No one prepares a mother sufficiently for the extreme exhaustion that a new baby brings if they do not sleep well. You have my empathy. I’ve been there!
Research has determined that humans must sleep and, in fact, people can survive longer without food than without sleep. We must sleep in order to function and live. Falling asleep and waking up is largely determined by your circadian rhythm, a day-night cycle which develops around seven weeks of age. If this rhythm is not encouraged or is inhibited for some reason, it can take a lot longer to establish hence erratic sleeping patterns continue. Once your baby is about three weeks old, your aim is to be encouraging them with regular and balanced feed, play, sleep rhythms, where they start to settle themselves to sleep and sleep through at least one sleep cycle. This can prove difficult for some babies during their first four months for a number of reasons:
Tired signs are ignored, resulting in overtired
Getting up at the end of one sleep cycle, preventing a longer sleep
No sleep cues or aids are used
Over stimulation from extra visitors, noise, outings, fluorescent lighting and TV
Hungry
Overfed or fed too often
Mother and baby emotional issues and mix; tensions mimicked
Allergies and intolerances through breast milk or from infant formula
Growth spurts not understood or managed correctly
Lower bowel, abdominal, oesophageal pain or discomfort
Illness
It helps to understand and allow your baby’s getting to sleep process to progress. For a baby this takes about 10-20 minutes. It starts with showing tired signs then if all is well progresses to a vacant stare, drooping eyelids, and shut eyelids.
At an early age babies are starting to learn consequences, love and security which lead to healthy attachments and relationships in the future.How your baby goes off to sleep is one of the first associations you are teaching them. They are learning what to expect when they wake, stir and need to go back off to sleep. Seek help or support early with sleep issues before your sleep deprivation becomes dangerous for you and those around you.
If you like to include this article in your newsletter or website; you can, providing you include the following blurb with it:
This article was brought to you by Jan Murray, Private Child Health Consultant who is an internationally renowned expert in her field. Jan encourages parents in the area of infant sleep, nutrition, activities and family balance. She publishes regular ezine and blog articles to provide free parenting tips, tools and resources to educate and support those caring for young babies and children. For more online resources visit http://www.settlepetal.com
If you have recently had baby number two and things are getting a little tense with your toddler, then put yourself in your toddler’s shoes for a moment…
You are the centre of attention and have had every need met at the time you have usually demanded it. Cuddles when you need them, sitting on a knee to have stories anytime and food as requested, then all of a sudden your mummy goes away for a few days and life just isn’t the same. She brings back a little bundle that cries night and day and demands her instant attention. Your mummy seems tired and does not have the time to spend with you and gets cranky at things that normally wouldn’t have mattered. You find you have to do things that you know will make her give you attention.
This can be a difficult time for all but there are a few things that can be done in regards to your toddler that can help this situation be less stressful. These include:
· Try to avoid making any changes in your toddler’s life either two months before or two months after a new baby arrives. This could include things like toilet training, changing into a bed, starting day careand moving house
· Introduce your toddler to visitors as the big brother or sister not the baby as their little baby. This makes your toddler feel important
· Use a toddler feeding bag. This is a small collection of your toddler’s popular food choices (not junk), favourite books that they can look at alone or with you, puzzles that are age appropriate, a new toy from the baby, easy to use drink bottle of water and a short dance or music DVD. Have all these itemsin an easy to open bag or box that your toddler brings out only at baby’s feed time, then puts it away when feed time is finished
· Have your toddler fetch and carry things for you; it makes them feel important and a valuable member of the family team
· Don’t push your toddler away from being with you and the baby. Instead, help them to be involved by showing and encouraging them with the behaviour that you expect. Just telling your toddler to be gentle and not poke the baby’s eyes will not be enough. Show them how and where is acceptable to touch the baby such as stroking them on the head
· Read books together about families
· Give your toddler attention when the baby is up not only when they are asleep
· Keep your toddler’s life as routine as it was before the baby was born. If you do not have them in a routine, it will be time for you to establish one. FREE GIFT of Suggested Routines
· Give extra cuddles and make eye contact down at your toddler’s level as much as possible
· Understand that your toddler’s world has changed and for a while they may regress with more night waking, more toilet accidents (if previously toilet trained) and food refusal for a short time. Hang in there; keep your cool while encouraging acceptable behaviour; it will pass.
Learn more about the life on planet toddler in Being a Toddler eBook
If you like to include this article in your newsletter or website; you can, providing you include the following blurb with it:
This article was brought to you by Jan Murray, Private Child Health Consultant who is an internationally renowned expert in her field. Jan encourages parents in the area of infant sleep, nutrition, activities and family balance. She publishes regular ezine and blog articles to provide free parenting tips, tools and resources to educate and support those caring for young babies and children. For more online resources visit http://www.settlepetal.com
There are choices you make every day that will impact upon your short-term and long-term health. Reflecting on how these choices will impact on your health, and the difference it can make to your quality of life can be a great motivational tool. I have two young daughters, and I was teaching them to ride their bikes without training wheels. This involves a lot of running (staying close behind them making sure they don’t fall). I realised that being fit helped me keep up and enjoy an incredibly rewarding experience with my kids. Take time to reflect on what a difference better health can make to your life.
Iam sure that I am not the only adult who has battled weight gain. Today, merely looking at a piece of cheesecake adds centimetres to my hips. Could this be linked to my poor childhood eating habits? Research reveals, yes. Unfortunately, obesity is not just a physical problem restricting movement but it leads to the body breaking down with conditions such as liver disease, heart disease and diabetes. Add to this low self esteem and social awkwardness leading to relationship challenges and behaviour disorders and the future looks pretty bleak. One in four children suffers obesity in Australia today. As quoted by Jamie Oliver at TED awards “these children are looking at a future with a life expectancy 10 years less than their parents”. Statistically, diet related disease is fast approaching as the number one killer and is a generational and global problem.
Obesity is a preventable disease largely due to the following four areas:
One: The increase consumption of processed and takeaway foods. Everything needs to be quick or better still instant and readily available with minimal preparation. I am not just talking about teenagers; it is starting with babies.
Two: A poor understanding of natural foods and why they are important for good health. Children start their life with canned and packaged foods with no involvement in the preparation or culture around healthy eating.
Three: Minimal outside play. We live in a community with larger houses and smaller backyards and the fear of paedophiles and kidnappers in our streets. Parks can have hidden needles on the ground leaving inside activities a safer more appealing option.
Four: Tired parents who are working and stressed keeping up with the demands of life and financial pressure, take the easy option for pre prepared foods. Children are often tired and cranky after being in care and getting home late. Giving them what they demand isn’t always the healthiest option but it prevents arguments.
Here are four easy steps to start a healthy future for your baby or child?
One: Be kind to their developing liver and limit or better still avoid highly processed and packaged foods containing preservatives.
Two: Decrease their likelihood of developing obesity and related diseases by limiting or avoiding simple carbohydrates and refined sugars which are stored as fat if not used.
Three: Encourage plenty of supervised playtime in the fresh air. Create bigger backyards.
Four: Take control. Shopping shelves are stacked with nutritionally lacking foods but it is you who chooses what stays out and what goes in your trolley.
When you familiarize babies and children with whole foods eaten at regular intervals with daily physical activity, you are demonstrating healthy habits for life. Weight gain and associated lifestyle changes creep up slowly and insidiously, robbing us of abundant life.
If you like to include this article in your newsletter or website; you can, providing you include the following blurb with it:
This article was brought to you by Jan Murray, Private Child Health Consultant who is an internationally renowned expert in her field. Jan encourages parents in the area of infant sleep, nutrition, activities and family balance. She publishes regular ezine and blog articles to provide free parenting tips, tools and resources to educate and support those caring for young babies and children. For more online resources visit http://www.settlepetal.com
If you have ever felt a wave of panic when you drop your children off at family day care; you are not alone.
Many parents are concerned about how happy their children are throughout the day and their associated behaviour. Did you know that how parents manage their children at home has a direct influence on their behaviour at family day care? Here are three of the top influences that could be affecting your child’s behaviour.
Influence One:Sending your child off for the day without a suitable breakfast or no breakfast. Food is fuel to a child’s body. What they eat determines the capacity of their output. If your child has no food or unsuitable nutrition at breakfast, it can lead to them having poor concentration with emotional outbursts of frustration or an inability to cope in challenging situations. They can also be uncoordinated and clumsy leaving them more at risk of falls.
What to do instead:Avoid giving your child milk throughout the night. This will allow them to be hungrier in the morning. Ensure the foods you offer for breakfast include protein, complex carbohydrates, fruit, essential fats and iron. Avoid simple sugars and processed cereals containing preservatives.
Influence Two:Putting your child to bed too late in the evening.Being overtired before going to bed makes it hard for your child to settle to sleep. When they eventually fall asleep their sleep is often restless and fitful with waking. Their activities before a late bedtime often include watching TV and mischievous behaviour, both causing unsettled sleep.
What to do instead:Introduce an age appropriate evening routine.This will include a suitable meal time, bath time and play time before a pre bed time routine of books. Encourage family time with no TV distractions during the one and a half hours before bed.
Influence Three:Eating foods that provide an unsuitable and adverse effect on a child’sbody.Research shows obesity now affects 1:4 children in Australia and allergies and intolerances have increased 500% over the last 6 years. These preventable health issues are rapidly becoming the number one focus for our health industry’s funding.
What to do instead:Go back to basics. Avoid or at least reduce the amount of pre packaged food that your child consumes. Buy a lunchbox suitable for presenting natural foods in. Understand your child will not starve and you can create new habits with their eating behaviour. It is important to know; it is not up to your child to choose what to eat, only whether to eat. It is up to responsible adults to show children how to build a strong and healthy body for their future.
Jan’s book ‘taste it’ is available from www.settlepetal.com andis specifically helpful for parents wishing to address the influences discussed in this article.
It concerns me as I watch families with babies and young children:
eating pre packed processed foods at home as well as in day care and school lunch boxes
consume regular takeaway food
children watching TV while meals are being prepared
eating snacks as well as meals infront of the TV either alone or as a family
What destiny are we leading our children towards? Are we slowly killing our children?
Obesity is a preventable disease. In Jamie Oliver’s video clip below it is his wish to teach children about food in schools and inspire families to cook again. It is my wish to get in even earlier than that and teach parents to start their babies off with the best first mouthfuls. Make real changes for your child’s destiny today that will pass onto future generations. Make real changes now for the future and learn to cook and share an enjoyable culture around eating.
Is it nearly impossible to get them to listen to you?
Do you yell at your kids and then feel guilty about it?
I understand. It’s hard to feel good when your kids are driving you crazy. What if I told you that there are simple ways to solve these problems? The tools and tricks that I want to share with you are totally different. They work. They reduce your stress and bring more smiles to your family. If this interests you, please keep reading.
My name is Chris Thompson. I’m a father and an expert in communication strategies, language patterns, influence and persuasion. I created “Talking to Toddlers” as a tool for parents. It shows you exactly how to get the positive results that you want with your toddler or preschooler. I use these tools with my children, and I teach other parents to do the same. Now it’s your turn to learn these valuable tools.
Jan Murray, Private Child Health Consultant & Director Settle Petal
“My 9 year-old daughter has a severe reaction to flavour enhancer 635. The first time she came into contact with this additive was eating BBQ flavoured rice crackers. At the time she was 6 years old.She ate four crackers and complained that her tongue was feeling all ‘tingly’. I advised her to stop eating the crackers. Her taste buds had swollen to around four times their normal size.” - quoted from Sue Dengate’s failsafe newsletter April-June 2008
Preservatives and additives are proving far too dangerous for some children and the future health of everyone. Kid’s birthday parties are not so much about the food but rather the kids enjoying being with each other, parent involvement, music, games and laughter.
Try to keep your party food simple and healthy with minimal preservatives and sugar. If you want everything to still be colourful and fun, try the following tips:
Þ Make fruit skewers with rockmelon, green grapes, strawberries & bananas (drizzle a bit of chocolate on it if you like!).
Þ Make some yummy dips like avocado or bean & cut up carrot and celery sticks for dipping.
Þ Have baskets of freshly popped popcorn instead of chips.
Þ For a hot food option make some mini pizzas.
Þ Make little mini rolls with fillings like chicken & cucumber or grated carrots & sultanas.
Þ Make the cake (or cupcakes) rather than buying from a store as then you know what is in it and substitute the sugar for pureed apple for sweetness. Ice the cake with a light philli cheese spread then if you want to add colour use frozen berries or non edible figures and candles. Alternatively, have it made to order from a specialist cake maker so you can request things like no food colouring or edible decorations if you want.
Þ Serve everything on coloured plates.
