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Most of the parenting hacks on this list are unconventional because none of the parents seem to be babying their children.
Many have actually espoused an approach known as RIE parenting, a trust-based approach that treats infants and toddlers as capable, autonomous people who deserve the same respect as adults.
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NO MOM GOD PLEASE NO
ok then, let's act right.
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We’d pick out junk food, watch a funny movie, and give them permission to feel sad, frustrated, or angry…without judgment or pressure to feel better.
But when the movie ended, so did the pity party. It was time to pick ourselves up and move forward.
Those moments taught them that emotions should be acknowledged, not ignored, but they don’t have to define us. We could face hard things together, then take the next step, even if we weren’t completely okay yet.
Infant-development expert Magda Gerber first introduced RIE parenting in 1973. RIE stands for Resources for Infant Educarers, a nonprofit organization based in Los Angeles.
Author and educator Janet Lansbury is one of the many proponents of the RIE parenting method. As she explains, this approach builds parents' awareness by encouraging them to observe a child and give them space to show who they are and what they need.
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“RIE parenting also makes us more self-aware,” Lansbury said. “Through our sensitive observations, we learn not to jump to conclusions; for example, that our babies are bored, tired, cold, hungry, or want to hold the toy they seem to notice across the room.”
Lansbury adds that the method also helps parents learn to differentiate a child’s signals from their own projections. In effect, they become more aware of the habits they create that can become the child’s needs.
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For parents who want to implement the RIE method into their own approach, Lansbury offered some tips. Her first piece of advice: communicate authentically.
This means speaking in your real voice and talking about real things that relate to the child.
“We encourage babies to build communication skills by asking them questions, affording them plenty of time to respond, and always acknowledging their communication,” Lansbury said.
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Make routine tasks fun where possible - they pick a 2 min song for a teeth brushing boogie dance party, put mission impossible music to tidy up a room the fastest and beat the family record (this gets old fast though if it becomes a daily thing, it’s something I’d keep in my back pocket when needed).
Adding fun and silliness is always a good trick - if you’re getting overwhelmed and want to shout at your kids, try using a silly opera singing voice. Or flip yourself upside down (downward dog style) and encourage your kids to do the same - it helps them calm down too since they’re probably high strung if they are pushing all your buttons + models better emotional regulation strategies. Sometimes doing something silly as a “time out” resets the situation and makes it easier to deal with.
Parenting doesn't come with an instruction manual (yet), and some days will require thinking outside the box. Apart from a ton of patience, that may include ideas that seem ridiculous but work really well.
Of course, not every hack on this list will work on every child. Still, you can’t help but admire the genius behind some of these ideas. Parents, have you ever come up with these unusual tricks of your own? Share them in the comments!
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A few months ago, I accidentally left a whole plate of my son's favorite mini muffins on top of the car and drove away. My son was a little sad he didn't get to eat them but he thought it was great that the birds were going to have a huge party. "They're going to be talking about this day forever because usually they just get crumbs but today? They got 5 whole muffins!"
I've avoided so many toddler/preschooler meltdowns over the years. Definitely my favorite/most used parenting trick.
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