Anytime I even think about the prospect of taking my newly minted toddler out in public, I ask myself, “Do I have the energy for this?” Taking a new walker but somehow fast-moving child out into the less-controlled environment of the real world can be a chore. Mostly because children have minds of their own and are hard-wired to test boundaries.
Keeping them close to you can be a challenge. It’s the reason you see kids screaming in strollers or being tugged by those controversial leashes. But one father came up with a genius solution to keep his child’s attention without actually restraining her. You never know, this parenting hack could work for you, too.
A bubble wand helped solve the Houghtons' problems at the zoo.
TikTokers Kimmy and Steven Houghton (@houghton.family) have developed a parenting hack that kept their toddler entertained and prevented her from wandering off from her parents: a bubble wand. The Houghtons stumbled upon this effective trick While visiting a zoo.
With the bubble wand in the band of his pants, Steven walks in front of his daughter, who waddles behind him in her pigtails and frilled socks.
The hack was a win-win.
The text over the video reads, “When you spend 15 minutes dragging your crying toddler through the zoo, only to realize you could have been doing THIS all along.” The little girl is completely transfixed by the floating soapy orbs that all she can do is follow her father.
The Houghtons don’t have to spend their time corralling their daughter and while this little girl might miss a few animals along the way, she’s clearly having a good time. And that’s the point. Sounds like a win-win.
The hack worked so well, some other kids tagged along.
Fellow TikTokers agreed. In fact, users thought it might be a bit too effective, saying Steven might turn around and discover a few more kids trailing him.
“It’s all fun and games until you turn around and realize you lured other people’s kids in also,” one user wrote. Steven responded and shared that this did actually happen during their trip.
The Houghtons have lots of parenting hacks.
Apparently, the Houghtons are known for their parenting hacks. The family did a dinner dump on a night when spaghetti and meatballs were served. The kids got to be as messy as they liked outside and cleaning was a cinch when all they had to do was pick up a sheet in one fell swoop.
They also created a ball pit in the middle of the living room just by rearranging some couch cushions. With parents this creative, baby girl is having all the fun.
