No-Sew Handprint Hand Towel

1. Find an inexpensive, cute hand towel for each child (we scored ours at the dollar store!).
2. Use a scrap of fabric or an old shirt/dress to trace your child’s handprint.
3. Using double-sided fuse (you’ll find it in the craft section), iron the handprint to one side as directed.
4. Cut the hand out with fuse attached…or let your child do the cutting if they can!
5. Fuse the handprint to the hand towel according to the fuse instructions…usually just a few seconds with a warm iron.

1. Wet hands with warm, clean running water.
2. Add soap, lather and scrub all surface area including under fingernails.
3. Scrub for a full 20 seconds – sing “Happy Birthday” twice.
4. Rinse well under the running water.
5. Dry on a paper towel or air dryer.
6. Use your paper towel to turn the faucet off.

1. Apply to the palm of one hand.
2. Rub hands together.
3. Rub product over all surfaces of hands until dry.
   *Scrubbing with soap and water may be the only way to remove some types of spores.

“Truncation-of-your-name!” the barista says as you walk in, already preparing your Americano with room for cream. You chit-chat with her, perhaps not as wittily as Norm does with Sam, and you get your frequent sipper card stamped.

You love this coffee shop, this convenient and friendly place to hang out between your gym and your kindergartener’s’ school. You set up your laptop and check some emails . After awhile, the coffee starts to do its thing, waking up all parts of your body as it moves through your digestive tract. Hello, Large Bowel!

You go to the stall-less bathroom and do your business. No big deal. And, I literally mean, no big deal.

Are you with me?

You press the flusher and the toilet does its filling thing. And it keeps doing its filling thing and keeps doing its filling thing, but without doing its draining thing. As the water level rises, so does your panic.

Crap.

You scoop your bag off the floor (even though it’s waaaaay in the corner and most likely out of harm’s reach) and step awaaaaay from the commode to protect your new gym shoes.

Now. What do you do?

(Hypothetically, of course.)

Lori is a mom via open adoption to Tessa, 10, and Reed, 8, and they live in the metro-Denver area. She writes regularly at WriteMindOpenHeart.com and vehemently denies any resemblance to the hypothetical heroine in this post.

Image: savit keawtavee / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

We had tried everything and were at the end of our ropes. That is when we heard about the Children’s Hospital Colorado’s free parenting seminars that include advice for parents with babies to teens.

Please note the 2011 schedule below:

Texting All Tweens and Teens: Social Networking and Your Kids
When: Wednesday, September 7 from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
From texting to sexting to cyber-bullying to teen depression, social networking can leave lasting marks on children of all ages. Participate in this seminar to learn about the real impacts of social networking and how to best communicate with your kids about them.

Transition to New Parenthood
When: Monday, September 12 from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
Get to know the ins and outs of being a new parent.

Childhood Sleeping Challenges
When: September 14 from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
Does your infant or toddler keep you awake night after night? Learn how to evaluate and treat the most common sleep problems, including nighttime awakening or crying, bedtime refusal, nightmares and night terrors. It will be an eye-opening experience!

Toilet Training Challenges
When: Monday, September 26 from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
Learn how to outsmart your toddler during the sometimes trying and challenging time of potty-training. We will discuss toilet-training basics and how to deal with toilet training resistance and pitfalls. Get tips on making the whole process easier for you and your child!

Speak UP for Kids!
When: Monday, October 3 from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
Learn how to make a difference on the issues that matter the most to you and your kids

Talking About Toddlers
When: Tuesday, October 4 from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
Do you wonder if your family can survive the terrible twos – or is it the terrible threes? Join us for an informative session on how to manage the ups and downs of the toddler years. We’ll cover it all – development, communication, discipline, tantrums and more!

For those parenting seminars held at Children’s Colorado, child care will be provided in the Creative Play Center by a corps of specially trained Children’s volunteers. RSVPs for child care will be on a first-come, first-served basis.Registrations will only be taken online. If you are registering multiple children, you will need to fill out separate online registration forms for each child.

So, to help you out this year, I’ve put together a master list of foolish jokes and pranks with a little something for each member of your family. Mix and match and add in some serious creativity to keep the excitement going all day long!

