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Category archive: sleep (yours and theirs)
06 May 08 | Comments: 61
Heather and Whitney (aka the Rookie Moms) are true blog friends. I think these are two of the warmest, smartest women around. We've bonded over the business of blogging and parenting and life. They've sent in bunches of great hacks....
Amazon Friday sale 4/25/08: Fitness ball, swim diapers, Victorinox25 Apr 08 | Comments: 0
Parenthacker-friendly picks in today's packed Amazon Friday sale : More Huggies Little Swimmers disposable swim diapers (size Small, 16-24 lbs, two 12-count packages) for $14.99 (25% off). Lots of Parenthackers have talked about how versatile a fitness ball can be...
Apply antibiotic ointment while the kid's asleep24 Apr 08 | Comments: 6
When you can't win the game, change the rules. (In a good way.) From Jeff: Our 4 year old son was diagnosed with impetigo (also known as infantago, among other things). His doctor prescribed an antibiotic ointment for him, which...
When they're little, sing 'em what you like, with a little backup21 Apr 08 | Comments: 11
Brian's baby is getting better musical exposure than mine ever did: For an infant that you're trying to sing to sleep it really doesn't matter what you sing them, just that you're singing. My wife and I both sing songs...
Baseball cap + a clip-on light = a better bedtime reading lamp03 Apr 08 | Comments: 3
Brian's a smart guy and a good storyteller: Thing 1 wants the bedtime story. Thing 2 is kept awake by the light spilling into his room from Thing 1's light. Can't turn off the light in Thing 1's room, though....
Wrap hard toys in a blanket if they must accompany your kid to bed12 Mar 08 | Comments: 4
Sandra's hack reminded me of my own kids' quirky hoarding habits when they were toddlers: My daughter Mia is 2yrs and insists on bringing toys to bed with her at night. She recently upgraded to a toddler bed and has...
White noise between radio stations helps kids nap in the car21 Feb 08 | Comments: 7
Here's how Mama D gracefully handled an awkward snatch of time that was too big for an activity, but too small for a nap: This hack had a 50% success rate on its maiden voyage, enough to make me think...
Do you improvise upon lullabies? Talk amongst yourselves.19 Feb 08 | Comments: 45
Tim's "hack" is really more of a sweet example of how our kids can inspire us: Part of my toddler's bedtime routine is a song. Somewhere along the line, I forgot the actual lyrics to "Hush, Little Baby". This led...
Keep bedside Pedialyte chilled in an ice bucket25 Jan 08 | Comments: 3
From the very resourceful Jess: Our 10 month-old daughter has a nasty bug ... a cough, accompanied by some flu symptoms. So we're giving her Pedialyte. But when she wakes up coughing in the middle of the night, she wants...
Best of Parent Hacks: Keeping warm during the winter17 Jan 08 | Comments: 2
The weather outside is still frightful, so I thought it might be nice to dig through the archives for some of our best cold weather tips: Polar fleece makes crib extra cozy Shoe organizer in the coat closet keeps gloves...
Safety followup: Letting babies sleep in car seats12 Jan 08 | Comments: 4
Many of you commented with safety concerns about a recent hack that suggested letting newborns sleep in their infant car seats. Jennifer sent me a link to this article explaining why car seat sleeping can lead to breathing problems, especially...
Put your newborn to bed in his car seat03 Jan 08 | Comments: 37
Important safety note 1/12/08: Many Parenthackers raised safety concerns about this tip. One reader sent us a link to an article which explains how sleeping in car seats can lead to breathing problems. Thanks to everyone who brought this to...
Helping an anxious child get to sleep20 Nov 07 | Comments: 12
Rachel has a lovely, gentle way to help her anxious daughter prepare for sleep: My first grade daughter has recently begun having anxieties about bedtime. She lays down and remembers all sorts of bad thoughts about the day, which tend...
TV "white noise" helps baby sleep in a hotel room15 Nov 07 | Comments: 8
Another great trick for getting your baby to sleep in a hotel room! From Megan: During a recent hotel stay with my 14-month-old son (who tends to be a very light sleeper), whenever I put him down for a nap...
Strategies for "darkening" the portacrib at bedtime in a hotel13 Nov 07 | Comments: 7
Andrea has her husband to thank for this hack: We spent a weekend out of town with our 5 month-old. At 2 or 3 months we could have stuck her in the Pack-n-Play and she would have slept. Now she's...
