Parenting tips that aren't shit

[Rory786]

Hi all, Im loving the household tips that aren't shit thread, so here's a spin off. I'm desperate for parenting tips.
I have 2 teen boys doing GCSE's and 3 girls 4yrs, 22 months and 8 months. I'm being pulled all over the place, helping with algebra while changing nappies and doing finger painting.
At the moment I'm relying heavily on the iPad. Leaving the house seems so hard, we live in the country, can't walk anywhere and trying to defrost the car with the little ones seems so hard. The boys take the bus to school.
dd1 will be starting school in Sept and I'm dreading the school run.
Any tips appreciated, thanks.

[Whatdoesaturkeydo]

I get everything ready the night before
Everyone's pile of clothes shoes knickers hair elastics all in one neat pile per child and go speed things up no end.
I have 6 all at school just before school started in September I bought some storage racks with baskets from ikea and put them in the utility room all school bags go in one basket, lunch bags in the next, pe kits etc in the next all uniform once washed is folded and put in the baskets and doesn't go to bedrooms or my boys would lose it hang on the floordrobe etc and one for coats gloves hats
Everyone including the 5 years old come in from school empty bags of rubbish put notes on notice board and then store bags etc

[Soubriquet]

Take off the white background on sticker sets to help children take the stickers off easily

[EZA15]

Definitely following this thread! I need all the help I can get!

[BlackeyedSusan]

good enough is good enough.

they need to be fed, watered, clean and loved.

[One2another]

Wow you've a lot on your hands! Are you supermum? You sound like it, you give us your tips! I'm struggling with a 12yo dd and 10yo ds

[One2another]

I'm meaning that in a nice way by the way! I'm embarrassed to be struggling with two non toddler children who can cope fairly well for themselves and not need vasts amounts of my help. But I'm still in a guddle.

[MsSampson]

I read this on a MN article actually, and was a bit surprised that it worked... When I want to get the DC to go upstairs for bath and bed I turn off all the downstairs lights and switch on the landing light, and they kind of drift upstairs like moths . DP isn't keen, says it is a bit like being a zookeeper, but I'd rather that than the hours of futile shouting and cajoling.

[TinklyLittleLaugh]

Pick your battles, don't sweat the small stuff. Having said that routines reduce chaos and, I think, make kids feel more secure.

[NoCapes]

MsSampson that is bloody genius!
Getting all 3 of mine upstairs at one time is like herding goldfish at times, someone always sort of drifts of backwards and isn't where I need them to be - I'm definitely doing this

[Rory786]

LOL Blackeyed Susan, my younger 2 girls hate bath time, so I can't even get that right!

One2another, have you met me?! My boys say why do you shout so much?
I retort because when I talk nicely you don't listen!

OK here goes my tips

No fabric sofas, I know obvious but we learnt the hard way, our fabric sofa was covered with baby vomit and chocolate by day 1 now we have (cold) leather sofas

Audiobooks for bedtime story

Try to schedule 1 to 1, we live near a service station, so I take the kids there individually for an ice-cream or muffin. This one is so hard to do but the kids even the grumpy teens love it.

Tights for babies and toddlers who keep taking their socks off and you think they are going to catch yet another cold...

Have a hidden stash of chocolate for when you need it.

Pre made baby bag in the car

Thats it- I'm done.

[PovertyJetset]

Breakfast club at school, makes my run to work so easy, taking a rushed meal out of the equation!
We have a chalk board in the kitchen and on it we have
School academic calendar and inset days marked onit
Meal plan for the week
I have drawn on table for each person/day of the week and on a Sunday night I fill it in so for Dd in a column would have
Packed lunch
Wellie walk
Change reading book

It helps me have a big visual for every day at a glance and helps the kids be more independent

[emmyhNL]

I love these. Any toddler tips are appreciated!

[Lostmyemailaddress]

Pe bags with shower stuff ready in them. I have 6 dcs and the bags are colour coded so each know their own colour. It also helps for pe/swim days extras get put in the night before.
Gloves and scarves are put inside hats and places in a basket by thread front door stops the frantic hunts for them in the mornings. We do same with hats and sunglasses in summer.
Homework timetable up on fridge each child has a colour highlighter that marks days homework due home and due in. They have a coloured document wallet to place homework in safe until it's needed.
For younger ones I put all uniform on 1 hanger and socks and underware in shoes they are kept in the kitchen with the shoes under the hanger to stop them disappearing the next morning.

