ACE Parent tips by ACE Parents!
Becoming a parent is life-changing and brings you love and happiness like you’ve never known before. It’s a joy – but not all the time. With a new arrival comes lots of new challenges as well as an awful lot of mess and stains to remove. We wanted to bring all the ACE parents together and share some wisdom, so we reached out to some experienced parents for their top tips and hundreds of you responded! Here’s what some of them had to say:
Don’t worry about mess
Jess Howliston via Facebook: “My biggest parenting tip is to have fun! Mess can be cleaned, dirt can be washed and cleaning can wait. Memories last a lifetime and a smile has the power to change your whole day!”
Joanna Terry via Facebook: “Remember that the best things in life are free! A walk in the park or the woods is great fun with fresh air and costs nothing – although you might need a bottle of ACE to get rid of the mud Here is a post to show you how to get mud out of your carpets and clothes…”
Laura Pritchard via Facebook: “Your child will never remember how clean their house was as a kid but they will remember how much you played with them.”
Zoe Goodwin via Twitter: “Don’t sweat the small stuff. If the kids get mucky having fun and developing their personality, who cares – it’ll clean!”
Kat Lucas via Twitter: “Don’t be afraid of messy days as these are the ones you will cherish in the future.”
Get them to help you out (when they’re big enough!)
Lindsay Wharton via Facebook: “Get them interested in helping with chores early. My three-year-old loves doing the dishes, taking his Spiderman bin to be emptied and sorting our clothes from the dryer into each basket. All for the price of a sticker!”
Gina Rita Nathan via Facebook: “Get them involved with tasks around the home. My son loves to help me with the washing up – he dries his plastic cutlery for me and puts it all away. He also loves to help me bake. He feels so grown up when he helps me out.”
@LoyLakes via Twitter: “Everything can be turned into a game to maintain interest and curtail boredom. It just requires imagination!”
Take note of these parenting hacks
Katie French via Facebook: “A friend told me to whisper in their ear when they’re shouting or screaming as they won’t be able to hear you if they carry on. I’ve started this with my daughter who’s only six months old and it does calm her down.”
Natalie Russell via Facebook: “Give children a plastic beaker to rest their ice lollies in when their little hands get tired, it saves stained carpets and sofas.”
@waggawump via Twitter: “Use make-up sponges to put suntan lotion on little one’s face. Much easier!”
Daisy Chung via Twitter: “Invest in some disposable bibs, especially for when you’re out and about.”
Jen Russon via Facebook: “When changing a nappy, place the clean nappy underneath before taking the dirty one off! So if baby happens to widdle, the clean nappy catches it.”
Tom Cox via Twitter: “Carry a spare set of clothes. Regardless of being toilet trained they will always get muddy, wet or get jam all down themselves!”
Katy-Ann Mieleszko via Twitter: “Use ACE on poo stains and put them on a hot wash! Good as new.”
Joanne via Twitter: “Never be without baby wipes. We still use them, even though my baby is now a teenager…”
Be a role model
Greig Spencer via Facebook: “Your child won’t always do what you say, but they will always, eventually, do what you do.”
Naomi Howells: “Be the person you want them to be.”
Be kind to yourself
Laura Elizabeth Fear via Facebook: “Be daft, be giggly, be funny, be silly. To our family ‘silly’ is so much more than a tip but a way of life. Silly is the perfect distraction from grazed knees and elbows, from dropped ice creams and queues in the supermarket. Silly makes mummies giggle, even when they feel like running for the hills. Silly is infectious so be prepared for siblings, dads and even pets to join in.
“Be silly because parenting can be challenging at times. Challenge yourself to be silly and see what a difference it makes. Everyone knows laughter is the best medicine and silly is guaranteed to make so many things better.”
Clarissa Knight via Facebook: “Enjoy every minute with your children and try not to compare yourself to others. Everyone’s parenting style is different and that’s what makes your parenthood journey unique.”
Emma May via Facebook: “Don’t beat yourself up if things don’t go as planned. Parenting isn’t easy and every child is different. Consistency is key.”
And finally from Julia Linsley via Facebook…
“Remember that you are not perfect, but you are ACE!”
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