Three parents share the lengths they've gone to for their kids. It's not what you'd expect.

Thanks to our brand partner, Children's Panadol

Parenting. It's not for the faint-hearted.

Whether it's that time you spent 16 hours decorating a cake to look exactly like the characters from Bluey or licked the sesame seeds off the top of a burger bun to ensure it was "seedless", the lengths parents will go to for their kids is unmatched.

And you know when that theory is really put to the test? Any time the sickness fairy decides to pay a visit.

Catching vomit to avoid a hefty Airbnb cleaning fee? Done it.

Using a snot sucker to try and clear a tiny set of nasal passages? Been there.

Sat upright for eight hours nursing a teething toddler to the point where your entire lower back and bottom have gone numb? Card-carrying member of that club.

Thankfully, we've got allies in the trenches. One option to have on hand during pain and fever occasions is Children's Panadol — Australia's go-to pain relief brand. It can start to reduce fever in just 15 minutes and is gentle on tummies, plus it provides fast and effective pain relief from teething, fever, immunisation pain, cold and flu symptoms, earaches and headaches.

The Panadol Children 1-5 Years and 5-12 Years suspension also comes with an easy-to-dose syringe and two fruity flavours — strawberry and orange.

Sadly, it cannot tackle the loads of washing nor the sleep deprivation you'll have ahead of you.

Sickness aside, we're sharing the lengths our fellow parenting peers have gone to, because the often bizarre and hilarious efforts we make are always better shared.

Fiona, 35: "It seemed like the only viable choice."

Whether it was all-beige everything or specific rules around pasta, it was rare for a parent not to resort to some interesting dinner-time tactics.

Fiona fondly remembered the time her toddler survived on bolognese, and more importantly, penne pasta. "He loved homemade bolognese, but only with penne," Fiona recalled. "He wouldn't eat it with spaghetti, spirals or macaroni. It had to be penne."

Fast-forward to one evening when her parents came to stay and Grandma took over dinner duties. Unaware of the strict pasta rules, Nanna served the bolognese with fettuccine.

Yes, fettuccine.

Realising immediately that disaster was imminent, Fiona painstakingly removed all traces of fettuccine before cooking up a fresh batch of penne.

Did her son notice the "contamination" of his bolognese? Thankfully, no.

Looking back, it seemed like absolute madness, Fiona confessed, but when deep in the trenches with a toddler and baby, sleep-deprived and just focused on making it through till bedtime, it seemed like the only viable choice.

Adam, 43: "All plans were shelved, a neighbour's hot glue gun secured."

Before having children, there are relatively few opportunities where you're required to craft (unless you are, of course, the crafty type). After having children, however, it's a seemingly non-stop craft fest.

From Book Week to Harmony Day, Sports Carnival tutus to scrunchy-making for soccer, the craft just doesn't stop — something Adam found out one memorable Easter Hat parade.

"My daughter had come up with an amazing design for some embellished bunny ears," he recalled. "Naturally, I assumed that knocking them together would take an hour at most."

What Adam neglected to remember was that a hot glue gun would be required for said project, something he worked out when trying to attach a selection of synthetic flowers to bunny ears later that night.

"I somewhat underestimated the equipment and time it would actually take," he said. Not one to break a promise, all plans were shelved, a neighbour's hot glue gun secured and the bunny ears were brought to life. "My daughter actually won the 'best bunny ears' award that way," Adam said.

Definitely a parenting highlight.

Image: Supplied.

Amanda, 42: "The only solution? An 11 pm drive to the 24-hour party store 45 minutes away."

There's something special about planning that first birthday party where your kid is really involved. Yes, toddler parties are cute, but your kid doesn't really care about what's going on. Six-year-olds, on the other hand, have plenty of opinions.

This was the case for Amanda when planning her daughter's sixth birthday party, her first with friends from school. "She was so excited for her unicorn party," Amanda explained. The pair spent weeks planning the day, with one special request the birthday girl had her heart set on: a unicorn pinata filled with lollies.

That seemed easy enough, thanks to the abundance of party supplies available both online and in-store. So easy, in fact, that Amanda left it until the bottom of her list, planning to grab it while stocking up on everything else.

It wasn't until the night before the party that Amanda realised the one thing missing from her online order was, you guessed it, the unicorn pinata. Cue the panic. "My daughter is incredibly easy-going and very rarely asks for anything, which made it so much worse," said Amanda.

The only solution? An 11pm drive to a 24-hour party store 45 minutes away to try and find a pinata before the party the next day. Thankfully, it was in stock, and the birthday girl never knew that her mum had almost spent the night trying to turn a dinosaur into a unicorn.

Since then, Amanda is sure to double-check any party supplies well before the big day.

Shop Children's Panadol for fast and effective pain relief.

Always read the label and follow the directions for use. Incorrect use could be harmful.

Children's Panadol can start to relieve fevers within 15 minutes. Reference: Temple, A.R. et al. Clin. Ther. 2013; 35:1361-75.

Children's Panadol is Australia's go-to pain relief brand, claim based data sourced from Circana MarketEdge based on data definitions provided by Haleon Australia Pty Ltd for MAT 03/11/2024.

Paid partnership.

Feature Image: Supplied.

For over 60 years, Children's Panadol has been helping children as young as one-month-old feel better again. You can trust Children's Panadol to provide your child with fast, effective, temporary relief from pain and fever.
Find the whole Children's Panadol range at your local pharmacy.
Always read the label and follow the directions for use. Incorrect use could be harmful.