Some of the best parenting tricks are tips you’ll never read in books. They’re golden nuggets that have been picked up and passed along, making them some of the best kept secrets you’ll ever discover.
Childproof Sliding Closet Doors with Café Rods
Sick of the kids opening and closing the sliding closet doors? Pick up two adjustable café style curtain rods and place each between the inside of the door jamb and the side of the sliding closet door. Be sure to place them near the top of the door so your little ones can’t remove them.
Kitchen Shears Make it Easy to Cut Food into Bite Sized Pieces
Forget using a fork and knife. Kitchen shears are for more than trimming the fat of off meat. They make cutting everything into small, uniform pieces easy. Since you can cut up the food before you serve it, you won’t have to worry about sharp knives floating around the dinner table.
Handheld Vacuums are the Best for Sucking Up Crumbs
Who says you need a dog to keep toddler meal time from getting messy? A handheld vac makes picking up the mess a cinch. Track sand in from the beach? A handheld vac can solve that problem too. They are also great for picking up crumbs in the car and in your child’s car seat.
Chuck Pads Are Great for Furniture Proofing
Remember that thick waterproof pad the hospital put on your hospital bed? Did they send it home with you? If so, pull it out. If not, purchase one on online. These are great for putting on beds during potty training, tossing on the couch under a sick child and taking with you when you’re traveling and stuck putting your child in a guest bed you don’t want to ruin.
Hull Strawberries Easily Using a Straw
Never waste fruit again! Poke a plastic straw through the bottom of a strawberry straight to the top. The top will pop off and you’ll be left with a perfectly hulled strawberry. The hollowed out area is perfect for filling with chocolate for a special treat.
Frozen Water Bottles Are the Perfect Ice Packs
Is your child heading on a field trip? Are you taking a family trip to the beach? Instead of loading the cooler up with reusable ice packs, freeze a couple of bottles of water. They’ll not only keep your food cold, as they naturally defrost throughout the day you’ll be left with a cold beverage to enjoy.
The Corner of a Credit Card is Great for Removing Splinters
Worrying that your child will freak out if you reach for the tweezers? Remove a splinter by placing the corner of the credit card against the skin above the base of a splinter. Slide the card up to gently push the splinter out of the skin.
As you forge ahead on your parenting journey, you are bound to discover some sanity saving tricks of your own. When you do, be sure to share them with your friends. They’ll be eternally grateful.
