Practical Parenting

We're always on the look-out for practical products that help parents - it's a challenging job and removing as many hassles as possible lets us relax and enjoy the little ones while we can. Check out the products and services that are our favourites.

Bright Bibs that Hide the Stains

For an item that by its very nature is sure to have food spilt on it why are so many bibs white or pale colours!
But not these vibrant Bright Bots bibs. Colouful with cheerful characters on the front and velcro fastners - they have always been my favourites and are sure-fire practical gifts for parents.

Babies & Toddler Taming from Dr Chris Green

Whether or not you have lots of family as background advisors with your children, Dr Chris Greens books have been hugely valuable to many parents including us. His "controlled crying" technique for helping children get to sleep is well known and his tips for handling toddler tantrums are absolute sanity savers.

Babies: A Parent's Guide to Enjoying Baby's First Year

Beyond Toddlerdom: Keeping Five to Twelve Year Olds on the Rails

Versatile Heat Pads even Warm Bottles

These handy "Heat-in-a-Click" pads provide instant and portable heat up to 54 degrees simply by clicking the disc inside them. They are best known for easing aches and pains but the large one shown is also handy for heating bottles of milk for babies.
Totally reuseable, portable and require no electricity or microwave to create the instant heat. The pads are recharged by boiling them in advance for 7-12 minutes. Once charged the pads cool down and are primed for use whenever you need them.
There are other sized "Heat in a Click" pads small pocket sized pads are great as an instant hand-warmer and cost around $9, the bottle warmer size is around $25 and the large one shown in the video is around $40.
To see how versatile the "Heat-in-A-Click" pads are watch the You Tube video on the right.

Heat in a Click – Warm and Cold Breast Pads

Heat in a Click – Pleasure Back Warmer

Heat in a Click – Baby Bottle Warmer

Nasal Aspirator - the "snot-sucker"

The concept of this product is disgusting, but the reality is that little babies simply don't know how to blow their noses.
A nasal aspirator has a soft bulb that you squeeze to create a vacuum and suck the mucus out of your baby's nose. As gross as it sounds it will make your baby's breathing more comfortable. The nozzle and bulb separate for easily cleaning.
You can get the nasal aspirator as shown on its own at the Fishpond website but they also have a nursery kit which is great value at around $30 (discounted) and includes a nasal aspirator, a digital thermometer, a medicine dropper, measuring spoon and baby nail clippers all in a zippered case.

Safety 1st Hospital's Choice Complete Healthcare Kit (Styles Vary)

Go the F**k to Sleep

Click on the image to enlarge and for more details

Despite its mock profane title "Go the F**k to Sleep" is a well-intentioned bedtime book for parents who know that life in the real world does not see sweet little angels drifting blissfully off to sleep following a story and a cuddle. Radically honest this bedtime story for grown-ups expresses the unspoken frustrations of millions. He opens up a conversation about parenting, allowing all to laugh at the absurdity of the situations we find ourselves in and in doing so to retain our sanity.