Thursday, November 29, 2007
Filed under: Blog Posts
This weekend we are off to Seattle and taking the kids, so I thought this would be the perfect opportunity for me to write some tips on how to travel with your baby and keep their sleeping habits in tact as best you can.
Traveling to different time zones - Here are a few tips on the best way to handle traveling to different time zones for you and your little one. Bear in mind however, that you could have a fantastic plan that gets thrown out the window if you get a delay during transit.
1. www.bodyclock.com - check out this website where you can click on the number of time zones that you will be crossing as well as you normal wake up time. It will then tell you the best way to handle the time change for your internal biological clock depending on the direction of travel so that you don't feel the jet lag too much.
2. Try and get flights that land in the afternoon of your destination. (Not always possible but if you can that is beneficial for you internal biological clock)
3. Wake your baby at there normal wake up time at the new destination and expose to sunlight - he/she may be grumpy for a day or too as their body's adjust but this is better than letting her sleep in to compensate for lost sleep as it would then be even harder.
4. Try and get your baby to stay awake until their normal bedtime once arrived at your destination and do the normal bedtime bathtime routine before putting to bed.
5. Try and keep naps and feeds on schedule during your trip as you would at home using local time.
Sleeping in a strange environment - Sleeping in a strange environment or hotel room can have a regressive effect on a child's sleeping pattern or habit. During these times you should be sympathetic to their needs as they are in an unfamiliar environment and may feel a little insecure. Once you get home though you should go back to your old ways despite you child's behavior otherwise you will be going back to square one. Try and take as many familiar sleep related objects as you can to make the "new" crib or room as similar and as comfortable as possible. Follow your normal wind down period before putting your baby to bed. Expect some regression and sleepless nights as this is realistic and you wont feel to disappointed when it happens.
When you can have your baby have their own room like they do at home, if this is not possible then designate an area in the bedroom / hotel room away from your bed that can be "their corner".
Enjoy your holiday!
| Posted by Cheeky Chops at 12:02PM |
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Sunday, November 25, 2007
Filed under: Blog Posts
This week has been horrendous.
It all started Monday night (around midnight) with my son - who must of picked up the stomach flu from school. I was up with him for 6 hours. 12 hours following that - my husband came down with it - I was up with him for 8 hours, 6 hours in to his illness my daughter came down with it - I was so stressed!
I have never washed as many blankets - quilts - sheets - towels - cloths and clothes. I think I was wearing rubber gloves for about 3 days straight and walking around carrying my waste paper bin full of hot water and bleach.
Needless to say we all know that illness effects both the parents sleep and the child's sleep - but at what point should the extra nocturnal attention end so that the good sleep habits resume?
- About to start sleep training - If you had made plans to change your child's sleep habits by doing some sleep training and your child becomes sick - WAIT. Its not a good time to start and if you did you would feel terrible as you would constantly question yourself about your child's ability to self - soothe. Wait until your child is better and then proceed with your plan as normal.
- In the middle of sleep training - If you are in the middle of implementing some sleep training and your child gets ill - pause at the point that you are at and resume from that point once your child is better. You must go to your child if they are sick and do not push them any further. If anything go back a step or two.
- After sleep training - Most children need help / assistance at night when they are ill. So, if your child is sick and cries in the night you must go to them and do what ever it takes to make them feel better and return to sleep - even if it means sleeping on the floor next to their bed. Don't feel disappointed - all of the hard work that you put in to get your child sleeping well has not been undone. Once the illness has faded - stick to your normal bedtime routine again, you may have to help them get back on track again but you will not have to start over.
As I have said before - once a child can sleep through the night - it is highly unlikely that they will loose the ability. If anything they may have a little bit of regression when teething, have an illness, going through a developmental milestone, going on vacation or having grandparents / relatives or friends staying over. If it does happen - don't worry it is nothing that can't be easily ironed out once the dust has settled.
| Posted by Cheeky Chops at 11:47AM |
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Saturday, November 17, 2007
Filed under: Blog Posts
I have recently started to leave my daughter (Kenya) who is one year old with a babysitter whilst I worked a few extra hours. The first few days were fine, but then Kenya started to anticipate my leaving with the arrival of the babysitter. As soon as she would see her - she would start to cry and cling to me - she would have big fat tears rolling down her face, I felt dreadful but I didn't have a choice, I have to go to work.