1. Fill the sugar bowl with salt and watch as your family stirs it into their coffee and over their cereal.
2. Wet your hand with water and pretend to sneeze and sprinkle the water on someone.
3. Put honey in the shampoo bottle.
4. Take all the toilet paper out of the bathroom and leave an April Fools note.
5. Unscrew the saltshaker lid.
6. Glue a quarter to the sidewalk and watch as people grab for it.
7. Put fake bugs in your mom’s bed or place one in the corner of the bathroom.
8. Add food coloring to the milk.
9. Put gummy worms in an apple and slip it in your dad’s lunch.
10. Rubber band the sink sprayer with the spray nozzle pointing out, ready for the next unsuspecting victim.
11. Mix oatmeal and pea soup and pretend to get sick (outside), discretely pouring the “puke” on the ground while making disgusting noises.
12. Set your parents’ alarm clock for an unusually early hour – set more than one to make it really wild.
13. Change the time on your brother’s clock so he wakes up hours before he needs to.
14. Place bubble wrap under the toilet lid for a loud surprise.
15. Make a “sponge” cake out of a real sponge, frosting and sprinkles – offer a piece to your family members.
16. Ahead of time: tip a nail polish bottle over onto wax paper and allow it to dry. Later, use the “spilled” polish as a prank on a valued surface.
17. Make a fake parent – stuff a pair of your dad’s pants with newspaper and set them in an armchair with the legs tucked into shoes. Prop a newspaper, stiffened with a poster board and glue – as if dad were reading it – use tape to secure the paper to the inside edges to the armchair.
18. Cover the back of the shower knobs with syrup for a sticky surprise.
19. Place an Easter egg dye tablet (or two) in the filter of the bathroom faucet and the water will run in strange colors.
20. For soundly sleeping children – place siblings in the wrong bedroom and let them wake to the confusion. For older children, talk to them using the other sibling’s name and tell them they need to get ready for that child’s class or event.
21. Sew or safety pin all of dad’s underwear together and place them unsuspectingly in the drawer for a morning surprise.
22. Change the language setting on the television and watch your siblings’ confusion as they turn to their favorite cartoon – laugh even harder when dad tries to get it back to normal.
23. Sprinkle a little baby powder in the end of mom’s blow dryer to add some age to her hairdo.
24. Glue the eggs to the carton and ask your mom for a scrambled egg breakfast.

And, for our favorite prank – a sure hit if your family members relish themselves in good old-fashioned potty humor – and a prank worthy of more than just this one, unofficial holiday usage…

25. Peanut butter and chocolate poo!

Mix peanut butter (creamy or chunky – your choice!) with chocolate milk powder (you can also melt chocolate chips) to create disgusting poo goo. Add a splash of water for a looser consistency and extra chocolate for a richer color. Spread the mix on the toilet lid and make a mess of the toilet paper so it appears as if one of the children had some trouble. Parents won’t notice the yummy aeroma filling the bathroom as they are overcome with shock at the gross mess they have to clean up.

Have fun eating the leftovers of this prank, ha.

And that’s when you know you really are an April Fool!
What is your favorite April Fools Day prank?
Sources: Parentinghumor.com, kidzworld.com, familyfun.go.com
Photo: family fun.com

Let’s face it: there is a lot to parenting and tapping into the experts at The Children’s Hospital is an easy way to learn tips or just find support. As a bonus, childcare for children ranging in age from newborn to 9 years will be provided by specially-trained Children’s volunteers. RSVP is required.

The sessions are:

Childhood Sleeping Challenges
Thursday, October 7,* 7–8:30 p.m.
Guest Speaker: Bart Schmitt, MD

Transition to New Parenthood
Wednesday, October 13,* 9–10:30 a.m.
Guest Speaker: Ayelet Talmi, PhD

Toilet Training Challenges
Monday, October 18,* 9–10:30 a.m.
Guest Speaker: Bart Schmitt, MD

Talking About Toddlers
Tuesday, October 19,* 7–8:30 p.m.
Guest Speaker: Ayelet Talmi, PhD

Tumultuous Teen Years
Thursday, October 14,* 7–8:30 p.m.
Guest Speaker: Amy Sass, MD

Monday, October 25, 7–8:30 p.m.
Guest Speaker: Amy Sass, MD
Location: The Wildlife Experience,
10035 S. Peoria St., Parker, CO 80134

Admission is FREE, but space is limited! RSVP for seminars and reserve child care online at www.TheChildrensHospital.org/Parenting

If you have questions about any of the seminars, please call (720) 777-5437. This is not an RSVP line.

*Unless otherwise noted, seminars are held at: The Children’s Hospital, 2nd Floor Conference Center, 13123 E. 16th Avenue, Aurora CO 80045.

My two year old is potty training and has moved into wearing “big girl panties.” I am freaked out about taking her out of the house because I’m afraid she’ll have an accident and will become too discouraged. How can I take her out and help her to be successful?

~ Stuck in the House Mama

(photo credit)

Dear Stuck:

Taking toddlers out in the world while they are potty training can be an adventure. Remember that it takes time to learn to read the signals that your bladder is full, tell mom you need to go, use your muscles to hold it in while you get to the bathroom, and get your clothes off in time. Here are some tips for a dry and happy outing:

Carry small sticky notes in your purse or diaper bag to cover the sensor on the automatic toilets. Many toddlers and preschoolers are frightened and unsettled by the seemingly unpredictable powerful flush and loud noise that accompanies it.

Dress your child in easy on and off clothes, such as pants with an elastic waistband. The easier clothing comes on and off, the more successful you little one will be.

Have your daughter go to the bathroom (or at least sit to try) before you leave the house. Make this a regular part of your routine.

Observe and learn to identify the early signs of your daughter’s own special potty dance. They all have one and identifying the early signs helps prevent accidents.

Keep outings short. Shorter trips give your little one a greater chance at success.

Stake out the restrooms in the nearby vicinity and have a plan for how to get there quickly.

Be prepared to drop whatever you are doing to head for the bathroom. Most kids in training do not have the ability to hold it “one more minute” as they have most likely waited until the last minute to let you know they have to go.

Keep an extra set of clothes on hand for when accidents do happen. Remember that accidents are part of the process and that being gentle with your little one will help her to continue to feel good about the process.

Monitor your daughter’s liquid intake before heading out and while you are out, so you can estimate when she’ll need to go.

Take periodic potty breaks, at least once an hour if you are on a longer outing. If your little one says she doesn’t need to go, have her try anyway. It’s good practice and prevents you from running back ten minutes later when it’s an “emergency.”

Once you are home have your daughter go to the bathroom, then celebrate her success!

Share your tips for successful potty training outings!

I prefer to look at it as an early lesson in action and consequence. If you do something, there will either be a reward or a punishment.

If that is bribery, sign me up.

Potty training my daughter was a nightmare because there was nothing in this world she wanted enough to make her do it (to see that long, sordid journey summarized in one painful post, go here). Treats? Forget it. New toy? Whatever. Revoke beloved cat privileges? “Just make sure to feed him during my absence.”

Parenting the most spirited and stubborn child in the world is a battle of the wills. Since starting kindergarten, she has regressed and we have gone through a new set of challenges. We have also been potty training my son, both of which have caused me to wave a white flag in frustration.

Until we met Super Mario Bros Wii.

There is something about that creepy little mustached man that is like crack cocaine for my children. From Day 1, their reaction has been the extremes: Euphoric when they win, meltdowns when they lose.

But most importantly: I finally found the one thing that would motivate my children to action. Neither are allowed to play Mr. Super Mario unless they are both accident-free.

In the bathroom, that is. There are plenty of near-accidents in the perilous Mushroom Kingdom.

Positive sibling pressure has been a good thing as they encourage the other to go. I.e. “Do you realize because of you, we can’t play Super Mario?”

OK, so maybe it’s not always positive but it is the only thing that has actually worked. And if the Wii can train my kids to go pee?

I’m all about bribery, especially if it results in a catchy marketing slogan for Nintendo.

Fess up: what motivates your children to action?

~Flushed away

(photo credit)

Dear Flushed Away:

Automatic toilets can be disconcerting to both adults and children when their powerful flush whooshes unexpectedly. For young children teetering on the edge of the seat and just beginning to trust in this whole toileting experience, the rushing water and powerful suction can be terrifying.

A quick and easy fix for the automatic toilets is to place a sticky note over the sensor. This prevents them from flushing until the paper is removed. Carry a pack in your purse or diaper bag and make sure anyone with whom your son goes out into the world does the same.

Your son will take some time in trusting that this will work. You will need to explain how it works and let him test it out. Even with this he may need to test it each time and may be apprehensive about going into the bathroom. Assure him you will prevent the flush until he is out of the stall and be patient with him.

If you forget the sticky notes you can also put your hand over the sensor, holding it there until your son is finished. If he needs any assistance pulling his pants up and down, this can be a bit tricky but it works in a pinch.

Motherhood is an amazing journey that can have its share of Mama Drama. The Mama Drama column runs on Fridays with everyday mothering questions from readers and answers providing strategies to tackle these daily challenges. Send your questions and challenges to Lisa@milehighmamas.com, and your Mama Drama could be in next week’s column! All emails and identifying information will remain confidential.

My question is about potty-training. We would like to start our daughter, who will be 3 next month, in a 3-yr-old preschool program that requires she be potty-trained. She was doing really well, then regressed to going in her diaper when the newness of the potty wore off. So, we’ve started only letting her wear a diaper during naps and night-time. Unfortunately, wetting herself over and over again hasn’t changed her behavior. Even telling her that she can’t start preschool (which she’s excited to go to) until she uses the potty isn’t working. Nor does peer pressure. Should we back off and put her back in pull-ups or keep her in panties and wait this out?

Thanks for your help!

~Mama with Diaper Drama

(Some additional background information from this mom is that her husband will be returning to work soon after two years at home with significant health issues.)

(photo credit)

Dear Diaper Drama:

Potty training can be a tricky issue. Children often show an interest in potty training at an early age. However, they need to be ready physically, cognitively, and emotionally in order to be successful. While some children are potty trained before the age of three, many are not fully independent until the age of four. Additionally, regression during potty training is also common.

