I have my house on the market, even as we speak. So does half the Internet, from what I can tell. And most of us seem to have small children crawling around our show-ready homes, leaving their little grimy prints where we JUST WIPED UP for heaven's sake!

Someone REALLY needs to buy my house. Soon.

When I wrote about this a while back, you all offered great suggestions. In the weeks since then, friends and complete strangers have continued to proffer advice about getting through showings without losing my mind. I've culled the best of those suggestions into a handy list, because we at ParentDish are all about being helpful. So here it is: six ways to survive planting a FOR SALE sign in your yard.

1. Cook ahead. Before the sign goes up and the lock box goes on and the showings start, cook and freeze some things that you can easily heat up on a moments notice. We essentially ate out for two weeks, because first we had contractors in the house and then we had a string of showings that meandered into the dinner hour, and frankly, it was stressful (and expensive). This past weekend, on Easter Sunday, I fired up the crock pot and made some things to go in the freezer. I also stocked up on the ingredients for easy last-minute meals (grilled ham and cheese sandwiches, for example) so that we're not compelled to go out just because someone may want to buy our house.

2. Have an escape plan. Where will you go if the realtor wants to come by in an hour? Where will you take the kids? The day of our first showing, I called my friend Leslie and said, "Please PLEASE can we come over?" She's kind and she said yes, but it wasn't much of a plan. If you have small kids, find a friend (or three) who will let you and your littles crash at her house. Stock your car with diapers and snacks and water and toys and whatever else your kids will need to get through an afternoon away from home.

3. Carry cash. Sometimes, your escape will involve hanging out at the bookstore or the coffee shop; be sure you're ready to get a cup of coffee or a cookie for the kids. Alternatively, sometimes one showing will turn into four and you will spend the afternoon trying to figure out what everyone is going to eat and where you can get an iced tea, fast. Or maybe that's just me. But be prepared--have some cash, just in case.

4. Flush. Please. As you're heading out the door, flush all the toilets, particularly if you have young kids who are using them without parental supervision. I've also been taking a quick swipe around the seat with a Clorox wipe because SOMEONE in my house has terrible aim (and it's not me, I'll tell you that).

5. Identify your problem zones. I've heard some funny funny stories about what people leave lying out: dirty diapers on the changing table (or the coffee table), sexy lingerie on the floor, adult toys in the shower. People do NOT need to know about any of those things; they just need to know that your house has plenty of counter space. But when you're trying to bundle the kids and all their necessities into the car AND flush the toilets AND call your spouse to say DO NOT GO HOME, you may not remember that you left your best black bra hanging up to dry in the master bath.

6. Take the junk with you. Melissa (who also has her house on the market) e-mailed me a couple weeks back to suggest this one: on your way out the door, grab any kid stuff that's on the floors or tables or where ever kid stuff winds up and toss it into a laundry basket; take the basket with you in the car. Don't kill yourself putting every single Polly Pocket or Playmobil pirate away, but don't leave them all over the living room.

Finally, one last thing: make yourself a list of Stuff To Do Before A Showing and tape it to the steering wheel of your car. Then when you're making your escape, look it over and run back in to hide that bra. Unless you have it on good authority that the buyers are looking for that sort of thing.

Okay, your turn! How did YOU survive selling a house with kids?