--- title: The Weird Tricks Parents Have Used That Really Worked description: Try these weird parenting tips to help survive difficult situations from Hillary Frank, author of "Weird Parenting Wins." canonical: https://time.com/5492109/weird-parenting-tricks-hillary-frank/ author: Annabel Gutterman article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2019-01-03T20:27:07.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-04-13T08:58:07.578Z og:title: The Weird Parenting Tricks People Have Used That Actually Worked og:description: Sometimes an offbeat approach is the best way forward og:url: https://time.com/5492109/weird-parenting-tricks-hillary-frank/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt070287d5374d7f72/698942874ee26249d0313b7b/weird-parenting-wins.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 6016 og:image:height: 3384 og:image:alt: Weird Parenting Wins og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: The Weird Parenting Tricks People Have Used That Actually Worked twitter:description: Sometimes an offbeat approach is the best way forward twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt070287d5374d7f72/698942874ee26249d0313b7b/weird-parenting-wins.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # The Weird Parenting Tricks People Have Used That Actually Worked > Sponsored content. 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Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=79ab3bda-8c14-4fcf-ac4c-fb02235a0071&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1)  by [Annabel Gutterman](https://time.com/author/annabel-gutterman/)  ## Annabel Gutterman Senior Editor Jan 3, 2019 8:27 PM UTC  Young girl in a super hero cape and mask Young girl in a super hero cape and mask Elizabethsalleebauer—Getty Images/RooM RF  by [Annabel Gutterman](https://time.com/author/annabel-gutterman/)  ## Annabel Gutterman Senior Editor Jan 3, 2019 8:27 PM UTC Have a baby who won’t stop crying? Consider blasting some Jennifer Lopez, argues radio producer Hillary Frank, author of the upcoming book [_Weird Parenting Wins_](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0143132555/ref=as%5Fli%5Fqf%5Fasin%5Fil%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&tag=time037-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0143132555&linkId=06268449b0f7ed69a58b97348ec311d8). Many books that outline [best parenting practices](http://time.com/5375704/happy-parent-books/) leave little room for creativity, offering black-and-white solutions to unique and colorful situations. That kind of one-size-fits-all guidance can make parents feel helpless, Frank argues. “If they work, yay, we’re winning at parenting,” Frank writes. “If not, we are lost.” But she knows there are a million ways to get your kid to eat broccoli. So she collected moments from parents and children alike, detailing real-life drastic measures that probably shouldn’t have worked but did. Want to spice up your dinner routine? Take your meal outside the dining room. Need to quell a temper tantrum? Hand your child a mood ring. Frank reconsiders everything from potty training to grappling with [adolescence](http://time.com/4929170/inside-teen-teenage-brain/). All kids are different, so who knows what will work for you. 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