The two parenting tricks that I learned years too late.

Fitted sheet beach tip photo helps make sense of it.

www.google.co.uk/search?q=fitted+sheet+beach+hack&oq=fitted+sheet+beach&aqs=chrome.2.69i57j0l3.7553j0j4&client=tablet-android-pega&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8#imgrc=oWgftIAprkWRsM%3A

My dd hated the sand so wouldn't venture off the towel for years anyway!

I still take maternity paper knickers on hols and throw away each day

Buy cheap I knickers and the biggest pads you can find rather than the disposable maternity pants which are way more expensive.

Pull up nappies start at size 4 so if you have trouble pinning your baby down to do their nappy up, try them instead of nappies with tabs.
Don't worry about getting your baby into a routine for at least the first 3 months as their brain development is so rapid that every time you think you have things sussed, they'll have a developmental leap and you'll be back to square one. Go with the the baby's flow.

I used pampers bed mats when I was breast feeding. Just whip it off and your sheets are saved.

5 kids later. Didn't know the vest one! That would very been so useful. Youngest is now 8yrs old. I've done the sticker one before though.

I know MN likes to make fun of French and their love of suppositories, but if baby cannot or will not take Calpol, paracetamol suppositories can be a lifesaver, plus they work really fast.

Mine is that if your baby is poorly, properly poorly really needs calpol (dd had febrile convulsions) and will not or cannot take calpol (let's face it it's all thick and gloopy)

• buy the 6 plus and reduce the dose dd went from 10ml of pink slime to 2.5ml of thinner less gloopy shite (It was actually a hospital Consultant who told me to do this )

tip for being somewhere hot at night:

make a sleeping bag out of sheeting fabric. Mine was slightly heavier, like a flannette sheet.

Then baby sleeps in it with just a vest. It feels safe and comfy like their normal sleeping bag, but is much thinner and cooler.

potato - I was gievn two of those baby bundles when ds was small. He hated them and so did I.
He couldn't lie the way he wanted to, and his feet stuck out the bottom and got cold, because socks always come off in bed, and they rode up so that they were bunched round waist and bottom half was cold.

Sorry, but babygrow and sleeping bag all the way.

We count down from 5 so the children know there is an end, and follow through with whatever was said i.e. no tv, ice cream, laptop or whatever.Counting up never stops.It works on all ages.

Brilliant!!

Once children are old enough to dress themselves but not willing (DS I'm looking at you!), then try "morning challenge"

Tell them that pending challenge winners get a sticker and the object of the challenge is to get dressed, have teeth brushed and bed made before mummy can do the same.

Shout Morning challenge and off they go!

Even 4 yo DS who is generally completely uncooperative in the morning will rush around to beat mummy.

Obviously it's rigged so that I lose every day but keep the excitement going.

Lots of giggles from DS and DD about mummy being a loser.

Stock even

Thanks so much for the sticker trick!

Mine is baby bundlers. Bloody great invention for night time.

www.marksandspencer.com/2-pack-pure-cotton-cloud-print-boys-bundler/p/p22332011

I realise these are out of shock, but places like John Lewis do them too.

If you have car sick DC keep the travel potty in the car - forever. I was an appalling puker parents kept a bright yellow potty in the car for me to throw up into. V useful saved the day (or at least the car) on many occasions.

That said when I had to potty train my first child the sight of a potty immediately triggered me to feel sick! Soon got over it though. Thankfully both mine brilliant travellers so never needed this tip!

We bought a travel potty for long journeys. DD 7 yrs now but we still use it for late night camping wees, beach as refuses to wee in sea and fields on long walks as i remember "a friend" misaligning her girly bits with nettle patch. Best thing i ever bought and only toddler thing i refuse to rehome.

With the fitted sheet on the beach - you use your bags in each corner to make it a kind of "pen"

someone needs to explain the fitted sheet one.. Unstretched they just bunch up into a lump?

Place marking for my little one due in September. I'm going to try to the sticker one with DSC tonight- quite excited!!!

To dry baby's neck after bath time, turn them onto their tummy.

I got to baby number 5 before I realise what the envelope necks on clothing were for

Pre potty training, sit them on the loo to wait as you run their bath, with toys, on one of those toilet adaptor seats. If you do this at a routine time then the sitting opens the bowels and they have the excitement of hearing the "plop". They associate it with bathtime. Then later when actively potty training, over half the job is done already (so to speak).

Use an upturned fitted sheet on the beach to keep your area sand free....

If your child vomits on the the floor, throw cat litter over it, go sort out the child, come back and sweep the cat litter up. Easy.

If your child has trouble sleeping, and won't settle, tell them you want them to try their hardest to stay awake, and whatever they do they have not to fall asleep. I learned this trick from a hypnotherapist who was helping a little boy with insomnia. I also found that it can sometimes work with tantrums. If he has a tantrum, I tell my son to cry as loud as he can but he's not allowed to smile or laugh, then I give him marks out of ten for his efforts!