: parenthacks kids snacks feeding recalls health)

Read more →

Kid reluctant to eat? Add sprinkles!

Jenny Blackburn, author of the Adventures in Parenting blog at the Seattle P-I website, shares her picky kid secret: We've finally happened onto the perfect solution to get our 3 year old son to eat... I keep a bottle of sprinkles -- the kind you put on sugar cookies-- and...

Read more →

Where to stick the alphabet magnets with a stainless steel refrigerator?

Whitney's tip: For those who have magnetic letters or other magnets, but have a stainless steel fridge to which no magnets stick, use the magnets on your washer/dryer, trash can, or oven, depending on if these things have exposed sides in a safe place in your house. (They work great...

Read more →

Uses for clothespins

Paul says: Use spring clothespins to close up any bag you like (chips, cereal, etc.) Right! Why do we spend money on big plastic "chip clips" than never stay closed? We've used wooden clothespins for some cute craft projects. Amber turned them into a homemade finger puppet stand. I'm sure...

Read more →

Crayola Bath Tub Tints teach color theory

Sara's back with bath hacks! Inspired by this really neat set of photos I ran across on flickr, I got my daughter some of the Crayola Bath Tub Tints -- just drop a pellet into your bath and you get neat colored water to take your bath in. My husband,...

Read more →

Order a mug of hot water for impromptu silverware "cleaning"

Rookie Mom Heather's hack reminds me of toddler restaurant visits gone by: Last weekend, when I got tired of Holden (21 months) dropping his silverware on the floor of the restaurant, I asked the waitress to bring me a mug of hot-tea-water so I could perform impromptu cleaning. It worked...

Read more →

Buy different sock brands for siblings

Traci laments the curse of matching socks: This seems silly (do most hacks start with those three words?) [Indeed, many do! Also: "I'm sure everyone already does this, but..." -- Ed.] but when you have more than one kid -- and they are the same sex and close in age...

Read more →

Brush toddlers' teeth with two toothbrushes

Here's how Becky avoids toothbrushing battles: I use two toothbrushes. One I give to my son so he can brush his teeth while I take the other one and brush his teeth at the same time. I used to let him brush his teeth first and then take the toothbrush...

Read more →

Avoid locking your keys in the car

Julia's method for keeping her car keys accessible.

Read more →

Swim goggles keeps bathwater out of kids' eyes

Cathy's son came up with this hack on his own! Here's an hack that has saved me a lot of time and headaches, and it was actually my 4 year old son's idea. I used to dread giving him a bath because I knew I was going to have to...

Read more →

Use Lunapads postpartum to save money and resources

Lunapads are washable, reusable menstrual products -- the feminine hygiene equivalent of cloth diapers. I've had several friends tell me how wonderful they are in terms of comfort and value, and then Kelly wrote in saying how useful they'd be postpartum. In case you've forgotten, after the baby's born, one...

Read more →

links for 2007-06-23

CFO: Chief Family Officer: What to do With Those Digital Photo Proofs: Make Personalized Cards Great idea! Those contact sheets are good for locket pictures, too. (tags: parenthacks crafts photography) Plotting the baby learning curve Interesting research on infant learning. (tags: infants babies) Intelligent Travel: Family Friendly Be sure to...

Read more →