A Few Ideas We Have Found Useful

Over the years, we have learned a few tricks that have made life more pleasant for all of us.

• After a long day at the beach, the best way to get the sand off your kid's legs is to let it dry, then wipe gently with a knit cotton gym sock.
  
  
• Have you ever considered what a small child must do in a fast-food place just to get a sip of root beer?

  Sitting at a table that practically comes up to their chin, they must manipulate a wet slippery cup, which is usually so large as to require both hands, off the top of the table, and down between them and the table almost to their lap.  Then they must get the straw, which is long enough to fit a Super-Jumbo size cup and sticking up through the middle of the lid, into their mouth.  When satisfied, they must reverse the procedure to put the cup back on the table.

  All that, with little experience, distractions all around, and no spilling, please. 

  Our solution was to, with their permission, cut the straw so that only about ¾ of an inch was above the lid of the cup.  They usually agreed, but once in a while wanted to see if they could get by without it.
  
  

• Helium-filled balloons are lots of fun, as long as they don't blow away.  Some places now tie small weights to the end of the string to anchor them in place.  The other alternative is to make a loop in the string to tie them to the owner's wrist.  Here's the knot that worked best for us.  There's probably a name for it, but I call it a balloon knot.  It's like a slip knot, but with an extra wrap on the half hitch to make it easier to slip open.
  
  Form large loop C, and bring end A around the string to form loop B.  Push end A through loop B two or three times, then tighten loop B around the string.  The resulting knot can slide along the string, adjusting the size of loop C.
  
  Actual quote from one of my cousins to her father, as she watched her toy balloon get away: "Daddy!  Get a ladder!  Quick!"
  
  
• This one is a classic: to divide one piece of food between two children, have the older one divide it, and give the younger one first choice between the pieces.
  
  
• Found elsewhere on the 'net: To make an Easter egg hunt less competitive and more fair for the younger ones, hide an equal number of eggs of each color, and assign each child a color.  They can only pick up the eggs that are their specific color.  The children ended up helping each other find the last few missing eggs.  Such a great twist on an old activity!