Reader to Reader: Your Best Parenting Tips

We asked SpringfieldMoms readers for their best parenting survival tips. GREAT responses! Thanks to all who submitted advice!

“While you tried your hardest to avoid the parking spots near the cart corrals before you became a parent, sacrifice your vehicle and embrace them. They’re life savers!” – Jodi M.

“Let them hug you for as long as they want, always let them be the first to pull away.” – Stacey D.

“Babywearing was a huge one for me with a toddler & newborn. I could meet the needs of both children at the same time. Also lowering my standards of a clean house. The messes & laundry will always be there, play with the kiddos, they grow up too quickly as it is!” – Shauna J.

“We like to always have rainboots and little shovels or rakes for the kids to “explore”. This is best to do after it rains. We look under rocks and different places where we can find “little critters” to pick up with our gardening gloves and inspect them. If we find something really cool then we take pictures. Kids really LOVE it!!” – Tammy

“Online shopping! Amazon moms club and subscribe and save ensured I always had diapers and wipes without having to pile the kiddos in and out of the car to go on a shopping trip!” – Janel V.

“Assigning chores, having a large family calendar – to keep track of who needs to be where.” – Kymberly E.

“Accept help from others. As a single mom it has saved me.” Kim W.

“Ensuring that I get me time for a couple hours a week.” -Sarah B.

“At home: I let my little one “help” me with things I’m doing. It helps to teach them chores, responsibility, and keeps them occupied while I’m being productive! Out & About: we have a mini travel DVD player that we take on trips and with us to restaurants! So many parents eating out always compliment “that’s such a great idea!”.. and we get to enjoy a family meal out without a bored and screaming little one!” – Amanda V.

“Best parenting tip to keep the household moving along and minimize the outburst is to set boundaries and stay consistent with them. We use the 123 Magic approach. Kids then understand expectations and abide by rules with you stay consistent with the punishments.” – Ashley W.

“To minimize outbursts and to let my kids feel that they have some control, every morning I tell them what we are going to do, starting with that morning (i.e. first we’re going to eat breakfast, then get dressed, then brush hair, and if you do all of those things we can turn on cartoons)…then tomorrow we are going to the grocery store, in two days we will rent a movie, in three days we will go to the library, etc. etc.” – Katie

We randomly chose two responders to win tickets to We’re Going on a Bear Hunt on April 16th at UIS. Congrats to Kim Walton and Stacey Dunlap for winning the tickets!