Last Word: What is your favorite parenting hack?

What is your favorite parenting hack?

“I told my 2-year-old at the time that when he lied his ears turn red. So, every time he covers his ears and I know he’s lying. He’s 5 and still does this.” —Megan Harper (@girlgonechildinnyc), Manhattan

Besides hiding and rotating toys and crafts, I make sure to leave surprises for her to find on our dining room table on weekend mornings. She knows to quietly play at the various activity stations I’ve set up without waking us up. This occupies and entertains her and buys us an hour or so to sleep in.”

—Stella Leo (@StylishlyStella), Manhattan

“We have a ‘cereal bar’ for dinner. I take out all of our boxes of cereal and arrange them like a frozen yogurt toppings bar. I have my kids pick a ‘base’ cereal and then as many adds-in as they want. It’s the easiest dinner ever for me, involves no cleanup, and they beg for it!”

—Stacey Gish Wallenstein (@themintchipmama), Long Island

“When disagreements happen, I allow the twins to figure it out. Their bond and sibling love only grow stronger when they’re allowed to handle the dispute without an additional opinion, and I’ve noticed some interesting problem-solving skills develop as well.” —Natasha D’Anna (@Twindollicious), Staten Island

“My favorite parenting hack is from the book How to Talk So Little Kids Will Listen. When my toddler asks for something that I cannot fulfill, I talk through what we could be doing at the moment and encourage him to join in by asking him questions. Would you swim in the sandpit when it’s full of water? Would you stomp all over the playground? It sounds counter-intuitive, but it actually works because imagining can just be as fun and exciting as the actual thing!” —Tricia Savino (@nihaonewyork), Manhattan

When my children were younger and left their toys all over the house, I would use a laundry basket and collect everything. If they wanted their items back, they had to do a chore. This was very effective, and they ended up thinking twice before they left their favorite toy lying around.

—Katy Winter (@katysorganizedhome), Westchester ” “

“With three kids in different schools, I try to make our life easier by having a family calendar (dry erase board) with each one’s schedule written in a different color and make sure to go over the events for the day before they leave for school each day.”

—Brianne Manz (@StrollerintheCity), Manhattan

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