[AGrinWithoutACat]

Season tickets for local wildlife park (etc), picnic lunch (sandwich, crisps, fruit, water) and you can have days out on a budget easily

We keep a plastic box for everything we need to go to the beach, another for forest walks etc - again quick picnic lunch and good to go

Other ones

Establish chores early, saves the whine later when you are looking for tweenager help

One toy out / one toy away (when you can) helps a little and always tidy before bed

Pre Christmas / birthday clear out with the DCs - what can we give to charity. Started this when they were tiny so it's not a drama later when otherwise would be drowning in toys

Homework straight after school - left to late and it takes 6 times as long at least for my DCs

Pretty much any habit or behaviour you want the DCs to have age 10 start age 1 :)

[Thisrabbitthatrabbit]

If they're still wearing vests when potty training popper the vest together over one shoulder to keep it out of the potty.

[TinklyLittleLaugh]

When my gang were small, after bathtime we'd have a big cuddle on our bed and either DH or me would read at least 20 minutes of a chapter book. I reckon we easily clawed back that 20 minutes in time saved by everyone getting through the bathtime routine quickly in order to hear the next bit of the story. And no story was the ultimate deterrent to bad behaviour.

[NapQueen]

I take ds to drop dd at breakfast club in his pj's with a snowsuit and shoes over for the walk there. Then when we get back the snowsuit and shoes and pj's and nappy all come off together, he has a bit of "raaaah I'm. Naked so I'm gonna run around" time while I get his clothes together. Dress him then we have breakfast.

Pj's can be used a few nights in a row so they come off; get folded and put onto the chair in the bedroom ready to go back on that night.

I always keep a few nappies and a pack of wipes in the buggy basket for emergencies


DD (5) into the bath first as she likes it really warm, then when she comes out ds (2) goes into her bathwater. She prefers not to share anymore.

Both have supper in front of the bedtime hour on cbeebies (ITNG and the story part) then bed.

[EsmesBees]

If your baby has a poo explosion that goes all over their baby grow and vest, take them off over the legs rather than the head. Stops you getting all sorts in the hair.

Remember that most kids turn out fine, so don't stress if yours is not sleeping/eating/ walking etc. It will most probably be ok.

[IrishTwin]

Take the middle road as much as possible! Try and avoid the extremes either way!!

[CherryChasingDotMuncher]

I don't have as many as you OP, and mine are tiny, but what I've learnt is -

1. Pick your battles. Ask yourself "is it worth having a colossal fallout with a 3yo over a felt tip pen? What will I gain from this?".
   
2. iPads and tablets are fantastic and ignore the snobbery around them. My DD plays jigsaw apps while I breastfeed DS, to me it's absolutely no different from doing an actual jigsaw, and touch screens are the future! Also YouTube Kids is a life saver for little ones even if it's mostly drivel and opening packets of crap
   
3. Don't feel guilty if you don't do everything absolutely perfectly, us mum's give ourselves such a hard time when really kids just want to be fed, loved and have the basic needs met. It's a tough job and I've learnt that it's ok that I'm not getting up at the arse crack of dawn to pick leaves to make a collage with every day and prepare a craft filled day. It's mostly fine to put Paw Patrol on instead especially when you have others and yourself to care for

[Stuffedshirt]

Get the teenagers to do as much as possible for themselves and around the house. Not only will it help you but their future partners will love you for it.

Don't threaten to stop doing stuff for them, actually stop. Teenagers can do an awful lot for themselves but will keep expecting parents to do it, if we let them.

[ElspethFlashman]

We do the lights off "herding moths" thing. It really works!

Always pick up one of those seasonal toy inserts from Argos - the little ones - and put int the car. Takes up no space, doesn't matter if it rips, and gives 20 mins of silence. Have several at hand!

[Rory786]

Some genius tips here, thanks everyone!

[EZA15]

What's a toy insert Elspeth?

[RandomMess]

Mine are a bit random:

Get babies to take their naps in a folding travel cot every day from when they are fairly young - this means they will then happily sleep in said travel cot whenever

Baby nightgowns with built in scratch mitts - these are stretchy things made out of jersey knit, no more fiddling with poppers in the middle of the night for nappy changes.

Buy the formula powder travel containers and measure out the feeds for the next 24 hours or so - if you lose count of the number of scoops you can see if you were right by comparing volume to the other compartments. You can always tip it out and start again.

Get them dressed and ready for the day before breakfast, yes sometimes they will spill breakfast on their clothes but the hours saved are worth it.