DadLabs: Nothing this funny has ever been so useful12 Nov 07 | Comments: 2
You've seen the hilarious videos at DadLabs, right? Of course you have. These are the guys who tested breast pumps ON THEMSELVES and dramatized the disaster that is poop in the tub (you may never eat canned chili again). They...
Baby Daze helps you track the details during those hazy newborn months06 Nov 07 | Comments: 96
Oy, I get tired just thinking of those newborn months the first time around. There seemed to be so much to remember -- when did he last nurse? when did I give him the Tylenol? who bought him this hideous...
Soothe a fever with a damp washcloth kept bedside31 Oct 07 | Comments: 4
kittenpie's bring-down-the-fever hack: To help comfort a kid with a fever, one of the great things is of course to run a damp cloth over their forehead, neck, and limbs. My child's bedroom is not near the bathroom, though, so...
"I Spy" keeps kids awake in the car08 Oct 07 | Comments: 14
Here's how Jennifer keeps the car drowsies at bay: Thought I'd share: My kids (2 1/2 and 4 yrs old) fall asleep very easily in the car. Sometimes it's a good thing, but sometimes they fall asleep during 15-20 minute...
Underwear over a diaper helps kids feel "big" during night training05 Oct 07 | Comments: 3
Gordon's 3 year-old son came up with this potty training hack all on his own: Since my son associated wearing underwear with being a big boy (and had made the daytime transition pretty smoothly), he didn't want to wear a...
Bath towel "bolsters" help baby sleep without rolling over03 Oct 07 | Comments: 15
Melanie would love your weigh-in on her hack: My son is 7 months old and he is constantly waking himself up at night and rolling onto his belly, then crying till I come in and roll him onto his back...
Fleece blanket works as a makeshift sheet when night training01 Oct 07 | Comments: 4
Potty training reality! From Charisse: For night training, which we're still in the throes of--and this may be less of a hack than simple laziness--I'd read all this stuff about "double-making" beds to deal with accidents. Bah! Makes for a...
Alarm clocks work for early-waking babies, too10 Aug 07 | Comments: 11
Lisa's hack is fascinating -- an incredible reminder that babies are capable of a lot more learning than we think: I read a hack not too long ago about a toddler (about 3 yrs., I think) that used to wake...
Glow sticks as travel night lights07 Aug 07 | Comments: 11
Allyson's hack does double duty: after-dark fun, and an easier bedtime: I just discovered a wonderful hack while on vacation. We brought along glow sticks to play with on the beach after dark, but discovered they worked great as night...
Stash extra pacifiers in crib corners06 Aug 07 | Comments: 17
Kurt's hack brought back memories -- we did just this when our son was a baby: If your child sleeps with a pacifier she probably also wakes up from time to time crying because the pacifier is no longer in...
How to keep kids in bed till wakeup time01 Aug 07 | Comments: 15
Father-to-be Keith has already started filing away parent hacks for future use! This one is sure to come in handy for these crazily early summer sunrises: To keep their little ones in bed until an appropriate time, some friends of...
Snug-fitting foam plugs the gap between bed and wall19 Jul 07 | Comments: 7
Jonathan solved a the bed gap problem like this: After our 2 1/2 year old transitioned from a crib to a real bed, my wife and I started were woken up several times in the middle of the night with...
Fleece sleep sack works as a swaddler in a pinch01 Jul 07 | Comments: 4
Amy's middle-of-the-night swaddle hack: My almost 3-month-old daughter, like most infants, sleeps better and longer at night when she is swaddled. We rely on the Kiddopatomus Swaddle Me blankets--we've tried swaddling with receiving blankets, but she gets out of them...
Use a dimmer switch in the nursery22 Jun 07 | Comments: 13
Rachel shares her love of light dimmers (a love I share): In our attempt to decorate the nursery on a budget, I kept fussing over the lamp decision. No lamp under $40 looked appropriate for a nursery. Finally, my father-in-law...
Reuse infant incline pillow when your toddler has a stuffy nose22 Jun 07 | Comments: 6
Kris found a good use for her baby's old crib wedge: When my son was an infant he had a major spitup problem, so we bought one of those foam incline pillows for the crib (they go under the sheet),...
Need to lie down on the job? Play Tattoo Parlor!18 May 07 | Comments: 16
Merrill's a brave, creative mom who has hopefully hidden the Sharpies: I was a mom of a 4 year old and an infant. I was tired. My 4 year old had long since given up her nap and my baby...
