Raising kids and taking care of kids makes your life super busy. But, if you know how to get things done you’ll be ahead of the game. These parenting hacks for dealing with common child issues will do wonders for you both. Leaving only a healthy, happy relationship behind.
Keeping Kids Busy
* Pots and Pans – Let them play with some of the pots and pans on the kitchen table or counter as you cook dinner. It will make them feel useful and keep them from being under foot.
* Paint Outside – Instead of painting inside, on nice days let your children paint on an old sheet outside. Use water colors or tempera paint for the best results. Let them go wild and then rinse them off with a hose when it’s over.
* Paint Inside – Fill zipping plastic bags with one color of paint and hang on a line over the window so the sun shines through, and your kids can reach. They can now finger paint with the paints while they stay clean and dry.
Teaching Patience
* Time It – Set a timer for anything you want your children to do, from waiting a few minutes while you pay bills, to cleaning their room, to eating. Tell them the timer is set, and for how long, and that when the timer goes off they’ll be done with whatever.
* Use Hand Signals – Teach your children easy sign language. Baby sign language is very useful and cuts down on temper fits by letting a non-verbal child communicate easier. The trick though is to always follow up. If you signal a child to be quiet while you’re on the phone, as soon as you get off do something with them for a few minutes and praise them for waiting.
Getting Kids to Eat Healthy
* Let Them Help – Children who help prepare dinner are more likely to eat the dinner as prepared, even if that includes veggies. Little hands can do a lot more than you might think.
* Grow Your Own – Teach children how food grows out of the ground, and they’ll be hooked for life. If they have their own little plot to care for, they’ll eat a lot more veggies.
Keeping Kids Healthy
* Remove Splinters – Make a paste of baking soda by adding enough water to make it the consistency of glue. Spread on the area with the splinter and wait a few minutes for the splinter to rise out of the skin. Then remove splinter with tweezers.
* Giving Medication – For small kids, cut a hole in a binky and slip the dropper through. Kids are used to sucking on a binky so they’ll accept the medicine easier. For older kids, ask the pharmacist to flavor the medication according to your child’s preference.
Children are easier to please if you understand what they want. They want attention, and the more ways you can find to give them attention, while also getting peace for yourself, the better off you’ll both be. Always set the example of behavior you want them to follow and make them a priority, and you can’t go wrong.
