When my daughter became mobile, I found simple fixes to keep her safe and allow me to enjoy visiting friends and family during the Christmas season.
To help her wind down when we were on the go, I purchased an inexpensive umbrella stroller, only used for indoor visits. I had a few special toys that my daughter could play with or snacks she could eat when she was in that stroller. We called them “stroller treats.” I also verbally built up “stroller time” to make it irresistible to her.
Two more items I always had on hand were stretchy hair ties and a roll of masking tape — used for on-the-fly toddler proofing when my daughter was no longer content to stay in her stroller. The ties worked great on cabinet knobs as temporary locks that were easy to remove. And a few ties could easily be strung together for bigger jobs. The masking tape was the easiest way to quickly cover an electrical socket in someone’s home or a hotel room.
With a few quick fixes, I had peace of mind that allowed us both to enjoy visits with family and friends.
This article first appeared in the December 2011 issue of
Thriving Family magazine. Copyright © 2011 by Lisa Fritz.
Used by permission. ThrivingFamily.com.