Apply lip balm while they're sleeping03 May 07 | Comments: 5
Kim and Lou say: Our daughter is going through a "licking lips" phase which is giving her a rash around her mouth. When we apply Aquaphor she licks it off. Our daycare woman suggested to apply it to her lips...
Polar fleece makes crib extra cozy10 Apr 07 | Comments: 4
Kittenpie's suggestion for a soft, warm crib: I was making my daughter's bed when I realized I was tucking in a hack! No, not her... A yard of cheap polar fleece fabric tucked in over a crib sheet makes a...
Put socks over baby's pajama feet to keep them in place20 Mar 07 | Comments: 6
Jackie's hack keeps her baby's feet inside the pajama footies. My second child, while weighing a perfectly acceptable 7 lbs 12 oz, is a dainty little thing and her feet were getting lost in the legs of her one-piece sleepers....
Pool noodle as lightweight toddler bed rail11 Mar 07 | Comments: 5
kittenpie came up with another use for swim noodles: If you have a kid who might roll a bit in bed at night, but is not too active a sleeper, you can skip the guardrail and tuck a pool noodle...
Plush toys double as travel pillows09 Mar 07 | Comments: 2
Tricky road trip trick! (Tricky road trip trick, ticky road tip trick, tippy road trip tick...okay, so I have a weakness for tongue twisters. Try it on your kids five times fast.) From Kirsten: The best travel pillow ever. On...
Zipsheets simplify changing crib sheets08 Mar 07 | Comments: 18
One piece of newborn nursery advice I'm glad I ignored was the suggestion to buy an innerspring crib mattress as opposed to a firm foam mattress. Have you ever tried to lift an innerspring mattress? Foam is much lighter making...
Bottle nipple as medicine dispenser21 Feb 07 | Comments: 4
Cathy came up with an ingenious medication dosage hack: So they sell those nifty baby medication pacifiers where you crack the thing opened, put in the medicine, and in somebody’s dream world, the baby peacefully sucks the medicine down no...
Clock radio hack encourages kids to sleep later17 Feb 07 | Comments: 6
Here's how Susanne conditioned her early-riser to stay in bed a little longer: This worked wonders with our early-rising son, though your mileage may vary. When our son was two or three, he had the maddening habit of awakening between...
Glade Scented Oil Light Show makes a good nightlight06 Feb 07 | Comments: 8
Kristine found that a little nighttime entertainment prompted her son to stay in bed: Glade Scented Oil Light Show is a great night light - especially if you leave the scented oil container off. Simply plug it in, and it'll...
Camelbak hydration backpack solves nursing moms' nighttime thirst24 Jan 07 | Comments: 6
This hack brought back the memory of just how thirsty I was while nursing. Here's how Jerry and Sara solved the riddle of getting a drink while nursing a co-sleeping infant: My wife and I co-sleep with our 6 week-old...
Download old radio shows for your kids24 Jan 07 | Comments: 12
It's a bird! It's a plane! It's...Gray's bedtime hack: I download old radio shows (Superman, Lone Ranger, etc.) from RUSC.com (membership costs $7.50 per month) and burn them to cd, which I play for my kids in their bedroom after...
Wearing a cap to bed helps kids sleep through a cold night22 Jan 07 | Comments: 8
Landismom is a good problem solver: When it started to get cold this winter, my three-year-old son kept waking up in the middle of the night. We turn our heat down after everyone goes to bed, for environmental and money-saving...
Philips DECT Baby Monitor SCD589: Infant surveillance at its finest18 Jan 07 | Comments: 127
Who among us hasn't cursed our baby monitors? The unreliability, the irritating static, the inadvertent eavesdropping on neighbors' conversations, the refusal to play nicely with our cordless phones and other electronics? We use our phone as a baby monitor, but...
Daddy Types wants your best pre-Dadhood advice17 Jan 07 | Comments: 1
Greg at Daddy Types is asking for readers' "one best piece of pre-Dadhood advice." I'm enjoying reading the responses -- they are spot-on while at the same time different than what I'd expect his readers' "best pre-Momhood advice" would be....
TiVo the kids to bed early on New Year's Eve31 Dec 06 | Comments: 7
My kids are still too young to care about New Year's Eve, so I'm off the hook. If you're not, here's Amie's hack: This one is for getting kids to go to bed at a decent hour when they really,...
