The Parent Hacks I Wish I Knew Sooner

A few hours into becoming parents, it usually dawns on us that we have absolutely no idea what we are doing and that parenting may be a little harder than first anticipated. Brought to you by Yoplait Petit Miam.

Once the toddler years arrive, we start to think maybe we have this parenting gig down. This is usually about the time you discover your toddler has upended the entire contents of the pantry and rubbed it all into the carpet with a little peanut butter for good measure. Let's face it, parenting small children is not easy. But never fear, these parent hacks will have you strolling through the years of early childhood like a seasoned professional.

Toys and Entertainment:
The realities of modern Australian parenting mean that most of our family budget is being poured into keeping a roof over our heads and those stunning, German imported educational toys in all-natural-materials and dyes can be a little hard to obtain, let alone update on occasion. The seasoned parent knows that while a few quality toys, carefully selected for lasting engagement are an important element to the kid's collection, you can't go past a bit of novelty to keep kids busy when you need to get something done.

Nothing keeps kids entertained like getting to play with real stuff from around the house. Cheap household items are a budget conscious parent's best friend. The essentials being: The contents of the Tupperware drawer, retained recyclables from the grocery shopping, a roll of not-too-sticky masking tape, a jug of water and containers to pour it into, a bucket and a pile of toys to "wash", and, my child's personal favourite, a box of buttons to 'sort'. IMPORTANT: As with any toy, please supervise your kids carefully and be aware of choking hazards.

The other, often untapped resource is discovering your local toy library. Toy libraries offer parents two essential things:

1. Somewhere to go with your kids (which are often air-conditioned/heated) and

2. The opportunity to try before you buy- how often do kids lose interest in a toy as soon as it gets home?

Forget the nappy bag:
As older babies and small children are on the move constantly, your designer shoulder nappy bag becomes a liability. Ditch the sweet nappy bag and go for a backpack. They are often less expensive, allow you to use both hands and help spread the weight of all the essentials you need to have on hand.

Get Low:
Speaking of little movers and shakers. Trying to clean up a dirty nappy, while constantly terrified your little adventurer is about to hurtle themselves off the change table is no fun. Move that change mat down to the floor and better yet, place it next to a mirror. Toddlers, like budgies, are so infatuated by their own image, it's the only sure fire way to get them to hold still. This means you can deal with the mess while they stare adoringly at themselves and makes the whole process way more stress free.

"I do it myself!"
Sometimes the difference between surviving a day home with toddlers and pulling your hair out is a 5-minute break to regroup. Toddlers love snacks they can master themselves, which gives you much-needed "cup of tea time". Finger foods and delicious pouches of fun like Yoplait Petit Miam are the perfect snacks for little hands and tummies. They'll be occupied and you can feel good about what you are feeding them. Sit down next to them and enjoy the moments of quiet bliss as they enjoy their own special treat.

Virtual Coffee Dates:
Nothing beats getting together with a real-life adult and enjoying some time out of the house. However, trying to coordinate schedules with other parents and their toddler's nap times can be an absolute nightmare and soon you can discover you haven't caught up in six months. Enter the virtual coffee date. When schedules of leaving the house just won't match up; boil the kettle, set up your device, and enjoy a little slice of café catch-ups from your own kitchen. This is particularly wonderful if you can coordinate your kids being asleep at the same time, but don't expect too many miracles in one day. I have had many "virtual coffee dates" along side the sandpit or Lego table and they are (almost) as good as the real thing.

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