Dad reveals genius way to stop tantrums with hilarious potato trick

Just when we thought carbs couldn't be any more wonderful, a dad has shared a hilarious parenting trick to discourage youngsters from throwing their toys out the pram, using just a potato.

Oh parenting, we're all just trying to muddle our way through, aren't we? Well, as one dad has shown, sometimes it's the silliest of parenting techniques that can work the best - getting your child to hold a potato to stop them throwing a tantrum, for example.

The father, who's forum user name is 'theuserbelowisamonster', shared his secret to parenting in a thread entitled 'YOURE GOING TO HOLD THIS POTATO UNTIL YOU CHANGE YOUR ATTITUDE!!'.

He continued to describe the situation he found himself in with his three-year-old son who was feeling a little fussy, beginning his post, 'So to make sense of this...'

First the Reddit user reminded readers of a well known cookery tip, 'When you're cooking a soup or a stew you add a potato to it if it's too salty because it will absorb extra salt.'

Before re-telling a scene we know all too well, when your little one seems to have a problem with just about everything.

'So today my 3yo is just whining and complaining about everything. From his lunch to having to clean the floor to the show his brother wanted to watch.

'So I told him that he needs to stop being so salty...'

Remembering his own cookery tip, the dad went on to use it as genius inspiration.

'I found the biggest potato we had and told him that he needs to hold onto this until he changes his attitude. He's too salty and when he's calm and ready to say nice things he can put down the potato and join us again.

'And I'll be... it worked. He thought it was so silly and his mood changed. At first he was confused and wanted to put it down, but I told him that he will absolutely under no circumstances put the potato down until he's in a better mood to compose himself.'

Signing off his post, the genius dad said, 'Parenting. Making shit up and hoping our children can contribute to society and don't grow up to be assholes.'

Reddit users loved his parenting hack, with many congratulating him on thinking outside the box.

One fellow forum user commented, 'I like it. Not just the potato idea (which is inspired) but the general attitude of innovating to keep the kids confused and more-or-less civilized. And acting as if it's all part of our parenting master plan.'

Whilst another said, 'As a mother who tells her kids "of all the flavors, why do you have to be so salty?" I might end up stealing this. I also had no ideas potato's got rid of the saltiness of soup'