New baby and preschooler sharing a room? Talk amongst yourselves.12 Dec 06 | Comments: 19
From Sarah: I'm expecting my second child in April and the new baby will be sharing a room with my daughter who will be 3.5 at the time the baby is born. My daughter is very excited about the prospect...
How to roll over while sleeping with a body pillow? Talk amongst yourselves.30 Nov 06 | Comments: 12
Heather (one of the Rookie Moms) is wrestling with her body pillow: I recently bought a fancy Snoogle body pillow (it came without a pillowcase -- grrrr) to help with my burgeoning pregnant figure. It's great to curl up to,...
Transmit bedtime iPod music with the hotel's clock radio28 Nov 06 | Comments: 1
Heather's get-the-baby-to-sleep-while-away hack: We recently took a weekend road trip with our 20 month-old son. His normal bedtime routine includes a bath, books, and some quiet classical music in the background. To make sure the routine was followed as well...
iCrib: iPod for babies24 Nov 06 | Comments: 5
'Twinkle, Twinkle' is for babies! I want my Zeppelin! Because it's now countdown to the Big Present Hullabaloo, and because it involves an iPod and babies, and because we can...we present you with the iCrib Sound System. It's an iPod...
Watch closed-captioned TV while the kids are asleep19 Nov 06 | Comments: 7
Stefania (of CityMama, Kimchi Mamas, Parents Connect and more) sez: We watch TV with closed captioning on when we don't want to wake the kids. Same for movies--especially movies that are heavy on dialog. We do keep the sound on...
Hot water bottle helps newborn get cozy in a bassinet07 Nov 06 | Comments: 10
Mama J eased her newborn out of her bed and into a bassinet like this: I've been terrified that our newborn would never leave the cozy comfort of our bed to sleep in his own space, but tried this as...
Book a "nap flight" for holiday travel31 Oct 06 | Comments: 5
Halloween's here, which means that the holiday travel season is around the corner. Here's a travel tip (more "power of suggestion," really) from raising4boys that may make your air travel a bit easier. Tags: Family travel, Parenting
MotherTalk Blog Book Tour: Sleep Solutions for Your Baby, Toddler and Preschooler19 Oct 06 | Comments: 2
Parent Hacks is a stop on the MotherTalk Blog Book Tour for one of the first books in Ann Douglas's new Mother of All Solutions series: Sleep Solutions for your Baby, Toddler and Preschooler. I don't think Ann would mind...
MothersClick: new networking site for parents17 Oct 06 | Comments: 5
Launched today: MothersClick, a new site for sharing ideas, creating private discussion groups, and generally hanging out together online. Cool Mom Picks has already done such a good job describing MothersClick I'll send you there for the lowdown. Founder Andra...
Cell phone as baby monitor13 Oct 06 | Comments: 5
We've talked before about using regular phones as baby monitors, but Jack and his partner used their cell phones: My partner and I were vacationing at a B&B with our 1-year old daughter. When she fell asleep at 8PM, there...
Buy redundant baby blankets12 Oct 06 | Comments: 16
Mike passes along a save-the-day tip: Most infants and toddlers develop an affinity for a certain blanket that they always must have in order to fall asleep. Most parents know that this can cause much anguish if you forget it...
Bring a familiar night light along while traveling04 Oct 06 | Comments: 0
Rachael's sage advice: All the discussion on the contents of our diaper bags made me think of two staples we recently added: We went to Costco and bought an 8-pack of these night lights (much cheaper at Costco). We keep...
Sleep and relaxation CD for kids03 Oct 06 | Comments: 4
From Sara: No clue if this works or not, but a pediatrician for a fellow Mom on one of my mailing lists recommended this to help children learn to relax and put themselves to sleep. I haven't heard "Snuggle Down...
Panasonic camera + phone = video baby monitor30 Sep 06 | Comments: 1
Michelle at AmericanInventorSpot.com alerted me to the wonders of HotSpotMama, who keeps an eye out for blog-worthy kid gadgetry. This combo, in particular, appealed: the Panasonic 5.8 GHz FHSS Gigarange Expandable Digital Cordless Camera (whew), when coupled with a compatible...
