Tricks for life with little kids

Use the tricks below to turn household supplies into kid-friendly safety equipment.

A great way to safeguard newly walking toddlers against sharp corners is with old shoulder pads — remember those? Cut open the long straight side and slip the pad over a corner so the inner padding encases the edges. Adjust as needed, and then tape the pad securely in place. Hiding these pads under an attractive cloth will not only please the eye but also stop curious youngsters from disturbing the pads.

Your little one just fell down and scraped his elbow or knee, and you're trying to console him to no avail. Distract the little guy from his pain by having him colour his own bandage while you gently clean the wound with a dab of soapy water and first-aid cream. While you're busy, make him busy: give him a few plain bandages and a rainbow of nontoxic markers, and let his imagination run wild. He'll wear his bandage as a work of art!

In the old days, parents were advised to rip bandages off of a child, causing many a boy or girl to do almost anything to postpone the inevitable. A quick rip didn't reduce the pain but merely got everything over with quicker. A kinder, gentler and generally pain-free approach is to carefully but thoroughly rub baby oil or dishwashing liquid along the edges and over the top of the bandage. Use enough to penetrate and lubricate the adhesive (but not the gauze), then slowly lift the bandage off, rubbing on a bit more oil or dishwashing liquid if you hit a sticking point. Your children will thank you, if only with an expression of relief.

Forestall sniffles in allergic kids by giving their stuffed toys the deep freeze for three to five hours, once a week. Slip the toy into a freezer bag, stow it amidst the frozen peas and ice cubes, and any dust mites will be killed.

You can replace worn slip-preventive soles on an infant or toddler's footed pajamas with foot-shaped pieces or stripes cut from non-slip bathtub appliqués. Remove any loose bits from the old soles and sew on the new appliqués. Parents who don't sew can use fabric glue.

If your child's sneakers smell like something died inside, stuff each shoe with a fabric softener sheet every night to lessen the odour. At the other end of the body, you can solve a flyaway hair problem by rubbing your child's hair with a dryer sheet to control static.

It's the little things that make the difference — as in these simple tricks will make each day with your children a little easier.