Polls and Tips for Baby and Toddler Years

Play dress-up. Few things delight a child more than seeing grown-ups wearing a ridiculous variety of wigs, masks and accessories, so join in on the fun!

Squishing sensory toys like Play Doh, kinetic sand or aqua beads are all satisfying sensory activities for toddlers!

Disposable toothbrush: a toothbrush I'm willing to use for a couple nights then throw away at the hospital before I return home.

A lightweight robe. Cozy and comfortable, presentable enough for wearing around the hospital, and easy nursing access.

I bought peepee teepees and used one once. Receiving blankets. Used maybe once or twice. Baby nail file! As much as I have to admit it...just get clippers and suck up the fear of cutting their nails. The files don’t work very well.

Blankets, quilts. Used swaddling blankets only.

Give yourself plenty of time for the routine! I think starting an hour before we actually want the kids to be asleep has worked best for our family.

Consistency is a key factor !

Art class

Spa card. If at a kid friendly salon, younger recipients could get manicures with cute art designs, chocolate facials, temporary hair chalk, etc.

An OT told me this one: use small writing utensils such as golf pencils and broken crayons. This helps prevent children from grabbing the utensil with a fist and encourages the correct pencil grasp.

This probably depends on the kid, but when my kids were little I would give them a task/goal such as "we can go to the park as soon as your shoes are on and I finish one quick chore" and then walk away to do my own chore somewhere close by, like emptying the dishwasher. I found that they would figure out how to do things for themselves when I wasn't standing over them and tempted to help or looking at the clock. Be sure to do this a looong time before you have to be out the door.

What helps Granddaughter is Jelly Beans. They are a favorite.

Matchbox/Hot Wheels cars

Sturdy stair guards at the top and bottom of the staircase are a must once baby starts moving around!

I discovered that a heavyweight hairband looped around both door handles was just as effective (if not more!) at keeping my cabinet doors shut than those cabinet latches made specifically for baby proofing. Plus, they were way easier (and less annoying) for me to take on and off, making it more likely that I'd always keep it on. This only works on certain handles, though, like pull bars and knobs.

Amazing Grace

You are so beautiful - Joe Cocker

I have a full set of cleaning supplies (sponges/cloths, gloves, cleaning solutions/products) - in each bathroom and the kitchen, so whenever I have five minutes I can quickly wipe down a sink, toilet, counter, etc without needing to hunt anything down.

Robot vacuum! We have a Coredy robot and it gets plopped in various rooms almost daily. I’ll section off an area periodically and let it do all of the work for me. Our kids love picking up for it so they don’t have to sweep so it’s almost effortless for me and even has a mop option for our model. It’s not amazing but helps tremendously!

Measuring cups of different sizes and shapes create ceaseless fun pouring and dumping; dumping and pouring for hours.

Robo Alive Fish. These life like “robot” fish swim and dive when submerged in water. Turn your water table, bathtub, or pool into an artificial aquarium. These fish are mesmerizing and fun for young and older children.