Þ Have water or smoothies to drink, not fizzy drinks, cordial or juice and serve it in coloured cups with coloured straws or fancy cups like goblets or themed souvenir cups they can take home with them.
It is important to set up good habits around food from the moment babies start to eat.
Designed to use for a 4 - 8 year old party at home
Approx four weeks before party
1. Choose a theme - having a theme will make the rest of the party planning so much easier in terms of decision making and buying supplies (as well as giving your guests present ideas). Most kids are pretty fanatical about something but if not give them 2 to choose from (that you know you can get supplies for) and let them decide.
2. Decide on the entertainment - if you are going to use a kids party entertainer or part host then you will need to book them well in advance and may need to determine the date/time of your party based on their availability.
3. Date/time - only set the date and time of your party once you have confirmed your entertainment and that your child’s closest friend/s are available. Saturday afternoons between 2.00 and 4.00 (gives you Sunday to get over it!) or Sunday mornings between 10.00 and 12.00 are ideal (gives you Saturday to prepare!).
4. Guest list/invitations – for babies and toddlers your guest list if usually family and friends with kids who are similar ages or mothers group friends, playgroup friends, etc. If they are at day care/school ask your child who they want to come to the party or ask their teacher who they interact with the most. You don’t necessarily need to invite the whole class and can ask the teacher if they can pop them into the kids bags discreetly so no one feels left out. If you have address post or email the invitations.
Two to three weeks before the party
5. Party supplies - order your party supplies even if you don’t have exact numbers as it’s better to have a few left over than not get them in time.
6. Cake – if like me the idea of making a birthday cake makes you hyperventilate, then order your cake a week or two before the party in your chosen theme. Most birthday cakes feed approx 25 people. If you are having a lot less than this, consider cupcakes, donuts or cookies as an alternative (unless you don’t mind eating leftover cake for a week!).
One week before the party
7. Supplies/food - check you have enough party supplies and buy any last minute things if need be. Write out your menu and make a list of the food items you need to buy and shop for these (don’t forget tomato sauce!).
8. Make up your party bags - make these up (and any game you are doing yourself) a couple of days before hand so you don’t have a million things to do on the day.
9. Photographer - assign someone to take photos as you are normally too busy to do it yourself and remind them to bring their camera.
Day before the party
10. Cleaning - if you need to clean outdoor settings, floors, bathrooms, etc. do this the day before so you are not stressing doing it on the day.
11. Tableware/decorations – if you can set these up the night before if you are having the party at home in a protected area (if going to a park or something get there 1.5 hours before the party to give yourself plenty of time)
12. Food - if you can make any food the night before and if you have ordered any food, cake, etc. then collect these the day before.
Day of the party
Þ 2 hours before – set up decorations/tableware if you weren’t able to do the night before. Also set up any games if you are doing them yourself (including your stereo & music).
Þ 1.5 hours before - get everyone dressed and ready late enough to avoid spills and stains but early enough to avoid any last minute stress.
Þ 1 hour before - put your cake knife/server, plates/napkins, candles and matches somewhere handy and ready (but safe out of the way of little hands).
Þ 45 min before – put an esky where you are having the party or jugs on the table with drinks for the kids, drinks for the adult and water. Put a box/bin out for the rubbish and recyclables
Þ 30 min before - lay out all the food before the guests arrive so you aren’t spending the whole party in and out of the kitchen (even warm food – heat it up just before and keep the foil over it and it will stay warm enough to eat).
Þ 15 min before - have a box ready for all of the wrapping paper or make an area to put the presents aside until after the party.
Sample Party
Þ 10.00 Kids arrive & presents get opened
Þ 10.15 games/activities or play
Þ 11.00 food (have a break between games/activities for kids to have a drink/eat or just let them graze throughout)
Þ 11.15 games/activities or play
Þ 11.45 cake
Þ 12.00 hand out the party bags as the guests leave
Þ clean up and fall on the couch exhausted thinking to yourself: “I can’t believe all that effort for just two hours that went so fast and I didn’t get a chance to talk to anyone – next time I’ll get Ezy Kids Parties to do everything for me!”
Save yourself time, energy, stress and money by organising your next kids party with Ezy Kids Parties. We can supply anything and everything to do with kids parties - from complete Do it Yourself and Hosted Party Packages that include themed tableware, decorations, loot bags, party favours and games, to face painters, jumping castles, clowns, birthday cakes, party platters and even a photographer.
