Let's hear your "why didn't I think of this before" parenting moments

[geekymommy]

DD (will be 3 in August) was home sick yesterday. She kept asking us to give her medicine, as she does not yet understand why taking too much paracetamol is bad. We had been trying to explain to her that too much medicine is bad. Then yesterday evening, DH used the mouth syringe we were using to give her medicine to give her a little paracetamol mixed with water. (She can drink medicine from a cup, but didn't want to this time) After she finished that, she asked for more. He gave her plain water in the syringe, which she happily took. I thought "why didn't we think of this before?" It would have worked a lot better than trying to explain to a sick toddler at 2am why taking too much medicine is bad.

Let's hear some of your parenting moments like this.

Hide certain toys away ahead of play dates. Stopes absolutely bloody everything getting chucked out on the floor.

Right. Thomas and friends are moving into my DD's mouth tomorrow morning. What a fab idea! Will let you know if she buys it.

I've discovered the use of reverse psychology works wonders with my 2.2 y.o. "Put your wellies on please", "No", "OK you don't have to put your wellies on", "WANT MY WELLY BOOTS ON!". Well if you insist...

Have at least one but preferably 2 play dates a week. It means that I actually make time to clean/tidy the house for 20 minutes before kids arrive.

When flying with young dc feed them milk (bottle or breast) on takeoff and landing. Also visit the pound store to stock up on new and exciting toys they can unwrap at hourly intervals in the plane.

The more time you spend on them as kids, the less they will need (as opposed to want) to spend with you as an adult. Thinking addictions and unhappiness here - not yet sure if it is true but it has been good for my now 16n 14 year old DD.

BillyJoel I'm intrigued by this, can you give an example? It's just that we really struggle with money so I can't give my DC the things & experiences (days out, meals out) their friends have but I'm a SAHM so they have all my time, but I often feel it's not enough (ie sometimes it would be nice for them to have the stuff & the meals out rather than me just being there like I always am!!)

In our house it's called a cat's lick...which again did the job until I hit teens when I started to shower every morning & bathe every night. I'm enjoying my under 5s still being sweet smelling enough to only need a cat's lick a day

When DS starts playing that annoying game of imitating everything I say, I start copying him back. Yes, we get into a weird loop for a bit, but I always win because he starts laughing first.

Oh lweji that reminds me of the best distraction I had when DCs were little ...
Toddler say No - you say Yes. They say No you say yes, yes. They say No no no no no no no no you say yes yes yes yes yes yes yes etc ...no no no no no no until eventually you say no too! Puzzled look...they say no? you say No? they have by then completely forgotten want they were saying no to sadly it stops working but by then they know what you are doing and you make the whole thing a joke....and they forget to be stroppy and you can just get on with it...

As soon as you start weaning Have low down cupboard in the kitchen full of plastic cups/bowls/plates etc. it will amuse them when you are cooking in the kitchen and when they are a little older they can get their own breakfast and you can snooze - keep cereals in low down cupboard and a one pint of milk carton in the fridge at this point

Socks don't need to match, no-0one notices mismatching socks - I know this from having three kids and doing this for years! All school socks are bought in one colour per child so DD1 has grey socks, DS has black and DD2 has white, saves time and easy when sorting laundry.

Unlucky83 - you are not unlucky - you are very lucky that you get to spend all day with your kids - and they are very lucky to spend the day with you. We too were skint when the kids were little and so had to make our own cheap fun. So making events out of nothing became a bit of an art. Treasure trails in the woods or park, a "feast" for tea which basically meant we could not afford to put a whole normal meal on the table and so dragged out every bit of food from the cupboard and put it all in small party dishes on the table. Just making a big deal of nothing, really. Making sure that my social activities aligned to them, so on PTA, playgroup committee, in pantos so that they could come to rehearsals and be part of it. (not as martyrish as it sounds as I worked 3 days a week so wanted to send the rest of the time with them.)

We carried on even we had a bit more spare cash - when we wanted a new telly, I wanted them to value it, and so we had a 35 day period of only eating cheap meals and saving money, and each day we managed we were on step closer to paying for the telly we had bought, I think we even had a strip of paper marked into 35 bits and chopped one off each day.

