Helpful Hints

Have you discovered an easier way of doing a routine task? A special way of doing something that could be helpful to others? Devised a gadget that makes taking care of your special needs child/adult easier? Let us know about it. Submit your helpful hint or idea here and SHARE it with others. While you're at it, check out what others have submitted as well.

List Your Helpful Hint or Idea

Select from the list of helpful hints/ideas:
Drinking from a cup, not always an option
Jackets, on and off

SHARING HOUSEHOLD TIPS

Drinking from a cup, not always an option.
My son is not able to drink from a cup and does not have a g-tube. When assisted, he certainly can have the liquid poured into his mouth painstakingly, but most of it ends up on his clothing. I've found that using a squirt bottle has come in very handy. We can still work on using the cup, but when he needs to drink, we use the squirt bottle. We have different bottles for different drinks. Milk, juice, and water bottles. Great for trips or days out in the sun. He always has a water bottle on the back of his chair.
Chava Cannon, Phoenix Arizona

Response to "Drinking from a cup..."
While getting your child to drink from a cup be very careful. Make sure you have your speech therapists give you the OK and if you haven't had a videoforoscopy done for your son find out if he should get one. Since most of the people in this sight are from AZ I don't know how your system works but in Chicago my son did not have alot of tests done or equipment or speech therapists so I am just making sure you know.
Eugenie Favre, Miami, Florida
.

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Jackets, on and off.
Living in Arizona, there are many days when it is very cool in the morning, and ends up hotter then Haiti in the afternoon. We start off early here and it is necessary to bundle up in the morning. However with the straps and schole jacket and table top and gizmos to my sons chair, I've found it very helpful to strap him in his chair and put his jacket on backwards. With the back on his chest and arms through the arms. His back is against the back of the chair and the jacket covers him up like a blanket. This way, mid day, I don't have to worry about school taking him completely out of his chair just to remove his jacket. They just take his arms out and pull it right off. He stays warm in the morning, and the jacket can be removed without a hassle.
Chava Cannon, Phoenix Arizona

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

HOUSEHOLD TIPS

Helpful uses for Coca-Cola:

To clean a toilet: Pour a can of Coca-Cola into the toilet. Let the "real thing" sit for one hour, then flush clean. The citric acid in Coke removes stains from vitreous china.
To remove rust spots from chrome car bumpers: Rub the bumper with a crumpled-up piece of Reynolds Wrap aluminum foil dipped in Coca-Cola.
To clean corrosion from car battery terminals: Pour a can of Coca-Cola over the terminals to bubble away the corrosion.
To loosen a rusted bolt: Applying a cloth soaked in Coca-Cola to the rusted bolt for several minutes.
To bake a moist ham: Empty a can of Coca-Cola into the baking pan; wrap the ham in aluminum foil, and bake. Thirty minutes before the ham is finished, remove the foil, allowing the drippings to mix with the Coke for a sumptuous brown gravy.
To remove grease from clothes: Empty a can of Coke into a load of greasy clothes, add detergent, and run through a regular cycle. The Coca-Cola will help loosen grease stains.
It will also clean road haze from your windshield.

Helpful Uses for BOUNCE...the stuff you use in your dryer:

Repels mosquitoes. Tie a sheet of Bounce through a belt loop when outdoors during mosquito season.
Eliminates static electricity from your television screen. Since Bounce is designed to help eliminate static cling, wipe your television screen with a used sheet of Bounce to keep dust from resettling.
Dissolves soap scum from shower doors. Clean with a used sheet of Bounce.
Freshens the air in your home. Place an individual sheet of Bounce in a drawer or hang one in the closet.
Prevents thread from tangling. Run a threaded needle through a sheet of Bounce to eliminate the static cling on the thread before sewing.
Eliminates static cling from pantyhose. Rub a damp, used sheet of Bounce over the hose.
Prevents musty suitcases. Place an individual sheet of Bounce inside
empty luggage before storing.
Freshens the air in your car. Place a sheet of Bounce under the front seat.
Cleans baked-on food from a cooking pan. Put a sheet in the pan, fill with water, let sit overnight, and sponge clean. The anti-static agents apparently weaken the bond between the food and the pan while the fabric softening agents soften the baked-on food.
Eliminates odors in wastebaskets. Place a sheet of Bounce at the bottom of the wastebasket.
Collects cat hair. Rubbing the area with a sheet of Bounce will magnetically attract all the loose hairs.
Eliminates static electricity from venetian blinds. Wipe the blinds with a sheet of Bounce to prevent dust from resetting.
Deodorizes shoes or sneakers. Place a sheet of Bounce in your shoes or sneakers overnight so they'll smell great in the morning.