A childcare worker of over a decade has shared the simple but life-changing hacks that make parenting so much easier.
Esther Allen, 33, based in the UK, has a degree in early childhood education and has been a full-time nanny for 14 years, taking care of kids of all ages from newborn to 13.
Along the way, she has uncovered a ton of tricks that she believes every mom and dad should know – from a secret method that helps with applying sunscreen onto ‘wriggly’ toddlers to the easy way she’s mastered putting kids to sleep.
Thankfully, the expert has shared her top tips exclusively with the Daily Mail.
First, Esther explained that the secret to a successful bedtime routine is being ‘consistent.’
‘It may seem over the top to do the exact routine every night, but children, especially young children thrive off of it,’ she explained.
‘They know what to expect, and stop pushing so many boundaries. If some nights you read one bedtime story and the next five, you can bet the next time you only read one story they will demand more.’
She also reminded parents not to get ‘suckered into bedtime delaying antics,’ which often include requests for a drink or to use the toilet, asking to be tucked in again, the kid saying they have something to tell you, and suddenly they can’t find a toy they want.
A childcare worker of over a decade has shared the simple but lifechanging hacks that she believes make parenting so much easier
Esther Allen, 33, based in the UK, has a degree in early childhood education and has been a full-time nanny for 14 years, taking care of kids of all ages from newborn to 13
Along the way, she has uncovered a ton of tricks that she believes ever mom and dad should know, which she shared exclusively with the Daily Mail
‘Again, if one night you get them a drink, spend five minutes finding a toy (that isn’t a special comforter for them – just a random one) and re-tucking them in, you may find yourself needing to do this every night, until somehow bedtime is dragged out for another 30 minutes,’ she continued.
When it comes to putting on sunscreen, she noted that applying the vital cream onto youngsters is far from easy especially because they’re usually on the go and don’t want to sit still.
But she suggested using a makeup brush to apply sunscreen, noting that it’s ‘way easier’ and makes less of a mess.
‘It makes it 10 times easier, especially on their face,’ she shared.
Another one of her go-to hacks is using a sticker to help kids remember which foot their shoes go on.
‘If a child always asks which foot their shoe goes on, get a sticker, cut the sticker in half, and place one half in your child’s left shoe on the inside and the other half of the sticker on the right,’ she explained.
‘That way when they place the shoes together (the right way) it put the picture on the sticker back together again – kind of like a mini puzzle.’
As for her tips for parents handling a child who has misbehaved, she suggested taking a moment to try to figure out what caused them to act out before you get angry.
First, Esther explained that the secret to a successful bedtime routine is being ‘consistent’ (stock image)
When it comes to putting on sunscreen, she suggested using a makeup brush to apply it, noting that it’s ‘way easier’ and makes less of a mess
Another one of her go-to hacks is using a sticker to help kids remember which foot their shoes go on
‘A child who is acting out, is often overwhelmed, dysregulated, hungry, tired or seeking connection – there will be some reason for their behavior,’ dished the expert.
‘Every behavior has a reason behind it. Often it is a case of stepping back and trying to asses the situation and find out the route cause of the behavior.
‘Has the child been at daycare all day, so is seeking some connection time? Are they overtired because they skipped a nap?
‘Are they hungry because they refused to eat the lunch you gave them? Are they struggling to communicate so getting frustrated with their sibling?
‘Finding the cause, often is better than reacting behavior itself.’
In the end, she reminded parents that children ‘often mirror us,’ so if we ‘get agitated or stressed out by their behavior,’ they will ‘often match that.’
‘If we stay calm, it helps them to regulate just by being a calm presence. All emotions should be accepted, and safe to express,’ she concluded.
