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Just when you didn’t think things
could speed up any more – How much faster can zucchini grow? Do I
have time to pack 4 lunches and still find parking at the beach? – life has
kicked into high gear and those lazy, hazy, days of summer have turned into
the crazy days of fall. In the next few issues of Inventive Parent’s Newsletter, we’re going to address this frenetic pace and how to help. This issue will focus on helping children master some life skills to be clean, dressed and get out the door. Upcoming issues will look at ways to help you parents get more done faster and with less work; ways to make traveling to school, practice or day care easier and more fulfilling; fun ways to support learning at home for children too young for school, for home schoolers, and even for school children taking a break; and we’ll round out the series with some suggestions on financial planning for college and future educational needs! And don't forget, subscribers have exclusive discounts on the products listed in all our Newsletters! |
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| You have a busy schedule, and getting everyone out of the house in the morning can start the day off well, or make you want to go back to bed. Young children can become part of the challenge too easily, when they want to be part of the solution. There's nothing better than learning to do something for themselves, and being like a big kid. These are some sure fire ways to accomplish both your goals: | ||
| Getting clean can be a chore. The My Own Shower is a fun shower head for kids with a softer flow of water and a head that can be lowered to a comfortable height for them. Yet, when you’re rushing into the shower all you need is a slight turn of the wrist, and you have your regular high, powerful shower right back. |
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| If you still like giving baths, and your child loves to play in the tub, make sure to try the Flo . After all these years, I could never figure out how to wash a child’s hair, and rinse it, in the bath tub. The Flo takes care of this problem for you. Additionally, you can add bubble bath to the Flo to get a great crop of bubbles. |
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| Want to make the tub or shower a bit more fun, comfortable and safe for little feet? Check out the BathArt Non Slip Removable Decals! They add traction and look great – ducks, frogs, hearts, paw prints, sports balls, ships and more. But, kids change their passions more quickly than the fall tv lineup. These decals are easily removed and replaced with the newest thing! |
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| End the tooth brushing wars and develop an internal 2 minute clock with the Twooth Timer |
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| Little bums need smaller and lower toilet seats. I remember the first time I saw a bathroom fitted out for preschoolers. It was so cute with all those tiny little toilets in those stalls! I was very glad that I didn’t need to use the restroom, however, as those seats would have been as comfortable as riding a tricycle. Can you imagine what a full size toilet must look like to a young child? | ||
| You don’t want, and your recently trained child certainly doesn’t want, a potty chair anymore. What to do? Try out the Dr Merry’s Potty Pal! This ingenious seat within a seat combination replaces your current toilet seat with one that includes a child’s seat built in. The child seat fits into the underside of the lid for us larger folk. One of the many things that really sets the Potty Pal apart from all the others is that the seat is shaped to not need a urine guard, otherwise known as “that thing that stabs parents in the back.” |
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| Help children learn to put the right shoe on the right foot with Shoe Clues. These great stickers also help to teach right and left, letter recognition and |
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| Once the shoes are on the proper foot, there are those pesky ties to be tied. All those velcro closures are a treat for toddlers, but don’t help children learn to tie their shoes. Quick as a wink, the toddler has grown up and you have a kid running on a soccer field or practicing a cheer with an untied shoe, and they are embarrassed at how long it takes them to retie their shoe, and how poor a job they do. There are lots of button-snap-tie-clasp toys out there, but the one we like best for tying shoes is the Wooden Lacing Shoe from Melissa and Doug. |
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| Dress codes may require it, and switching from diapers to underwear may require your child to wear a belt to keep their pants up. (Don’t you wish that your bottom could shrink that much that fast just by learning how to use the toilet?) Myself Belts are designed for children to be able to use themselves, eliminating the frustration of not being able to undo a belt "in time." Sizes to fit children age 2-6. |
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| End the battle of what to wear with My Little Weatherbuddy. While your kids are still little enough that other adults will think poorly of you for sending them off not dressed for the weather, but they are old enough to be sure to put up a fight, the Weather Buddy is a pictorial thermometer that shows appropriate clothing, form shorts for 80 degrees to hat and mittens for 30 degrees. |
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| Make sure that your child’s clothes fit, are clean, and available. Sometimes you need a weekend game of "fine the underwear" while you settle into the routine. Quick, before things start to stink! | ||
| (My dad still loves to tell how I used to flick my underwear up on to the canopy of my bed with my foot when I was little. At least we knew where to look!) | ||
| Before bedtime, make sure that all shoes, jackets, uniforms and other essentials are put away for another day. Some families like to set out the next day’s clothes. This wasn’t too helpful for me because the weather changed so dramatically from one hour to the next. However, by the time I was in junior high school (way back before middle school became de rigueur) and I would spend hours trying on clothes to get just the right outfit, well, I needed to set my clothes out the night before! | ||
| The next issue will feature ways to help you parents get more done faster and with less work. Don't miss it! And don't forget, subscribers have exclusive discounts on the products listed in all our Newsletters! | ||