Silent Light phone sensor tells you someone is calling when the ringer is turned off29 Sep 06 | Comments: 0
The Silent Light phone sensor alerts you to incoming calls while the ringer is turned off -- ideal for families with napping children, or late-calling teens. Available (where else?) at One Step Ahead. [Via Caron, my Gizmodo spy]
Tips for light-hearted parenting15 Sep 06 | Comments: 1
Gretchen Rubin is the woman behind The Happiness Project, in which she spends a year testing every theory she can find on how to be happy. Here's her take on how to become a more light-hearted parent. All of her...
The Modern Girl's Guide to Motherhood01 Sep 06 | Comments: 31
An embarrassingly long time ago, the publisher of The Modern Girl's Guide to Motherhood sent me a review copy, asking if it might be of interest to Parent Hacks readers. "Absolutely," I said with good intention, and then proceeded to...
What are the best parenting and baby-care books? Ask Moxie.25 Aug 06 | Comments: 10
As you know, I'm wary of most "expert" parenting books for the same reason I'm wary of most get-rich-quick or lose-weight-fast schemes: they promise a lot, they provide black-and-white answers, and they require you to subscribe to a certain dogma...
Thrifty blackout blind18 Aug 06 | Comments: 4
I wish I would have thought of this while I was searching for a blind for my daughter's peaked bedroom window. Thanks, Erica! Buy a square of dark curtain or cut up an old one and cut to the size...
Play tent helps kids get to sleep in unfamiliar places13 Aug 06 | Comments: 2
Longtime Parent Hacker Jill uses a play tent as a comfortable sleeping space for her kids: I never realized how useful a toy tent could be with children. Not only is it great fun to set it up on rainy...
Swimming pool raft doubles as travel air mattress for kids11 Aug 06 | Comments: 2
Here's how Carrie simplifies family overnight visits at friends' houses: All of the small people in our home are now in either twin or toddler beds. We run into problems when we visit a home where the only sleeping options...
Coming soon: No-interference digital baby monitors09 Aug 06 | Comments: 7
Charlie (the mysterious man responsible for MetroDad's DVD player) recently told me about a Philips product preview event staged for the press. (You'll likely be hearing about these products in the holiday issues of the various tech and gadget magazines.)...
Use a contour pillow as a "bed" for co-sleeping baby02 Aug 06 | Comments: 15
Here's how Allen made co-sleeping more comfortable for everyone: Unless you're obese or a smoker, co-sleeping with your infant is statistically safer SIDS-wise than sleeping separately. But for people who don't take comfort in statistics, a contour pillow is a...
Baby monitors work in adjoining hotel rooms20 Jul 06 | Comments: 8
Here's how Sara solved the kid-in-a-hotel-room bedtime situation: When I realized I had booked *adjoining* rooms at our hotel instead of *interconnected* rooms I was slightly panicked -- was someone going to be stuck in a dark motel room starting...
Dixie cup "telephone" allows parents to talk over sleeping kid17 Jul 06 | Comments: 9
CMC in NYC submitted what she calls an "almost embarassing" travel hack, but I think it's ingenious (and fun). My husband and I recently took a long (14 hours) international flight with our 4 1/2 month old daughter. We bought...
Boppy lets nursing moms go hands-free after babies fall asleep05 Jul 06 | Comments: 6
Here's how Elaine keeps from getting trapped on the couch under a post-nursing snoozer: My 5 month-old daughter loves to fall asleep in my arms or lap, especially after breastfeeding. The only problem is, she wakes up and cries the...
Put zip-up PJs on backwards to prevent diaper exploration04 Jul 06 | Comments: 9
Betty suggests a little pajama-fu to keep the diapers closed at bedtime: My children, when they were toddlers, loved to strip naked during the night. One night this involved opening their poopy diapers...to my HORROR!! So, I put their zipper/footie...
On "crying it out"09 Jun 06 | Comments: 13
How to get kids to sleep -- one of the most heated parenting debates out there, with polarized camps on both sides. One groups says, "Let them cry it out! They must learn to soothe themselves!" The other says, "Nurture...
Tips for late-night hotel arrivals with kids09 Jun 06 | Comments: 1
Kieran came by these two bits of wisdom during a road trip down the East Coast: 1. If you're pulling into a hotel late at night, call ahead and request that the crib be set up in advance. 2. Request...
Light:night: a gentle, portable nightlight25 May 06 | Comments: 2
Debra raves about light:night: I *love* this new nightlight and just wanted to share with the group. It's not glaring or too bright like other nightlights, but gives a cozy colored glow or a brighter light when needed. Plus, it...
