The Mom Crowd

Parent Hacks is one of my favorite websites, because it gives you practical tips to make your life as a parent a little easier. Here are few parent hacks of my own that I have used. I would love to hear some the creative ideas that you have come up with in the comment section.

1. Using return address labels on the back of wallet sized photos. I honestly do not want to write Annabelle’s name, age, and date on the back of 30 photos. So I like to print out the information I want on a clear return address label and stick it to the back of the photo. You don’t get any pen imprints or bleed through from writing on the back. It also makes the photos look more professional.

2. Parking next to a cart return when you go shopping. This was a huge help when I had to lug my baby around in a car seat. When I leave the store I like to put my baby in the car first, but I don’t want to leave her alone in the car while I return the cart. Also, you don’t have to carry a car seat or a wiggly toddler very far to get a cart when you arrive.

3. Bringing your ipod and speakers to the park. I like to take Annabelle to my neighborhood park, but it is usually empty and boring when I go by myself. So one time I brought my ipod and speakers with me. I could still keep my eyes on my daughter and I was able to listen to some good music at the same time. Annabelle would even dance to the music.

4. Giving your little one a snack at the grocery store. Ideally I would love to grocery shop without Annabelle, but that doesn’t always happen. My problem is keeping her in the shopping cart seat. She likes to stand up. My friend Sarah said that she gave her kids a Dum Dum when she went and that help to occupy them. Annabelle was driving me nuts one day, so I went over the candy aisle and opened a bag of Dum Dums and I gave her one. It occupied her for a while and I was thankful. I saw one of my friends feeding her two little ones eggrolls from the Chinese take-out stand. I have since tried bananas, dried pineapple and opening a bag of bread, but I still keep a few Dum Dums in my bag for when I am desperate.

5. Using 2×4′s to install a pressure mount baby gate onto two banisters without drilling. My husband and I did not want to drill into the banisters at the bottom of our stairs to install a gate, so we used zip ties to attach a 2×4 piece of scrap wood to each of the banisters. After installing the wood, it was really easy to put the baby gate in place.

Okay, these last two are for girls but maybe you could share them with a friend if you don’t have a girl.

6. Pairing dresses that are too short with a pair of pants. My daughter doesn’t grow out of clothes quickly, but sometimes dresses do get too short. I started pairing a dress with a pair of jeans underneath and I love it. I get more life out of her clothes and she looks cute.

7. Put a rubberband around the bottom of a hair clip to keep it in their hair. I can’t take full credit for this tip. I got it from the nice lady who runs a boutique here in my town. She told me to put a little rubberband on the bottom metal half of the bow to keep it from sliding in the hair. Every time I have done this it has worked.

Do you have any parent hacks that you like to use? Do you have a solution for my problem of keeping my 18 month old safe in a shopping cart? (ha!)

My husband and I really enjoy visiting the large Apple Store in my city and so does our daughter. They have really great marketing tactics not just for parents, but for kids too. In the back of the store there is a round table with four computer stations at kid level loaded with children’s games.

We sat Annabelle down in front of the computer just for fun and to our amazement she knew exactly what to do. She banged the keys, moved the mouse and watched the screen to see what would happen. Now when we roll her up to the computers she starts clapping in her stroller.

On one of the visits she played Sesame Street First Steps. I only chose the game from the menu options, because she loves Sesame Street. It turned out that the game is for her skill level and she loved playing it.

We bought the game on our second visit for about $25. I know I could have ordered it online for about six dollars cheaper, but the convenience of the store and buying it instantly outweighed the hassle of ordering online. I also knew that I would rationalize this extravagant purchase and would never have bought it. When we got it in the car we handed Annabelle the box and she said “Tank Too” at least ten times in a row. Even at 17 months she appreciated the gift.

Sesame Street First Steps is for ages 1 1/2 years to 3 years old. Although, I think that any 3 year old and some 2 year olds may be really bored with the game, because it is incredibly simple to play.

There are two types of game formats. One type of game are keyboard activities while the adult moves the mouse and the other games are mouse-only with the adult pressing keys. There are a number of keyboard games to choose from. The keyboard-only games require the child to only hit a key (any key) and the game will do something. Our favorites are Silly Songs and Animals Sounds. The one with Shapes and Colors is a little boring. We have only played the mouse games once or twice. She doesn’t quite get the correlation between the mouse and the screen yet.

Overall, I like the game and I am glad that we got it. One downside is that Annabelle wants to get in my lap any time I use that computer. Also, my desk is not always the cleanest and she grabs everything in sight. I would be sure that you play on a keyboard that you don’t mind getting banged on. We put the game on our oldest computer with a keyboard that can easily be replaced. I wouldn’t want her on my laptop.

I am glad that our 17 month old is learning how to use a computer and enjoy being on one. The game is a fun treat for her to play and it is somewhat educational. I think that a software game for a baby is worth it, if you want to spend your money on a game. Sesame Street First Steps is a good place to start for a little one under the age of two.

*P.S. In case you are curious, that is my mother-in-law playing with Annabelle (not me .

Recently the incredible Mommy Zabs commented on one of our posts and brought up the subject of letting your kids spend the night at other people houses. I thought it was a great topic to discuss, because I know I am going hear my daughter asking to spend the night at her friend’s house one day.

