Taming the Toddler: From Veggie Aversion to Dining Out to Diaper Changes

Having a baby who recently moved into toddler-hood, I've come to discover some time- and energy-saving tips that might be of assistance to other parents like me. I realize any parent of a toddler barely has time to be reading articles, but this one might be worth a few minutes.

One of the easiest ways to save time and money is to feed my child in only a diaper. Before I put my toddler in the highchair, I strip her down to a diaper and then put on the bib. This way I only have to wipe her off when she's done, and there isn't any dirty or stained clothing to contend with. Before this, I was rinsing clothes out following every meal, wasting money on pre-treating detergents, and after ruining several outfits with food stains, I learned better. If the weather is cold, I just turn the heater up a couple of degrees while she's eating. But, of course if I eat out or have company, I keep her dressed.

When eating out, I order my child's meal when we order the drinks so that it comes quicker. I can cut her food when it comes without trying to find a place for my plate. Normally she takes longer eating than the adults, and also this way I can wipe her off and give her a toy or a book while I'm eating. It's much easier than having an impatient child early in the outing who, by the time she needs cleaned up, is trying to jump out of the highchair. If she becomes impatient or makes a fuss while we're eating, she's already clean and someone can easily take her outside once they finish their meal.

Another way to keep baby and mom happy with their time together is planning bathroom breaks. I have learned to immediately and quickly use the bathroom when I hear my daughter start stirring after her nap before I get her out of the crib. Similar to going before a long car trip, this makes it less likely you'll need to go again for a while.

Worried about your toddler not getting enough vegetables? I found a convenient way to get my daughter to eat the healthy foods she normally rejects. If she's hungry this works well. I place her least favorite food on the highchair tray first. This way she eats at least some before I give her the favorite food she'd normally eat first and fill up on.