The two parenting tricks that I learned years too late.

[SharingMichelle]

1. Give them music and headphones for long car journeys. Shuts them right up. My eldest is 10 and I've only recently learned this.

1. Peel the negative space off the sticker sheet and your small child can peel off the stickers independently. Without ripping them. Yes, even cheap stickers. WHY didn't anyone tell me this one??!

Probably most people know this but it's a really good one if you don't - most baby and toddler car seats, and definitely the Maxi-Cosi ones, have removable machine washable covers. Discovered when our baby car seats (and babies) were already 9 months old and had completely covered them in squashed greengage.

This worked wonders to make DS (as a toddler) walk faster and to not get so distracted in pedestrianised areas: plonk them over the double yellow lines by the road and tell them they are a train.

glowfrog love the baby hold! How good is that!

My best tip was invented when my children moved to big beds. To save having to strip the whole bed when they had an accident in the night I started putting an adult washable incontinence mat where the bum bit goes and securing with a flat cot bed sheet over the top and tucked in. This was over the top of the main sheet. I only had to whip the mat off and could get them (and me) back in bed quick time.

Mine is this: if your lo is about to be sick, grab a fresh nappy and catch the sick in that. You're much more likely to have a nappy to hand than a bowl.

Can someone explain the sticker thing to me?

I just got it....

Ditto nails when sleeping. Also;

Currently "airing" 5month old DS's neck as we speak. It's got a little sore in a fold last couple of days and where he now has good neck controll it can be difficult to clean, air and cream. Now he's asleep he's delightfully floppy to allow his head to fall back enough to allow treatment.

Buy two (at least) of a favourite toy. Minimum you can wash one, use one. Worst you can replace if one is lost.

Maybe this one is a bit mean.... Oldest DC was told by DH that manikins are what people who steal are turned into... So far it's worked.

Oh and if your DC goes on a Cub camp etc, put clothes in zip-lock bags. Saves them from getting wet when bags inevitably get rained on!

In fact zip lock bags are ace for lots of things; sun cream bottles, drinks bottles on day trips, DC sized portions of food in freezer...

That Calpol icing idea is genius! DD is totally resistant to antibiotics, and I usually have to wrap her like a cat!

On the boobs leaking at night thing - just stick good quality breast pads to the inside of your t-shirt. Agree that Lanisoh is the best brand and they have 2 sticky bits! I also put an incontienence mat underneath the sheet where DD and I lie so my boob leaking and any secret little sicks of hers don't soak into the mattress!

My 3 yr old went running up to a shelf laden with sugar coated Elsa Frozen cereal the other day saying she wanted it.
I pointed to the Kellogg's vitamins blurb and lied - oh this says it's only for children aged 12 and over. How old are you?
'Three'
'Oh - that's too bad you can't have it until you are older'.
She totally accepted the answer.

It worked!!! It actually worked!

You all know how to get jam lids off I presume?

I bang jam lids five times with the heel of knife. Is that right? It works for me.

If lo has snuffles and is struggling to breath when breastfeeding, rub a small bit of vapour rub on the top of your boobs so it helps them breath while feeding.

If lo has snuffles or a cold, rub some vapour rub under their chin, and on the soles of their feel before putting on their sleep suit or socks to help them clear their air ways.

For baby's first outfit after they are born, put the full outfit in a ziploc plastic bag - nappy, little tin of vaseline for the bum prior to the first poo, vest, babygro, mitts, hat all in and label it.

Then you wont have DH pulling every fucking thing out of the bag you so carefully packed while you are immobile on the bed with your hands full.

Also, if you are a c-section mum, a maternity towel stuck to the inside of your underwear horizontally along where your scar is helps cushion it when you have baby on your lap.

I knew about the stickers one, and the vest one, but I'm loving all the others!

Jar lids - just stick a knife up the underside until you get a pop when the pressure is released. Very easy and never again resorting to asking someone 'strong' to open a jar.

My fav at the moment are our 'magic' toilet doors which only open with hands that have been freshly washed after the loo.....
The sticker one is going to change my life!

Mine now 7 and 9.

Unless you want to full on birthday parties for 1 and 2 year olds a waste of time. They are oblivious. Save yr energy for the years when the party is a massive deal. My elder has been planning hers for 6 months now - no pressure.

Swimming lessons before 4 a waste of time unless you as an adult enjoy them. Saw a couple at the loud grim swimming pool with a teeny tiny baby pfb Looked so stressful! Just run a deep bath. They don't swim til older anyway and pick it up fast. Save yourself hundreds of pounds!

When the baby goes rigid while screaming, stand it up
When the baby what? If my kids went rigid if be calling a paramedic
Seriously? My kids did this all the time - never even occurred to me that it was anything out of the ordinary. I used to blow gently on their face. It worked most of the time.

When trying to get a baby of to sleep in pushchair . Turn pushchair towards the sun they always close their eyes and hopefully fall asleep.

Give kids water sprayers in the garden (like people have for office plants) rather than watering cans. No wet shoes/refilling necessary!!

For your first child's second birthday ask both set of gps to club together to buy a mini bouncy castle. Ours was about £90 I think. Worth every penny. You just plug it in with an extension lead and up it pops. Ours played for hours and hours and hours. Came out every birthday. Other families borrowed it. No more soft play in summer ever. Adult can sit in deckchair and supervise.

Best £90 ever spent. Too big for it once they go to school we have passed on to another family, who have just passed on to another.

Stroke a baby's nose from between the eyes to tip to get them to fall asleep. They close their eyes as they follow your finger down.

If you ever want a really cheap blackout blind, buy cheap blackout material (John Lewis sells it) and just safety pin it to the back of your curtain. If it is for a short trip safety pin it to the front of the curtain.

This works brilliantly in canal boats!