Advice from a Plumber’s Wife

As a plumber’s wife, I had the joy of asking my capable husband to install appliances and fixtures, making our lives much easier. As a mom of 3 (all of them under 6, and two of them being twins), these are the top 4 things that I would recommend to other parents:

1. Use an instant hot water dispenser under the kitchen sink. This gadget made bottle making and purifying so much simpler because there was instant hot water to rinse or soak bottles. Water bottles became a thing of the past.  The instant hot water dispenser was perfect for filling up a pan. That meant faster mac and cheese, soup, or getting water ready for a hummingbird feeder (once it cooled down, of course). On cold days, it was perfect for tea or hot chocolate. We use ours all the time, and I would recommend one to everyone.
2. A pint-sized toilet is much simpler for kids to use and easier on a tired parent’s aching back. It eliminates the need for unstable, messy, removable seats and stepstools. The pint-sized potties are just like adult toilets; only they are sized for kids. While these tiny toilets are primarily used in pre-k and kindergartens, you should consider putting one in your home. Even though they are small, adults can use them too, as long as they aren’t over the weight limit. I love not having to worry about the kiddos falling off of step stools while pulling up their pants. (It has happened). I like not tripping over the step stool because it stays by the sink instead of being moved all over so that my tiny tots can reach everything. The potties can be expensive, depending on the brand and manufacturer, but these potties, in my humble opinion, are well worth the money for ease of use and peace of mind.
3. An adjustable shower bar is my third recommendation because my 5-year-old doesn’t need to have me hand her the sprayer anymore. With the shower bar, the sprayer has been lowered to accommodate her height. Even though I supervise my kid’s shower time, it makes them feel grown up to use the sprayer on their own. I opted for the ones that screw into the wall instead of the stick-on kind because my kids might pull too hard, and I didn’t want to take the chance of the showerhead falling and hitting them.
4. It is fun for the kids to take a bath in the giant master bathtub, but it’s a backbreaker for the mom or dad to rinse the tear-free shampoo from tiny tresses. One day my husband saw me arched over the tub trying to rinse the suds out of their hair with a cup. Being the thoughtful husband he is, he surprised me shortly after with a tub spout sprayer. It turns a tub spout into a sprayer, so instead of using dirty tub water to rinse their hair or trying to lean them under the tub spout, I grab my trusty sprayer, and it’s as easy as pie. My kids love using bath crayons and bubble baths, but they can be a pain to clean off the tub, but now with the tub’s spout sprayer, it makes cleaning the tub a snap. It was a wonderful surprise, and I’m sure it would make a great Mother’s or Father’s Day gift since we enjoy it as well.

I hope you find these recommendations helpful. Do you have an indispensable item to add? I’d love to hear about it.