It is important to determine if you daughter is really ready to toilet independently. Potty Training Concepts has a great article describing what it takes for a child to be successful. I recommend taking a look and seeing if your daughter meets all of the criteria. If she doesn’t, take a break. Support her when she expresses an interest and model for her by making a big deal of the signals your body gives when you have to go to the bathroom such as, “Oh my, I feel pressure in my belly. I need to go potty.” When potty training, many experts also recommend using cloth training pants instead of pull-ups as they don’t feel like diapers but do absorb more than regular underwear.

If she meets all the criteria for being able to potty train successfully, then you may want to look at other issues that may be interfering with her wanting to potty independently. You mentioned starting preschool soon as well as Daddy going back to work. While both of those are positive and exciting changes, they can also be scary and anxiety provoking. Exploring how your daughter feels about these changes and explaining very concretely how her days will look can help to alleviate some of her worries. Making a story about her daily schedule is a fun and age appropriate way to explain changes.

Lots of changes, or the anticipation, of them can be overwhelming. Children (and adults as well) may try to manage their anxiety by trying to control whatever they can. For a two year old, using the toilet is one of the few things they have complete control over. Preschool, Daddy going to work, and using the toilet may just be too much right now.

While many children can be independent with toileting at the age of three, pressure to do so from childcare providers raises concerns about their willingness to honor the developmental needs of each child. Developmental milestones are presented in a range of time as all children are different. Take a close look to make sure it really is the right place for your daughter.

We had tried everything and were at the end of our ropes. That is when we heard about the Children’s Hospital’s free parenting seminars that include everything from toddler to the teen-age years.

Please note the 2009 schedule below.

SEMINAR: Counting Sheep: Learn how to evaluate and treat the most common sleep problems, including nighttime awakening or crying, bedtime refusal, nightmares and night terrors. Speaker: Bart Schmitt, MD

DATE: Tuesday, Oct. 6
TIME: 7 – 8:30 p.m.
LOCATION: The Children’s Hospital at I-225 and East Colfax Avenue, 13123 East 16th Ave., Aurora, CO
2nd floor Conference Center
……………………………………………………………………………………………

SEMINAR: Oh, Poo!: Learn how to outsmart your child as we discuss toilet training basics and how to deal with toilet training resistance and pitfalls. Get tips on making the whole process easier for you and your child. Speaker: Bart Schmitt, MD

DATE: Thursday, Oct. 15
TIME: 7 – 8:30 p.m.
LOCATION: Marriott Denver South, 10345 Park Meadows Drive, Littleton, CO 80124
………………………………………………………………………………………………

SEMINAR: Talking About Toddlers: Join us for an informative session on how to manage the ups and downs of the toddler years. We’ll talk about it all – sleep, potty training, discipline, tantrums and much more! Speaker: Ayelet Talmi, PhD

FIRST DATE: Thursday, Oct. 8
TIME: 7 – 8:30 p.m.
LOCATION: The Children’s Hospital at I-225 and East Colfax Avenue, 13123 East 16th Ave., Aurora, CO
2nd floor Conference Center

SECOND DATE: Tuesday, Oct. 20
TIME: 7 – 8:30 p.m.
LOCATION: Denver West Marriott, 1717 Denver West Blvd., Lakewood, CO 80401
………………………………………………………………………………………………

SEMINAR: The Tumultuous Teen Years: A how-to in surviving your child’s adolescence. Topics will include drugs, sex, depression, discipline, communication and setting limits and negotiating with your teen. Speaker: David W. Kaplan, MD, MPH

FIRST DATE: Tuesday, Oct. 13
TIME: 7 – 8:30 p.m.
LOCATION: The Westin Westminster, 10600 Westminster Blvd., Westminster, CO 80020

SECOND DATE: Wednesday, Oct. 21
TIME: 7 – 8:30 p.m.
LOCATION: The Children’s Hospital at I-225 and East Colfax Avenue, 13123 East 16th Ave., Aurora, CO
2nd floor Conference Center
………………………………………………………………………………………………

SEMINAR: Speak UP for Kids!: New this year, this seminar will provide parents with information, examples and necessary tools to speak up on behalf of children. Because advocacy is a key part of the mission at The Children’s Hospital, we look to parents to partner with us in making a difference on issues that matter. Speaker: The Children’s Hospital Public Affairs Team

DATE: Wednesday, Oct. 14
TIME: 7 – 8:30 p.m.
LOCATION: The Children’s Hospital at I-225 and East Colfax Avenue, 13123 East 16th Ave., Aurora, CO
2nd floor Conference Center

Seminars are for adults only and pre-registration is required. To reserve your spot, go to www.thechildrenshospital.org/parenting or call (720) 777-KIDS.