3 kid tips (two from me, one from a smarty pants magazine)

I am going to be giving two tips today that I figured out on my own!!!!! My own!!!!, I say. I am only this braggadocios because of how often I feel like a flailing idiot. The first tip is for the bath time, and it might make up for the fract* that I didn't think to wash behind Zoralee's ears, I mean really scrub into those tiny folds, until she was six months old. Yes, there was a build up of crud. Listen. Don't worry about that.

1. Bath time tip: use a hand towel to dry her hair and face while she's still in the tub! She's that much dryer and warmer to keep playing in the tub and while you wrap her into the big towel and carry her to the bedroom. Plus, there's less jostling of the baby as you dry every piece and part. This flash of inspiration hit me while I myself was taking a bath; I'd washed my hair but wanted to hang out longer and read a book. I nearly froze to death and realized poor Zor probably does too. Now I wait until the very end to wash her hair.
2. For when the baby insists on hanging around the dishwasher while you work in the kitchen, and you decide to keep her busy by feeding her messy nectarine bits (for the entertainment value more than the need for food): tape the dish down with a good, solid packing tape. She'll keep busy maneuvering food out of the dish instead of dumping it on the floor all the live long day.

(By the time this photo was taken, we had moved on to Cheerios.)

*Fract: friggin' fact; refers to something obvious you've nonetheless overlooked

Tip from Real Simple Parenting (which I can't try yet, so let me know how it goes): when the kids won't finish those last bites at the table, make it fun. Have them roll dice and eat as many more bites as they roll. The magazine claims it gives the kid a sense of control about it. Commentary: we all know that rolling dice is the most quintessential, out of control, 100% based on chance activity of the universe. Also, couldn't this really mess with them mentally? If they always roll 10, 11, or 12, they'll be kicking themselves the rest of the night.

IF YOU LIKE MY TIPS, LET ME KNOW. IF THEY ARE OLDER THAN DIRT, DON'T TELL ME.