50 most-voted Cutest Little Long Islanders of 2017

Lia B.

Lia from North Babylon is one of the winners of Newsday's 2017 Cutest Little Long Islander contest. Her parent's hack: "To prevent my daughter from throwing a tantrum, such as when she hears the ice cream truck around dinner time, I tell her no and deflect the situation with something fun, like blowing bubbles or painting. Usually works every time and prevents the dreaded meltdown. Both of us stay happy."

Parker D.

Parker from Holtsville is one of the winners of Newsday's 2017 Cutest Little Long Islander contest. His parent's hack: "Potty pops to help with potty training. He goes on the potty and gets rewarded with a 'potty pop.' It's motivation for him to make it to the bathroom!"

Liliana P.

Her parent's hack: "Choose your battles wisely."

Lucas L.

Parent's hack: "We have been trying to potty train Lucas, and what worked for us was to place a colorful light in the toilet bowl ... now he wants to go all the time!"

Eliana G.

Her parent's hack: "I save time cutting Eliana's food into small pieces using a pizza cutter."

Luke E.

His parent's hack: "Luke is the youngest of three. What makes our job easier and keeps everyone happy is teamwork. We definitely divide and conquer. Whether it's big sister feeding him or middle sister grabbing a diaper, everyone is involved. We are one big team. We don't sweat the small stuff and everything always has a way of working out."

Taylor M.

Her parent's hack: "Turn fruit pouches that your child no longer "likes" into popsicles and they will become the best thing ever."

Kayden B.

His parent's hack: "To know where my children are, we build forts for them to play in. I can do work while knowing they are safe and having fun in the fort."

Gennevieve U.

Her parent's hack: "Kids craft and educational videos."

Cooper T.

His parent's hack: "We embrace Cooper's interests -- running in the backyard, watching the airplanes at Republic, trucks, dinosaurs, books, sleeping in his teepee, grandparents -- and his all time favorite is spending time with his cousins. By celebrating the things that make him happy, and allowing him to explore (new experiences and new foods), we have one happy little guy!"

Makenna F.

Her parent's hack: "As long as there is music, a princess dress and a light saber handy this beautiful tomboy in a tutu is a happy camper. She may only be 3 but she is wise beyond her years."

Ryan L.

His parent's hack: "Sometimes saying yes to the snack first then eating the meal. I don't always do this but when I do it does seem to work for me. If I let my 3-year-old have the cookie before lunch and tell him what the deal is, it works out for both of us. I don't have a a little guy nagging me for a treat and we make a deal. You can eat the cookie but you have to have your lunch right after. And if he breaks the deal it does not happen ever again."

Emma K.

Her parent's hack: "Emma has a twin sister so at the end of each day when it's time to clean up their toys, I make a contest to see who can clean up the fastest and whoever wins gets to choose dessert at dinner -- works like a charm!"

Marco L.

His parent's hack: "I am a full-time working mommy so when I get home I try to include my son in my activities. When I start dinner, I will fill a bowl of water and he will sit on the floor and have his toys go swimming in the bowl. It is a win-win! Another fun activity we like to do together is baking -- we have a separate batch that we actually eat."

Charlette S.

Her parent's hack: "When my daughter has a cold I use eucalyptus oil on her chest. When she is having an ice pop, I put the pop through a cupcake foil to catch the drips. My best parenting hack is showering Charlette with kisses and endless love each and every day. Children are a blessing!"

Jace Y.

His parent's hack: "We try to always take our toddler outside to do something. Whether it is a local park or the library, he uses his energy to play and have fun -- it's a win win for everyone."

Madison L.

Her parent's hack: "Everything packed and ready to go the night before!"

Harrison W.

His parent's hack: "Be consistent with nap time and don't give it up! Kids are happiest when they get their rest."

Stella F.

Her parent's hack: "Right now little Miss Stella is in the stage where she wants to do everything by herself. So in order to keep her happy and get her to cooperate we ask her to help. Specifically with things such as getting in the car, we ask "do you want to buckle yourself into the big girl seat?" Or when we're settling down at night, I ask "do you want to pick out a book and read it with me?" That typically works, and If not, I always carry a pack of gum. Gum solves all issues."

Matteo J.

His parent's hack: "As a father, I came up with an ingenious way to carry around my toddler-care items, while still managing to look cool and 'manly.' I use my 'assault pack' from my Army days to carry diapers, wipes, ointments, bug spray, sun block and a variety of other items while I am out my my little buddy. The 'assault pack' has numerous pouches and pockets that I can use to sort and pack the items in a priority order. This has worked great for me."

Leilani B.

Her parent's hack: "I like to make sure my children have fun while learning skills that will help them in life. We incorporate fun in everything that we do. Making the bed becomes a lesson either in spelling or making up a song about dreams. I feel they end up enjoying even the most mundane tasks when you incorporate fun and learning. And as a bonus, I get them to help me around the house without them realizing it."

Joseph P.

His parent's hack: "Involving him in what I'm doing. He is at the age now that he wants to learn and help. Giving him something to do makes him feel important and involved. For example, helping with laundry or handing me items to put away after food shopping."

