Parenting hack: the Sharpie

There are a lot of logistical issues with being a parent of small children, but there are a lot of them when you actually are a small child, and you can help make life easier with a couple of easy hacks. Being able to dress yourself comfortably is a huge developmental step, and having them do it competently without your input builds their independence and gives you your time back.

Today's hacking tool: the Sharpie.

Keep it away from the kid, though.

Shoes
Around two, three and a little older, there's a time when they have a terrible time getting shoes on the right feet. And what does "right" feet mean? Try to explain it and you'll get into a massive breakdown about "right" vs "right" vs "left" vs "wrong." And how can they be on the wrong feet? Children are bright enough to know they've only got one set. So take the sharpie and put a dot on the inside of the shoe, on the side of the sole next to the big toe, so that when the shoes are on right, the dots can match. Some kids like to make a kissing noise. Black shoes and dark soles, use light colored nail polish.

I've done this with a ton of kids, now, and only one time have I had any problem: once, when I was a nanny, the oldest boy (4) "helped" his sister with her shoes, by making dots all over the soles, so they could kiss wherever they were. Definitely made it pointless, but adorable, too.

Clothing
Got more than one kid? Is sorting the clothes like a jail sentence? Take that sharpie and dot the clothes. I usually do the neckline, either on the tags, if they haven't been cut off, or at the seam. Oldest kid gets one dot. Next kid gets two dots, and so on. Even a toddler can help you sort, and by first grade, any kid should have this as one of his or her chores. Secondly, When the oldest outgrows that very nice coat, just add a dot and it gets handed down to the next kid in line. The workaround for black and dark colors is a little more work--I've usually just gotten a needle and bright thread and made a little dot out of a couple of stitches. A bleach stick would work, too, but be very careful.

Underwear
This is more of a challenge for little daughters—which way does underwear go on? What good is a tag in the back if you only know you're right because you don't see it? And what good is a side tag at all for anybody? Take the sharpie and put the dot (or two or three or whatever) right in the middle of the front of the waistband on the inside. Now the kid can match the dot to her bellybutton. Kissing noises optional.

Friday After Thanksgiving Chain

If it is at all possible for you, check out the Friday After Thanksgiving Chain at MIT this year. That will cause you to do everything in your power to make one next year. This is an awesome Rube Goldberg-style collaboration that was begun by artist and scientist Arthur Ganson sixteen years ago.

Contraptions begin with the force of a mousetrap and end with the force of a mousetrap. What you do for at least 30 seconds in a 2' high x4' wide x6' long space on the table in between is up to you. We made a piece of the chain some years ago, and if I can find the photos, I will post them.

When we first became aware of the FAT chain, since we're all big Rube Goldberg fans, we went on youtube to see what kinds of projects had been done. There were lots of K'nex, legos, blocks and little cars, but the thing that jumped out at the three girls was that everything looked so boy oriented. And so the planning began.

It was a project that took a couple of months. I'll be the first to admit that the girls were, let us say, not consistent in their interest or involvement. One or the other of them would work on it for a while, but I was the one keeping time for the deadline. As we got close, we got incredible assistance from our friend Lee, who helped construct and troubleshoot, and Audrey, who sewed the ballgowns. Stay with me.

It's worth adding to the suspense that we had to deconstruct the whole thing, bring it to Thanksgiving at Grandma's in Connecticut, and that while we were there, we reconstructed it for practice, took video and photos that are now misplaced, and ran it twice: once perfectly, then when we brought people out to see it, a total fail. The next day, Friday, we ran set it up at the MIT gym and ran it once. Fail. However, the three girls were now totally into it. They set up the Barbies. They wrote a sign, "No Barbies were harmed in this FAT chain." They gave mini-tours as the crowd gathered, ending by saying that our table was physics and fashion. They gleefully overheard parents telling their kids that if they got lost or separated, they would all meet at the Barbie table.

It ended up as a wooden structure, painted pink and covered with glitter. It began with a mousetrap pull that caused a Barbie in silver leggings to shoot down a ramp in a little car. When she flew off the side, a string caused pink glitter sand to pour into tiny champagne glasses on a see-saw, and when they got full, they tipped another Barbie. Ball bearings were rolled. Magnets were pulled off. A Barbie ball-gown on a tiny hanger slid down a string and upset a tube of plastic jewels. Those started a chunky domino fall, and that ended with a mouse trap clap which started the next link in the chain. And arrayed all around the structure were spokesmodel Barbies, each one wearing matching pink ballgowns, each with a tiny pearl necklace and a Miss America-style sash that said "Barbie @ MIT."

The chain started with the vibration of a cell phone. We were about halfway around the gym. And when it was our turn, when it really counted, the Barbies pulled through. Not a single glitch. It was spectacular.

In fact, the only drawback, besides the fact that I cannot find the photos and video we took, is that the following year we could not for the life of us, conceive of a worthy act to follow. I suppose if you start epic, it's fine to end right there, when you're still epic.

Go forth, and make things move. Oh, and to inspire your girls, check out the Goldiblox add as well.