WFMW: cut the straw
Here’s a quick little tip that my hubby came up with.
When we eat out, we always snip the end of the straw for little people whose heads don’t reach far above the table. The shorter straw keeps them from tipping the cup too far as they try to wrap their lips around the top of the straw.
We have been doing this for many years now and it really works for us. We have also found that it also makes it easier to keep the children’s cups straight - big kids have taller straws and the littlest have the shortest.
I use the scissors in my Swiss Army knife to do the snipping. Can we have a show of hands? Do you carry a Swiss Army knife or other multi-tool? Which tool do you use the most? What implement do you wish you had?
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Filed under: WFMW: works for me, methods
Great tip! Some of those straws are way too tall for kid drinks.
Linda
Hey, my husband thought of the same idea!! It works really great.
I use the folding scissor that I keep in my purse for such purposes.
I also have an eyeglass screwdriver in my purse. A multi-tool probably would cover a lot of those emergencies that come up when we’re out…
Amy
Amy,
I have folding scissors in my purse too - hubby bought them for me and I love them!
I didn’t mention them because my current purse is too small and my scissors are lost somewhere in the bottom. That’s how I ended up using the little scissors implement in my Swiss Army knife instead. My folding scissors are much easier to open than the scissors on the knife *if* I can find the folding ones.
Great idea! I did have a thoughtful waitress cut the straws for my boys one time…and I didn’t even ask. She got an extra tip.
We do this too though nail clippers are my multi-use tool of choice.
Oh, funny! My solution is just never to take little kids out! But I like that idea if I ever have to use it.
My big “tool” I guess is the Wet Ones in the dispenser. I find those standard baby wipe containers too big to carry and the “portable” ones dry out.
Mrs. C.
You eat out with 8 kids? Your restaurant bill must be eye-popping!
I cut the straws too. Like Unschooling Mom I use nail clippers. Since nail clipper leave an uneven edge I put the cut side down into the cup and leave the nice straight edge pointing up.
We used to do this, too! DH always has a pocket knife, so we just did the fold-and-swipe method. HUGE help with the littles!
Mrs. Mecomber,
We don’t eat out often, and when we do you’d be surprised at how many little people prefer the $3.99 chicken strips off the kids menu. If they get free bread or chips and dip, and share plates (since they’re already full on free appetizers!), the Nice Meal Out really doesn’t add up the way you might expect.
But more often, we are grabbing a quick snack from the dollar menu on a long day of errands: This way 8 kids and I can have a nice treat for $10 or so: 8 double cheeseburgers (the 2 little ones share), 2 orders of fries to share and 8 tall cups of ice water - with short straws.
We cut our straws too. I keep a pair of child’s scissors (blunt ended!) in my purse for this reason, and they come in handy for other things too…ever want to wear a new pair of sunglasses the moment you buy them? Those plastic tags on them are bears! Anyway, here in Korea most of the waitresses cut the straws for us. I’d never seen that done anywhere in the States! Very nice.
I have a little pair of folding scissors on my keychain. I started carrying them for this very reason, snipping straws!
What a clever idea. My little one spills drinks frequently. I’ll definitely try the short straw trick!
We did this for awhile but hubby stoped carrying a pocket knife many years ago. I have also used nail clipper (baby ones when I carried them in the diaper bag) and have also used the steak knife at the restaurant. I need to get a multi functioning tool to keep in my purse never thought of that.
LOL, yep, we like that Dollar Menu, too! Funny– we get the same food, too: double cheesburgers, small fries, ice water.
My kids are all bigger, now. I forgot about those little menus. My three teens each eat more than my husband and I combined! But at least now they don’t need booster seats and won’t throw their chicken strips on the floor…
After your all of your spider blogs and this news article, I will not be visiting TX and I might not ever be visiting
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/08/30/spider.web.ap/index.html
I have been reading your blog since you started blogging. I really enjoy your humor and outlook on life!
I never thought of cutting the straw!At resturants, our smaller children usually take the cup (drink, ice, straw and all) and try to drink it under the table, so they can reach. Most times, everything ends up on the floor.
Thanks for the tip.
http://abouttobe.blogspot.com/
Amen Honey!!!!! Hubby does that and it keeps several of our children from getting soaked. Great tip!
Although I usually carry a pair of children’s scissors in my purse my hubby carries a pocket knife and a multi-tool. We do the straw trick, too! After one-too-many spills it was a Godsend!
Hugs,
Carmen
I cut the straws at home when we use straws but never thought of keeping anything in my diaper bag for when we are out.
Like you a long day of errands usually ends at the dollar menu. I am always frustrated that the straws are too tall. I am going to start keeping a tool in my bag just for that purpose and I am sure it will be used for so many other things too. lol
Thanks for the tips!
We do this too! I just use a steak knife to cut the straw though. There is no way I’m keeping a swiss army knife in my diaper bag–my preschooler can smell sharp objects from a mile away!
Yes I carry a swiss army knife. But since I do construction work my car always all sorts of tools in it. Now that I have a horse I have all sorts of tack as well. My Knight cringes if he thinks he is going to have to ride in my car.
I wish I’d see this before we went to Applebees this afternoon - the straw was WAY too long & I didn’t think to cut it, even though I had my pocket knife on me.