Emergency blankie stand-in09 May 06 | Comments: 1
Here's what Jen (mom-of-newborn!) has discovered so far: Ok, so a good emergency "blankie" for the middle of the night feedings/bouncy chair visits- a pair of fleece pj bottoms. Fold to fit said bouncy chair (carseat, swing...) and let the...
Wool diaper covers prevent nighttime leaks28 Apr 06 | Comments: 1
More soft, wooly advice from Tiffany: Another nighttime leaky diaper tip: Diapers do not fit all kids all the time, add the nighttime shuffling and leg bending and, well... even the best fitting diapers can leak. A wool diaper cover...
Thingamababy has advice for parents-to-be19 Apr 06 | Comments: 2
AJ at Thingamababy posted ten bits of advice for parents-to-be, and would love to hear others' thoughts on the topic. Tags: Baby, Newborns, Parenting
Look for the easy solution first11 Apr 06 | Comments: 5
Kathy wisely reminds us to check the obvious, low-tech solution first: Our daughter Brigid just reached her three-month milestone. A couple of weeks ago, she started to flirt with the idea of sleeping through the night. Some nights she'd go...
365 First-Time Parenting Tips10 Apr 06 | Comments: 0
New dad Classic Jef has committed himself to writing up a full year's worth of tips for first-time parents -- in real time. Go to: 365 First-Time Parenting Tips Tags: Baby, Parenting
Mommytips.com07 Apr 06 | Comments: 0
Here's another parenting tips site -- this one geared toward stay-at-home moms, but with some useful tidbits for most parents. Technorati Tags: Parenting
Working Mother's Guide to Life03 Apr 06 | Comments: 0
Sara's favorite "preparing for parenthood" book was The Working Mother's Guide to Life. Written by the founder of the Bright Horizons daycares, it is full of very logical, practical advice like "There's no one way to do this," "The three...
Trixie Tracker: for the obsessed parent who has everything02 Apr 06 | Comments: 7
Taking care of a newborn brings out any latent obsessional tendencies lurking in the recesses of your brain. Between lack of sleep and debilitating infatuation, the details of your baby's physical comings and goings can take on monumental importance. When...
Portable room-darkening strategies29 Mar 06 | Comments: 4
Rookie Moms Whitney and Heather suggest this nap hack: When you need your child to nap in a strange place, such as the Pack and Play in your parents' well-lit guest room, pick the darkest room available, or the one...
Become an early riser23 Mar 06 | Comments: 2
Getting up before my kids (at, like, 6am or earlier) is one of my secrets for a smooth day. Somehow, everything is easier after I've had a shower, a cup of coffee, and 15 minutes with the newspaper. Easier said...
Dr. Parker on dealing with childhood fears20 Mar 06 | Comments: 0
Dr. P. (at WebMD) has good advice for "banishing the ogres." Technorati Tags: Childhood fears, Toddler
Which breast is next?19 Mar 06 | Comments: 7
Kristina has come up with an ingenious way to simplify nighttime nursing: I can usually remember which breast is next during the day, but in the middle of the night, I find it is downright impossible. The old safety pin...
Brian Eno for babies17 Mar 06 | Comments: 6
Matt Haughey, guest editor at Lifehacker, says Brian Eno's "Music For Airports" puts his daughter to sleep in minutes.
Focus on the body part17 Mar 06 | Comments: 9
Sometimes a slight tweak in wording is all it takes to get kids to listen (and comply). Here's Misty's: My goal in stores is to keep breakable things unbroken by my children. They are ages 1, 2, and 3. Our...
Exercise ball an ideal baby bouncer12 Mar 06 | Comments: 5
Vince passes along his baby-bouncing secret: Like many babies, our infant (4 weeks) gets fussy and restless at certain hours of the day, unrelated to feeding schedule. Without some kind of effort to calm her, the fussing can quickly turn...
Uniden phone doubles as baby monitor10 Mar 06 | Comments: 3
I was going to write about this Uniden phone myself -- we use it here at home -- but Neal already did a great job of it on his own blog. Here's a link to an entry a few months...
Minti fresh09 Mar 06 | Comments: 1
Another victory for "real-world" parenting advice! Newly launched: Minti, a website that hopes to become "the world's largest parent-to-parent advice-opedia." You can write up and tag your own articles and tips, browse or search others', rate each article's relative usefulness,...
