| This page is dedicated to parenting tips for all of us creatures of the night raising our own little monsters. If you have something to contribute or just need advice, feel free to email me at [email protected] Below are a few tips, I will add more in time. |
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| Some Things that make my life easier. |
| 1. Don't be afraid to pack a smaller diaper bag for little trips. Trust me you don't need to bring a change of clothes just to run to the supermarket, you will be fine. I used to take a 2 year old and a ten month old and I bring two diapers apiece, a jar of juice, a ziploc of powdered formula, fruit snacks for my daughter, wipes, juice and a bottle. Leave all of that other madness at home. You won't need it. 2. If you have a newborn and need to take a shower, try setting up a bouncing chair right inside the door. For older kids, try a highchair (with safety belt) with toys on it. 3. Associate a song with the deed. My daughter loves that psychotic Barney song, "Cleanup, Cleanup, everybody, everywhere", and so everytime I want to clean, all I have to do is sing and she does the rest. You can work this into practically everything, from eating to going on trips to the supermarket. 4. Keep childern's music in the vehicle. Ok, ok, I know it sounds crazy but right next to my Sisters of Mercy and RiB sits the Winnie the Pooh Sing-Along. Peace of mind is essential on long trips. 5. So long as noone is bleeding, let the siblings settle arguments themselves. My daughter and her baby brother already fight over toys, food, attention, etc. I find that they usually reach a balance on their own. They have to learn to live together, it is a pretty permanent arrangement! 6. Do not bother buying a diaper genie. Recycle plastic bags you get at the grocery store and Walmart (admit it, we all go there). Whenever it is a poopie diaper, I just take it out side immediately in the plastic bag, just make sure to tightly tie the top. Keep extra bags in the bottom, just make sure to wash the garbage pail out every couple of weeks. 7. Get your childern excited about being independent, i.e. eating with utensils, getting dressed by themselves, brushing their teeth on their own. Don't be afraid to be animated, use baby talk, and be positive. 8. Raise your childern without fear. If your child climbs the slide and she is proud of herself, let her be proud. Don't allow your fear of her falling discourage her from reaching new heights. 9. Water down juice if you can't get them to drink alot of water. My son will not drink anything clear but if it even has a drop of color he will gobble it down. So I throw a tiny bit of juice in when I can't get himw to drink the good stuff and it works everytime. Don't get me wrong, juice is good, but it fills up their tummies quickly and it doesn't have the quenching or cleansing effects of water. |
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