“The Random Parenting Product I Swear By”

I love the baby powder as #1 ! This is always in my beach bag! Works like a charm! But i recently read that you cannot take baby powder in your carry-on anymore, so check with your airline!

My 6-year old was recently home sick from school – she was too tired to read or play and I didn’t want her streaming shows all day, so I put on some kid podcasts for her. She lay quietly listening for hours – it was awesome. She remained quiet and resting, which is what her body needed and I was actually able to get some work done (which is what I needed!). She really liked ‘NPR’s Wow in the World’ and ‘Stories Podcast’ – other good ones are ‘But Why’ and ‘Story Pirates.’

A 12-pack of flat (unfolded) diapers and a package of those plastic clips that are used to turn plastic hangers into skirt hangers are always part of my gift to a new mama. I kept a few of each in my tiny diaper bag. The diapers: clean up messes, blow noses, wipe tears, lightweight baby blanket, tie ice in one for a boo-boo, emergency head-cover (fold it, roll it, and/or tie it) on a sunny or windy day, a wet one is cooling on a hot day, a knotted one makes a good teether…I’ve even made an emergency shirt for my daughter a couple of times. I most often used the clips to attach one or more diapers to the edge of the stroller canopy. It made guaranteed shade and limited visual distraction for a sleepy baby. I also used the two items to make a bib MANY times. My daughter amused herself with a diaper quite frequently–she waved it around, played peekaboo, etc. She is 19 now, and I still have a few diapers in the linen closet!

The app buddhify 2-I bought it for Myself when it first Came out & I can honestly say it’s the best $4.99 I have ever spent. At bedtime my husband & I do the meditations with our 2 & 5 year old and it’s the best way to end the day.

At my home preschool the favorite *lesson* is a tool bag. It has a tiny tape measure, a couple small flashlights, and a couple magnifying glasses. Kids 18 mos and up just love using the tools in a variety of ways to explore, and they often use imagination to turn them into other things too. Open ended toys are the best!

Wahoo for Good Hangups! The inventor/owner is a mom at my children’s school. We use them at our house :)

The best investment I have made are the 2 lifejackets I bought for my kids at Costco. We take them with us when we travel to lakes and the ocean. Great peace of mind!

We learned about this trick too late but I wish someone had told us to keep a red washcloth for cleaning up bloody kid accidents. The kid is already freaked out about being hurt and seeing lots of blood freaks them out more. Using a red washcloth conceals the amount of blood involved.

Did anyone mention Wikki Sticks?

My #1 baby shower gift is a big tub of Aquaphor. I used it instead of diaper cream and it would heal rashes so quickly and effectively (and it helped me avoid that dreaded chalky feeling on my hands from the regular diaper creams). Now I also use it for chapped lips, scratches, dry skin, etc. for our entire family, not just our two year old twins. It’s a must!

Chenille pipe cleaners from the craft store make a fantastic restaurant activity. They’re quiet and have provided endless, artistic sculpting opportunities.

I’m not a parent, but my mom always swore by (and continues to buy as a baby gift) a pediatric humidifer. They’re cheap, they provide just enough white noise, and they make sleeping so much easier when you’re stuffed up or have a sore throat.

I had forgotten about using baby powder to get the sand off your feet and legs, so now I am going to buy a container of it to keep in our camping trailer.

I’d like to add a few things. A pen and small pad of paper for my artist son, a handful of cars, wikki stix (wax sticks that can be used to create anything that can be imagined), small packs of antibacterial wipes for my purse, a pacifier clip, a small stick of sunscreen for impromptu outside time, and a Wet Brush for detangling hair. I also keep an outside blanket in my trunk for a place to sit outdoors when needed.

I don’t have kids, but I loved this post! Some great gift ideas and things to think about for the future. Thanks!

maybe it’s because I work in healthcare, but no new parent should embark on their infant journey without Nose Frida! It’s not cute or romantic, but it will save at least one trip to the doctor/ED during infant and toddler cold seasons. I tell all my patients about it and give it at every baby shower I attend (with something more fun, too…of course!). I swear, every parent has sent a note later thanking me for something they thought they would not need or use!

Here’s my summertime answer: 1. A stomp rocket! Its so simple but it keeps my kids and all of their friends of varying ages entertained. Bonus! They’re only $15

2. Blue lizard sunscreen. We’ve tried so many different brands but this is by far our fav

3. Do – A – Dot markers. My kids are obsessed.

The baby powder also works after a haircut to get all the tiny itchy hairs off their necks and shoulders!

I’m sure some of these have been recommended, but these are my faves for the toddler/preschool years to keep on hand:
Water Wow – reusable water painting activity
Bubbles.
Twist n’ lock storage jars . These are so perfect for snacks. Great space saver!

It took me 3 kids to figure this out. You can use a small drawstring bag (I use the cotton backs that come when you buy shoes sometimes) and make a mini diaper bag with a few diapers, some wipes, a change of clothes and maybe a small toy. I then hang it on a hook by the door and put it in whatever bag i’m carrying that day before we leave the house. Sometimes it’s my purse, sometimes it’s the beach bag, and sometimes it’s an old backpack that we use as a diaper bag. I packed way too much stuff with my first two kids…probably in an attempt to be prepared for any imaginable situation possible. In reality, you just need the basics. And diaper bags are over-rated. If you’re not packing half your living room, you really just need any old bag.

An insulated straw cup. I bought it for myself because I love ice water but my 2-year old became obsessed with it. She loves the clinky ice and drinking from the straw. She drinks so much water now. The only drawback is she usually drinks it all so there’s hardly any left for me!

You will always find a small deck of cards in my purse, notepad and pen (hang man/tictactoe/pictionary), and baby wipes (my kids are now 8&12). And snacks… because hanger always makes it worse.

I carried cheap pashminas in their wrappers in my bag throughout my daughters’ early childhoods. They took up no room, but they were always ready when we needed something to sit on, something to bundle things up in to carry or an extra layer of warmth. Once I even improvised a halter dress when my daughter got soaked at a water playground on a breezy day! The last one went to a toddler in a stroller on a day that had turned cold, and I felt like Mary Poppins.