What routines work for you?02 Mar 06 | Comments: 7
Whenever I meet a parent (most often a mom) who seems particularly organized, I'm always curious about the details -- how does she actually do it? Does she cook dinner every night? Does she sacrifice personal time? What are her...
Indian 'toddy' helps sickies get to sleep01 Mar 06 | Comments: 4
Whenever I had a cold or a sore throat, my father made this for me to drink before bed (one of his many Indian home remedies). I was asleep within minutes, without fail. Warm 1 cup of milk with a...
Parenting tips down under25 Feb 06 | Comments: 2
Australian mom Christine Tse hosts Parentingideas.org, a blog "to inspire with ideas and practical tips on parenting." Technorati Tags: Parenting
Crib mobile sans music20 Feb 06 | Comments: 3
Here's how Mark gets his baby's mobile to stop playing music: My wife and I recently bought a mobile for our 6 week-old daughter Astrid. It's one of the battery-operated kinds that spins around and plays music. Astrid loves looking...
Wool blanket as mattress protector15 Feb 06 | Comments: 4
Tiffany suggests kinder, gentler mattress pad: Nighttime accidents + wet mattress = unhappy parent. You can buy a plastic mattress protector, but as my grandma once said: "What? You want him growing up sleeping like he's in a cheap motel?"...
Clothes dryer can calm a colicky baby10 Feb 06 | Comments: 3
When a certain baby we know was nine weeks old, the hours between 5-7pm were filled with crying. Endless, heartbreaking, confounding wails, which we couldn't calm, no matter how much we rocked, cooed or cried ourselves. A slightly bored advice...
Safe Baby Handling Tips05 Feb 06 | Comments: 0
Fans of just-the-facts (with a wink) baby manuals will like this: "Safe Baby Handling Tips" (David Sopp, Kelly Sopp). [Via Babygadget.] Technorati Tags: Baby
Hot lemonade soothes a tickly throat01 Feb 06 | Comments: 6
Last night, my six year-old son was awake with a not-serious-but-constant hacking cough (from the sounds of it, similar to what Whiffleboy's daughter suffered with). The usual remedies weren't helping. In a fit of inspiration (or perhaps it was desperation),...
Serve-it-yourself cereal28 Jan 06 | Comments: 2
Via Sara via Daily Candy: a countertop cereal "keg" kids can operate themselves. Put a small pitcher of milk on a low shelf in the fridge, a few spoons and plastic bowls in the cupboard, and they can make their...
Parenting hacks at 43folders27 Jan 06 | Comments: 0
43folders is Merlin Mann's site devoted to all things productivity and organization. Devotees of 43folders can post ideas/suggestions/discussion to his wiki, and many among them are parents. I give you: the 43folders wiki on Parenting Hacks. (Unsure what a wiki...
Dress your kid the night before21 Jan 06 | Comments: 0
Some parents streamline their morning routines by dressing their young toddlers for bed in the next day's clothes. This only works with soft, knit clothing with no strings, hard buttons or buckles. As long as you use an extra large...
No pacifier? Use your pinky!16 Jan 06 | Comments: 3
Jon of FamilyResource.com reminded me about something I often did when my kids were newborns: There are bound to be times when Mom isn't there to nurse, the formula isn't ready, or you can't find the pacifier. One way to...
Hacking nighttime diapers -- literally14 Jan 06 | Comments: 9
Krista from Eaton Rapids, MI (whose baby is particularly well-hydrated) has this to say about nighttime leakage: After many soaked diapers (including the expensive overnight ones) and wads of wet bedding we finally got desperate. One night when my son...
Berkeley Parents Network13 Jan 06 | Comments: 2
We lived in Berkeley, CA for many years, but were parents there for only a year before we moved. In that year, I must have referred to the Berkeley Parents Network (an earlier incarnation of it) hundreds of times. Full...
There is an instruction manual after all!11 Jan 06 | Comments: 3
Ran into "The Baby Owner's Manual: Operating Instructions, Trouble-Shooting Tips, and Advice on First-Year Maintenance" (Louis, M.D. Borgenicht, Joe Borgenicht) at the bookstore the other day: a baby-care book written in the style of a technical user manual. One doesn't...
Make your own white noise CD10 Jan 06 | Comments: 9
So sayeth John: If you want a CD of white noise [the crackly static sound which masks other noises to help babies sleep], burn your own. Download free cross-platform audio editing software (such as Audacity) and use the "Generate White...
