One of the most valuable tools in my Bag of Parenting Tricks is distraction. One of my favorite sources for when I need a few seconds to finish up a task or go to the bathroom unattended is YouTube. Some of the videos are very, very short, but Poppy has learned to hit play again as needed. Her current favorite is very short, so that skill comes in handy for both of us when she wants to watch is over and over and over again.

I have a bookmark file of go-to videos. Most of them are on YouTube, but some are from other sources. There are lots of video podcasts available, too, but I haven’t looked into those so much. If you had a video iPod, I can see where kid-focused podcasts could be awfully helpful for visits to the doctor or other confined spaces.

Here are some of Poppy’s current favorites: