Mother reveals how putting her toddler's pushchair in front of a video of a 'sunny walk in the park' sends him to sleep in MINUTES after his refusal to nap became a 'nightmare'

• Nicole Jackson, 28, set her 18-month-old son up in front of the TV for his nap
• Little Louie wouldn't go down for his mid-morning nap after he started walking 
• Nicole, from Basildon, put on a video of a walk around a park and it worked 

A first-time mum has come up with a genius hack to send her 'clingy' toddler to sleep in minutes - by playing a 'nice slow walk around the park' video.

Nicole Jackson, 28, set up her 18-month-old son Louie's pushchair in front of the television in her home in Basildon, Essex, and played a video of a sunny park walk.

The children's photographer discovered the idea last month after getting Louie to settle for his mid-morning nap became a daily 'nightmare'. 

With little Louie going through a phase of demanding Nicole's constant and undivided attention, she struggled to do housework, get dressed, or shower. 

Nicole said: 'Louie is so clingy, he's a nightmare. I cannot get anything done. 

'I have got no idea how these Instagram mums do it. They've showered, done their hair and makeup, got dressed, got their kid dressed and are out by 11am. 

'Some days I can't get out of the house at all, and other days by the time I do get out the house, the sun is going in and Louie is fast asleep so has no idea we've even been out. 

'I have this constant battle trying to get ready. I love Mrs Hinch and I would watch her and think "How has she got her herself clean, her baby clean and her house clean?".' 

Determined to find a solution, Nicole decided to try sending Louie on a virtual walk in the park and was left stunned when he fell asleep almost immediately - giving her time to enjoy getting herself ready. 

Since then she incorporated her inventive hack into her and Louie's daily routine and now claims it completely changed their lives. 

Not only does Nicole now have time for herself and the housework but Louie gets his nap and then stays awake to enjoy his outings with his mum.  

She said: 'I just couldn't get the balance, so one day I decided "It's not going to be like this anymore", and I got up and got in the shower. 

'But I ended up with the TV remote, a fire engine and my slippers thrown in the shower with me thanks to Louie. It is awful, he just doesn't leave me alone. 

'I got out the shower and decided, "Right you're going for a nap". 

'The weather was miserable and Louie won't nap in his cot so I wheeled his new buggy into the living room and searched "sunny walk in the park" on YouTube. 

'I found this video of a nice slow walk around the park, got it on the TV and put Louie in his buggy. Summer vibes for him and a virtual walk in the park. 

'I went and made a cup of tea and by the time I came back, he was asleep. I couldn't believe it. It felt like I had discovered this miracle. 

'I went and had a proper shower, blow dried my hair and by the time I was ready, Louie was awake and we went for a nice day out together. 

'We do it every day now, it's how he goes down for his nap. It's our little routine.' 

She said 'brilliant' Louie used to easily fall asleep, but since he started walking, all he wanted to do was run around and play with his mum non-stop. 

While Nicole adored showering her little one with love and attention, she said her new trick to balance playtime and cuddles with day-to-day tasks was a big help.

Louie now watches the same video every day to help him drift off but his mum said it would probably work with any video of a gentle stroll on a nice day.  

Nicole said: 'I absolutely love being a mum. It's brilliant and Louie is brilliant. He's doing really good. 

'He wants to play all the time and run around. And he wants me all the time. He's always on the go. If I try to do anything while he's awake, there's no chance. 

'Being a first-time mum, you do wonder how you are going to cope and get through all the things that need to be done in a day, but having this little trick is helping. 

'People might wonder, "Why not actually go for a walk in the park?". But we do go out to the park and now he's actually awake to enjoy it and play. 

'We've managed to join loads of playgroups too. It's really benefiting him. Plus when we get home now, he's actually tired for the evening.' 

And it even helped with Nicole's photography business because she can now get her shoots done while Louie is asleep.  

'Before my mother-in-law would have to come over if I had any photo shoots but now I'm managing to get through a whole client and Louie is still sound asleep,' she said.

'It's helping my business and it's given me some of my life back.'