And having adventure parties for birthdays - games in the woods, finding things, bursting water balloons above themselves, blindfold walks, teamwork. Having mystery birthday parties or evets where they did not know where they were going ( not necessarily far, but they had to work it out together).Blindman's bluff in the house or outside, obstacle course races in the park, walking backwards on the woodland course, blind meals served in the dark, murder mysteries with friends where the kids could be part of it as well, geocaching, finding free food by the wayside above the dogwee line, mad dancing to certain songs on the radio. Just really enjoying the time we had and making something of it. And finding like-minded friends who we could enjoy it with, if we were lucky.

The kids might have ended up needing me for entertainment, but they are actually happy doing things on their own now and entertaining themselves.
I think they also like my company. Right now we have moved and so have set ourselves challenge of finding all the local parks and trying them out, and trying out all the pools in a 10 mile radius, then marking them out of ten. We are lucky to have a car, but when we didn't in the winter, we just found out where we could go on the bus routes available, and what was going on for free.

Sorry this is so long. I have definitely outed myself to anyone who knows me....

I think Billyjoel you meant to reply to suddenly not me was a bit confused for a while ...hopefully she'll spot this and see your post...

brilliant thread. mine are -

1. when doing a standing pooey change in public loo, button the poppers up over a shoulder to keep clothes out of the way.

1. a paediatric nurse told me - when giving calpol, and kid not cooperating, squirting a bit into side of mouth between cheek and tongue stops little darling being able to push it out with their tongue.

I dont think anyone has mentioned white noise for over tierd baby's, that with swaddle if young enough and trying side sleeping or napping in swing during the day all massively helped me.

I don't like the vest tip as I've found the vests don't quite go back in shape :( but think I'm the only one!

Great tips on keeping snacks and toys in bags and cars at all time, we also kept a bag of full change of clothes in boot of the car on days out and loads of blankets incase of a breakdown, or handy for ad hoc pic nic etc Along with long life snacks eg raisins, oat bars, rice cakes etc.

In winter blankets to keep them warm in the car as I don't put their jackets on in the car for safety.

Use pinterest for keepsake / craft ideas, mine never turn out right but the kids love it.

oops - sorry and thanks Unlucky!

My pediatrician's tip from 30 years ago. When it's time for little ones to begin to use utensils at the table or in the high chair, start with baby fork. Cut up little bite-size pieces of meat, fruit, or green beans, etc. whatever they like on their plate. They can "spear" and get into mouth all by themselves. Once they've really gotten the hang of using the fork (can't remember how long this takes!) and as a bonus used to getting food into their mouths and not all over their faces then start with their baby spoon and a bowl of cereal, etc. They'll pick it up in no time and all the rest of good table manners over time without any fussing and constant correction. I remember my boys being shocked when they were a little older at seeing children eating birthday cake with a spoon (the horror!) or who got food all over their faces while eating ice cream. Thanks, Dr. K!

Don't know how/why "whatever they like" in my post above is lined out. Yes, they can spear whatever they like! My oldest likes to spear canned mushrooms -- I have no idea how that got started.

Good grief! My oldest "liked" to spear . . . . He's grown out of spearing canned mushrooms, I think.

A friend of mine has 'movie night' for her little ones, and uses the booster seats from the car as cinema seats.

BillyJoel you sound like my mum. What a gift she was to us.

If you are putting baby down to nap in their cot then put their sleeping bag on, same as at night. Made nap times so much easier!

Pregnant with my first. So thank you everyone for this thread of useful tips

One I picked up on here... Only very special people like Grandmas are allowed to have the magic tokens that make the rides outside shops work. Ds is 2 2/12 and still doesn't know they move/play music etc.

We have magic water here. Helps to remedy all kinds of ills and hurts.

Cherrylola I think I love you. Just been giving Thomas and friends a really good brushing! DC couldn't get enough of it! You are a genius!!

OMG I "found" Elsa and Anna in my DD's (3yo) mouth last night when tooth brushing. GENIUS!!!

Tried Thomas & Friends in mouth tonight. 100% success thank you!!!!!

All dds friends from nursery have moved into her mouth too!

Genius tip, thanks to poster. Dh is flabbergasted.