All parents hear the same pieces of advice repeated over and over: try and get as much sleep as you can, don't buy too many clothes all at once, expect a few surprise costs, but most people can figure this out for themselves.

The best kind of advice are tips you would never think of yourself. Over the years parents struggling to figure things out have come up with some bizarre but effective ways of handling parenthood's trickiest situations.

There's no magic secret to raising your kids - we'll give you that advice for free - but there are lots of truly unexpected parenting tips you would never think of in a million years. Read this list of the seven weirdest and try some for yourself!

1. Butter up your kids

If your child gets a bruise you might think there's nothing you can do but kiss their booboo, but there's an easy way to clear it up in your kitchen right now. This is one of the few Old Wives' Tales that really works: rub some butter wherever your kids have hurt themselves and the fats in the butter will prevent bruising.

2. Add a little sparkle to their dinners

Are your kids picky eaters? That's a trick question, all kids are picky eaters. If you've tried everything you can think of, buy some edible glitter from the grocery store. Sprinkle a little bit on your child's least-favorite food and it will be too fun for them to resist!

3. Eat snacks in the tub

Trust us, this is strange but it will save you a lot of trouble. If your child is throwing a tantrum because they want to eat something really messy but you can't be bothered to clean up after them, let them enjoy it while sitting in the bathtub. Once they're done just run the water and voila - no mess!

4. Blow bubbles on the potty

Sometimes you think potty training is going well, but your child just won't "go" while they're sitting on the toilet. If you let them blow bubbles or do something else fun and distracting it will help them relax.

5. Steal their shoelaces

When children leave the Velcro shoes stage and start wearing shoes with laces, they usually spend a few months (or years) dragging their untied laces around. You can add a handy in-between stage for them by replacing their laces with elastic bands. It may seem like you're coddling them, but it's safer than tripping over their laces.

6. A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down

The only thing worse than a sick child is a sick child that refuses to take their medicine. You can usually fool them - or convince them - by rubbing a little icing on the pills. Sure, it's a little unhealthy, but the important thing is helping them get well.

7. Put yourself in time out

We teach children how to do everything by showing them ourselves, but most parents don't do this with punishments like time out. If your child rebels when you tell them to sit and think about what they did, show them that if mommy and daddy "break the rules" they do the same thing. It may change their attitude.

Share these weird tips with another parent!