Now to Love

Old soft toys can be given a new lease of life by turning them into bookends for children’s rooms. Open a seam, fill with pebbles or sand to add the weight, then re-stitch.

When toilet training a little boy, float a ping-pong ball with a bullseye painted on it in the bowl to help him aim straight! The ball won’t flush away and he’ll get used to aiming for the target.

To remove chewing gum from clothing, pick off as much as possible, smother gum with olive or canola oil and rub briskly with fingers. Spray with pre-wash stain remover and wash in the usual way.

Save some toys that your child hasn’t played with for a while, add whatever toys are passed down from cousins and so on, and bring them out when your child is sick in bed. It’s surprising how interesting they can become.

Some large stores sell children’s gift-wrapping papers with pictures on them, and the sheets have never been folded or creased. Framed, they make lovely pictures for a child’s room at a fraction of the cost of wall posters.

Getting a toddler to eat meals can be tricky, so next time yours refuses to eat, put a glove puppet on your hand and let the puppet feed the child.

Remove glue from school clothes by soaking garments overnight in brown vinegar. Follow with a light scrub, then machine-wash as usual.

To help young children recognise their schoolbags in a group, put a photograph of them inside of the clear plastic label.

Plastic trellis makes an effective cover for a sandpit. It discourages cats and other inquisitive animals, yet is light enough for children to remove by themselves.

Have the “birthday child” do colourful paintings on some small brown paper bags and use them as lolly bags at the child’s party. Fold the bags over at the top and stick down with bright stickers or stars.