Dan Marshall - Life Hacks for Parents: Handy Hints To Make Life Easier

LIFE HACKS FOR PARENTS

Copyright Summersdale Publishers Ltd, 2017

With research by Anna Martin and Rob Melhuish

Illustrations by Kostiantyn Fedorov

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced by any means, nor transmitted, nor translated into a machine language, without the written permission of the publishers.

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This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

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eISBN: 978-1-78685-122-2

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DISCLAIMER

Neither the author nor the publisher can be held responsible for any loss or claim arising out of the use, or misuse, of the suggestions made herein.

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

Welcome to Life Hacks for Parents , an indispensable guide to help you successfully traverse the ups and downs of being a parent. From home safety and first aid hacks to cleaning and food hacks, and everything in between, within this book you will discover over 130 ways to make your life that little bit easier, whether you have a newborn or a teen or both.

Perhaps you need to remove some of your childs artwork from the wall, or you want a natural way to soothe your baby when theyre teething, or maybe youre just desperate for some fun activities for the holidays that wont render you bankrupt? Its all covered and the best bit is, youll most likely have the necessary ingredients at home already.

Life Hacks for Parents is here to take the strain out of parenting. So read on and learn how to be a hacking hero your children will thank you for it.*

*If youre lucky.

EARLY DAYS HACKS

Newborn babies are magical and delightful, but nothing can prepare you for exploding nappies and being up all hours for feeds, not to mention the challenges of dealing with any of these things on the go! This chapter offers some handy hacks to help you through those fuzzy first few months.

ONESIE EPIPHANY

So your little ones nappy has gone nuclear and poo has made its way up their back. You want to change them, but the idea of pulling a soiled onesie over their head fills you with horror.

Fear not! Those little shoulder flaps at the top of the garment are not just for decoration, theyre designed to allow the head opening to become wide enough for you to slip the onesie down along your babys body, so you can avoid spreading the mess. Simple, yet a lifesaver, especially when changing a newborn up to ten times a day.

MECONIUM MELTDOWN

Talking of poo, heres a handy hack for cleaning meconium (newborn baby poo) off your precious little ones behind. Meconium is like Marmite and if youre strictly following the recommendation that for the first six weeks you should use only cotton wool and water on your babys backside, it can take a while to shift.

But there is a substance that is harmless to newborn skin that will make light work of this job: olive oil. Just rub a small amount of olive oil onto your babys bottom after each nappy change for the first few days and the meconium will wipe away with ease.*

*Midwife approved.

SOCK BUDDY

Babies love contact and cuddles, and while it can be soothing for both of you, it makes it difficult to put them down for a nap. Heres where a couple of common household items come in handy.

Fill a sock with rice make sure the sock is the extra thick woolly variety so theres no risk of rice grains poking through and securely sew up the opening. Be sure to give it a shake to make sure none of the contents will escape and place it in the microwave for one minute on maximum power. Let it cool to body temperature (touch it to test) and then lay it beside your baby so they can be soothed by its warmth.*

*Your rice sock should last for a while but exercise common sense if it starts to smell or the stitching comes loose, throw it away and make a new one.

COT CHANGE

This is a common-sense hack for changing your babys bedding in the night an unavoidably frequent occurrence with a newborn.

It can be such a performance finding replacement sheets and mattress liners while youre half asleep and trying to soothe a baby at the same time. The simple answer is to double up on the bedding. After you have placed a mattress liner and a sheet down, place another mattress liner and sheet on top, so you only have to remove the top two layers, causing minimum disruption.

CRADLE CAP COCONUT REMEDY

Babies are prone to dry skin, particularly cradle cap. This layer of crusty skin on the top of their head can stick around for a long time.

Rather than heading to the nearest chemist, try using a little coconut oil on the affected area. Not only is it harmless if ingested, but its gentle on your babys skin. Coconut oil can also be used to soothe insect bites, eczema and nappy rash and it smells good too!

STAIN PROTECTION

How many times have you got ready to go out, only for your small person to unexpectedly accessorise your outfit with vomit or poo? Its an occupational hazard when youre a new parent.

So try this hack to save your clothes. Get yourself a lab coat yes, those things you used to wear when performing experiments in chemistry at school. That way, you can keep your clothes immaculate, rather than being known as the crustiest parent in town.

TEETHING RELIEF

Teething is an uncomfortable experience for both children and their parents. Heres a simple hack to soothe sore gums. Make sure your hands are clean for this one.

When your baby is teething, all they want to do is chew! Allow your little one to chew your fingers. Another simple thing to do is rub their gums with your finger, as the pressure will soothe them.

BOOB CUBES

Freezing breast milk in an ice-cube tray preferably one with a lid makes it easier to defrost quickly and the cubes are ideal for mixing with baby food when weaning. Also, in a standard ice-cube tray, each cube amounts to one ounce (28 ml) of milk, so you know how much your child is having.*