Theresa G.

Her parent's hack: "On rainy days we create obstacle courses using hula hoops, blocks, pillows and other things. It's hours of fun!"

Michael S.

His parent's hack: "Keep a schedule, stay organized and laugh a lot!"

Teagan P.

Her parent's hack: "We never directly contradict or invalidate our children. Instead we redirect with humor and offer more productive options. To motivate the kids to do their chores we hold their electronic toys until they are done. This avoids conflict and gives them control over their down time."

Luke G.

His parent's hack: "Including him in daily activities. He loves to help mama and dada clean."

SpencerRose M.

Her parent's hack: "Sometimes it's easier to agree then disagree. With a busy schedule you have to choose your battles to get things done and with that it makes your children happier."

Vincenzo G.

His parent's hack: "Compromising and having fun with them! Let them be kids."

Margot G.

Her parent's hack: "Don't sweat the small stuff. Look at everyday as a learning opportunity and adventure. Have fun! Jump in a muddy puddle together. Then just throw it in the wash."

Jackson G.

His parent's hack: "Go with the flow!"

Samantha S.

Her parent's hack: "Have many different toys and educational objects to keep them active and amused."

Salvatore M.

His parent's hack: "Make everything into a game!"

Riley M.

Her parent's hack: "Miracle diaper rash cream: Equal parts lotramin (yes the anti fungal meant for your feet) and desitin (purple maximum strength) with a splash of mylanta (very little you do not want to add to much or it won't stick to the bum it will more so slide around instead of adhere). My daughter gets bad diaper rashes from teething and this mixture clears her up in one use and will prevent it from coming back."

Dylan H.

His parent's hack: "Dylan loves animal sounds and pretending to fly while being held."

Olivia K.

Her parent's hack: "Olivia has a twin sister and they love going food shopping with me. So to make it fun, I name the items I'm looking for and whoever spots it first wins. They love it and keeps them entertained the whole time!"

Simon B.

His parent's hack: "I am the mom of 3 sons, ages 11, 9 and 2. Simon, as the baby, with such a large age gap between his brothers feels as though he is an only child with four parents! The way his older brothers embrace him, I'm not surprised."

Grace S.

Her parent's hack: "The last day of vacation is always tough on the kids. Everyone is down and sad. But the last day of vacation in our family, is ice cream for breakfast day! The kids now know it's coming when we travel and can't wait. And it helps clear out the freezer so there are no leftovers."

Derek P.

His parent's hack: "During long rides, we play audiobooks for the kids. We have a collection of their favorite fairy tales, etc. They can look out of the window, close their eyes, relax and still be entertained. It's great for kids who may get motion sickness in the car since they don't have to look at a screen to hear a story."

Vivian B.

Her parent's hack: "After dinner, we have fruit for dessert. I cut up some extra for my children's snacks at school. It's one less thing I have to prepare after they go to bed."

Joseph R.

His parent's hack: "Dinner time used to take forever becayse they never seemed to want what I offered. I switched it up and started giving them smaller portions and more variety on their plate -- they eat it all up now. Everyone is happier because I'm making dinner once and they are getting dessert after they are done!"

Mackenzie R.

Her parent's hack: "Never underestimate the power of distraction! There is almost always something else that will immediately grab my kids' attention and distract them from whatever is bothering them."

Myles W.

His parent's hack: "Myles can be a picky eater so in our house we get creative with meals, whether it be Mickey-shaped pancakes or animals made out of food."

Alexa V.

Her parent's hack: "Being outside makes everything easier and everyone happier! There are so many things to do: Bubbles, playgrounds, seeing friends and running. A happy child equals a happy mommy!"

Jack V.

His parent's hack: "Put all of baby's/kid's socks in a laundry bag when washing them so they don't get lost in the laundry. This was passed on to me from a friend at my baby shower."

Josephina V.

Her parent's hack: "Keep little handheld electronic toys in the car to keep the kids busy."

Jackie R.

His parent's hack: "I'm a teacher and a mom, so my days are super busy and at times hectic. My purse is always filled with food and crafts, so his belly is always full and imagination sparked!"

Julianna M.

Her parent's hack: "Children always want to be the winner. So we make sure there are always two winners when both kids are playing. For example, musical chairs is the most awful game for children. Each time a child is out and that child and a chair are taken out of the game, the child usually ends up crying. So we never eliminate any chairs during the game. Preschoolers have no idea that this is wrong, and each round every child has a chair to jump into and each child is a winner every round."

Hunter M.

His parent's hack: "Lollipops and iPad."

Isabella R.

Her parent's hack: "Izzy loves making wishes with dandelions with her mommies! She is the happiest little kid there is! Also, using a wagon instead of a stroller!"

Giorgio S.

His parent's hack: "As a mom of four children I have learned through the years that you have to make time for down time to make everyone in the family happy. Lazy days when no family member has anywhere to be, no sports practice, no appointments and no work. A day to lounge around and relax or take a spontaneous ride to the beach. Life can become too busy. Make time to relax and enjoy the precious moments of child being little."