Parent Hacks

Baking soda paste as no-tear shampoo

A gentle hair-washing hack from Kate: If you are afraid of shampoo in the eyes, or have sensitive skin, try a baking soda paste to wash hair. Seriously. No suds, safe to ingest, leaves hair squeaky clean. Follow with conditioner. Cheap, too! Is baking soda magical or what? You can...

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Tether the hairbrush to the towel bar!

via leechbabe.com Never again shall "but I couldn't find the brush!" be an excuse for wild hair. Hilarious! Thanks for sharing this on the Facebook page, Marita.

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Wet hair, cold head? Wear a hat to bed!

Bring back the stocking cap! Tracy did and it kept her daughter cozy in bed while keeping heating bills low: My daughter took a bath before bed and was uncomfortable and cold because her hair was wet. Being that this time of year the heat doesn't always kick in as...

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Contain hair styling supplies in a tackle box

In the comments of a hack showing hair accessories stored in a plastic cleaning tote, Mia shared her method, which may work even better for some: We've started using a tackle box to store my daughter's hair accessories. The bottom is big enough for brushes, detangler, etc. It can be...

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Stop fighting long hair battles with your kids: cut it

Several folks have responded to my queries about kids' hair management with a simple just cut it. Ponytails are cute and all, but many folks would never go back after experiencing the freedom, peace and time gained by a simple chin-length bob. From Sarah: I love long hair and wish...

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Safely trim your toddler's bangs with nose hair scissors

Summer's tip for safely trimming wiggly kids' hair: I cut my 2 year-old son's hair with blunt edged (but very sharp) nose hair trimming scissors. He wiggles and turns his head a great deal while I cut, but the rounded tips on the scissor blades keep him safe from pokes....

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Review and giveaway: Curly Girl: The Handbook

A serendipitous coincidence happened a couple weeks ago: just as I was asking for your hair care tips, I received Curly Girl: The Handbook in the mail for review. The publisher had contacted me a few weeks previous with a pitch, and I had said yes, knowing that dealing with...

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Reduce hair combing drama with distraction

Few long-haired kids or their parents enjoy the daily hair-wrangling session. To calm the complaints (and even the tears), several PHers have come up with simple methods of distraction. From Mrs. Mordecai: I have a very squirmy twenty-month-old daughter. I grouped all of our commonly-used hair accessories (including small bottles...

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Keep hair clips organized in magnetic spice canisters

Heather has found a solution to hair accessories scattered around the house: Hair clips and bands were constantly being lost and found at our house until I repurposed these magnetic containers. I think technically they’re spice containers, but really, they’re great for holding just about anything small. I found them...

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Tame tangles by "washing" hair with conditioner

Start detangling your kid's hair in the shower by skipping the shampoo in favor of a conditioner rinse.

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"Snag-free" hairbands still pull? Use cheap ones, then clip them off

Donna's found a solution to the painful hair-pulling that happens when you take out ponytail hairbands, even those billed as snag-free: I have a daughter who loves to wear ponytails almost everyday. We use the polybands (rubber hairbands that have a flat edge) because they are supposed to be no...

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Hairband storage solution: a wine rack

via papernapkinsontheedgeofinsanity.blogspot.com Clever solution to the problem of hair thingies (elastic bands, ponytail holders, barrettes, headbands, etc.) taking over the bathroom. Read the full post for details and more photos. Thank you, Loridee, for sharing this on the Parent Hacks Facebook page! Related: Storing girls' hair accessories? Talk amongst yourselves....

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Book light lets baby sleep through nighttime diaper changes

Scott's lighting solution for when he needs to change diapers in the dark: Get a book light! A simple off-the-shelf book light produces just enough light so you can see what you're doing, but still keeps the room dark so your child can sleep through the process. You can clip...

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Take notes in the shower with bathtub crayon

Who's turn is it to shower? Is it hair-washing day? What day is it anyway? Busy family life entails a lot of plan-juggling, turn-taking, and scheduling, and it's impossible to keep it all in your head. If creating a "shower schedule" calendar in your smartphone seems a bit much, try...

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Amazon Mom gets you cheap diapers and 3 months of Amazon Prime

Amazon's gotten smart about reaching out to busy parents with its new program Amazon Mom. Free membership in Amazon Mom nets you the following benefits: 30% off diapers and wipes ordered through Subscribe & Save -- twice the 15% offered to regular Subscribe & Save buyers. Three free months of...

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