For advice on sleepovers I turned to my sister-in-law, Denise. She has three girls at the ages of 15, 8, and 6. Needless to say, she has plenty of experience with slumber parties and letting her girls spend the night at their friend’s houses.  I did a Q & A with her on the subject:

How old was your first child when they spent the night at a family members house? At a friend’s house?

My daughter was about 1 year old when she spent the night with my parents.  It was easy and painless.  She spent the night at a friends house when she was 3. I got the call in the middle of the night and realized that she was way too young for a sleep over at a friends house.

Do you have any rules in place before you let one of your daughters spend the night at a friends house? Do you have to meet both parents before letting them spend the night? Do you need to have been in their house before that evening?

Absolutely there have to be rules in place before you let your child spend the night at someone’s house.
*It is VERY important that you go to the house BEFORE the night of the sleepover
*You should have spoken to the parents and know who stays at the house

One thing that my husband and I did to help other parents feel comfortable was we would plan the sleepover when he was not going to be home.

Did you have any fears the first night your child spent the night with someone else? If so, how did you handle them?

Yes, I had plenty of fears the first few nights that all of my girls spent the night at other people’s houses. The first way that I handled it was to say a prayer. That helped me to remember that I knew and trusted the people they were staying with. If all else failed I would call and talk with her.

What do you communicate to your child before they spend the night with someone else?

Make sure that they understand that if they feel uncomfortable they can always call you. We also have had the discussion about their bodies being their own and that no one was allowed to touch or see them.  Also, we discussed manners and how they should behave in another persons home.

Do you communicate any rules about bedtimes, foods, or movies with the parents hosting the sleep-over?

Yes, by knowing the parents I feel comfortable communicating what types of movies my daughter can or can not watch. I also have asked before that the junk food be limited.

Have you ever had to tell your child that they could NOT spend the night at someone’s house?

Yes, If I have not gotten to know the parents of the other child I will not let my daughters spend the night.

Do you let your kids go to Slumber Parties?

Yes, but all the rules that I previously stated apply.

Do you host Slumber Parties? What do you do to calm the fears of parents letting their children spend the night with you?

Yes, I host slumber parties. When the girls are under 10 we made sure that my husband was going to be out with friends. Also, when the parents come to drop their child off I always let them come in the house and stay until they feel comfortable. I make sure that the parents know what we are planning. We exchange phone numbers, home and cell.

Finally, do you have any advice for other parents about letting their kids spend the night at a friend’s house?

Use your best judgment. If it feels wrong don’t be afraid to say no. Make sure that you know who your kids are friends with. You can’t know all the other children that your child meets at school but if you talk with them you can get an idea. Invite their friends over for short play dates. By doing this you will be able to meet their parents.

Thank you, Denise, for letting me ask you a few questions!

Have you let your kids spend the night at their friends’ houses? What rules do you have in place?

Trying to get pregnant is so much fun, then you see the two blue lines and something changes. The months of fun are over and the vomiting begins. For some getting pregnant takes the pressure off and they are able to have more fun in the sack afterwards. For others that drive is simply gone and the preggy lady wants nothing to do with it. Feeling nauseated all day and a heightened sense of smell doesn’t help matters. You know, their breath smells bad, when it is probably fine every other time. It is certainly a disappointment for the guy if the latter extreme happens and their months of fun are over for a while.

The first trimester passes and you are feeling better, but now you are fat. At least you feel fat, but your preggy belly only turns him on more. Then you are told not to lay flat on your back, because you may caught off necessary oxygen to the baby. So you get creative, but that means you have to do some of the work and you are tired. And you still aren’t into it. For some reason your brain has turned off that desire and your main focus is getting through the pregnancy. You desire to please your husband and keep him happy, because a physically happy husband makes a very happy husband in every other area of life. (You may not agree with this statement, but I wholeheartedly believe it.)

So what do you do when you don’t want it or you can’t do it because of a high risk pregnancy? There are other ways to show physical affection with hugs and kisses. Spending relaxing alone time together. Communicate to him that you want to want it and that your desire will return. I clearly remember when my desire came back about three months after Annabelle was born. I was ecstatic. I had no idea when my desire for it would return. I was worried that it may not for a long time.

So maybe I wrote this post to only vent my current feelings. After morning sickness this is the worse by product of being pregnant. The first time when my husband and I went through this, he began to resent serving me and was in a rare foul mood. Then one day he figured it out. He wasn’t feeling any love, because I would push him away when he came near me, because I was sick. After he communicated how he felt to me, I made a point to try and pay him more physical attention. Things got a lot better. This second time around we were prepared. My husband knew what to expect and I try to focus on him a little more. It is really easy to get wrapped up in yourself when you are pregnant.

So am I the only one who has felt this way? Did you go to one extreme after you found out that you were pregnant?

I am taking Monday off from blogging, because I am still recovering from spending four days with my mother. My parents were in town this weekend for a Vietnam reunion that my dad attended. After every visit it makes me glad that I live four hours away from them. They seem to suck all my energy from me with their Eeyore attitudes and constant bickering. It is hard work to stay out their fights when they try to pull my husband and I into them to take sides.

I am glad that my mom got to see her granddaughter even though she questioned my parenting skills. She really didn’t see why I don’t want my 17 month old to have diet coke.  So after wearing my hard shell and letting comments roll off my back all weekend, I am pooped. I am taking the day off and driving a total of 6 hours roundtrip to go see my oldest friend’s new baby.