I knew what was coming next - her sleep (and mine) would start to be interrupted. Everybody wakes up through the night and we flip over, readjust our pillows and go back to sleep. For a baby/toddler who is going through changes (which can get over looked by us) this can start to have a negative effect on their sleep as they wake up and start to cry because they are starting to realize that they are not an extension of you - but they are a separate being AND more importantly where is my Mum?
So of course, a week in Kenya started to wake up and cry - back to getting up and staggering down the hall bleary eyed for me - in an attempt to quieten her down before waking up her 3 year old brother, with whom she shares a room. (She is also still doing this on the odd night and it has been several months - so it happens to me too (who works in this field - you are not alone! I do know how you feel).
Babies and toddlers don't wear watches and don't really have any time concept but they get a sense of security from predictability and they also associate our behavior with what comes next. As an example: when you get your coat on and wave bye-bye, they know that you are leaving, our actions become predictable - they don't want you to go and it can get to the point where they start to cry in anticipation. From a baby/toddlers perspective they don't know when you are going to come back or if you will and there are no visual cues for them to see or predict your return - initially they are waiting and on edge until they see you again which for a baby/toddler is hard as if you are out of sight - they don't know that you exist.
Separation anxiety can develop from as young as 6 months of age or when certain miles stones are met: crawling for instance - they crawl away and then realize you are not there and it can take a few months to subside - it can also come back again in toddler hood and then settle down again to disappear altogether.
Here are a few tips on how to handle it and what you can do to help your child understand the concept.
- Play peek a boo - disappearing and reappearing
- When you leave the room - use you voice so that they can still hear you
- Don't hang around when it is time to go showing emotions - look confident and reassuring.
- Hand your baby/toddler over to the caregiver - don't let the caregiver take the baby/toddler from you. This will show your child that you have confidence in their care provider.
- During the day spend extra time with your child if you can - given them reassurance and extra hugs and cuddles.
- If your baby/toddler starts to wake up in the night go in and use verbal reassurance, then start to pull back and do it from the doorway - then outside the door.
- Flip the monitors around so you can reassure them through the monitor.
- If you are going out for the evening make sure that you baby/toddler has seen the babysitter in your home or met them before. Its frightening for you baby to wake up and see a stranger peering down at them.
Although its hard - it wont last forever and everything will settle down eventually. Don't feel guilty as life is ever changing and sometimes things crop up that you cant help and were not expecting. Being prepared and being one step ahead will make the transition smoother for all of you -
Remember: If your baby/toddler has previously slept through the night and then starts to wake crying - this does not mean that your baby/toddler can no longer sleep through the night or that they have a sleep issue. Try and think about when it started and what was happening in your life around this time. Babies / toddlers can be very sensitive to their surrounding and I have know babies with parents who are moving house to be effected by sleep regression.
| Posted by Cheeky Chops at 11:44AM |
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Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Filed under: Blog Posts
As a former nanny with years of experience with children - I thought that parenting for me would be a breeze. I could not have been more wrong. Although I had both of my children sleeping through the night 7am - 7pm by 10 weeks of age there have been a number of issues that have arisen which, as a nanny I didn't even know existed.
The biggest hurdle by far has to be my husband - Since I had my son 4 years age I think I have probably spent 3 of those either not talking to him or in a heated discussion about our children and how I am too 'soft' on them. As a nanny I had sole charge of 'my' children and my whole day was devoted to them - I did not have to worry about paying bill, getting the groceries, doing the laundry or walking the dogs. On top of that at the end of the week I got paid - By the time my husband walks in at night, grabs his coffee that I have made, takes off his socks that I have washed and drops them on the floor that I have cleaned, he sits down and falls asleep.
I have to tell you - most of the time I'm really quite jealous and if I'm in the kitchen I might suddenly start to bang the pots as I unload the dishwasher in an effort to wake him up. Not only because he has just assumed his day has ended and its only 3.30pm but because a) he falls asleep so easily and b) when emptying his work bag I also discover that hes ate his lunch (in peace). You can guarantee at the end of the day I will find my breakfast coffee cold in the microwave which I forgot to drink the first time around and then forgot to retrieve it as I juggle my work, children. dogs and home. I'm not sure if I will ever make the transition into parenthood - or maybe its not the transitioning to parenthood that is the problem - maybe its the transitioning to being married.
But if any of you feel the same way or have a comment please post it below - I think many of you are probably in the same boat as me.
| Posted by Cheeky Chops at 11:16AM |
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Saturday, November 10, 2007
Filed under: Blog Posts
Welcome to my new blog on cheekychops.ca. I will be keeping the blog up to date with news, advice, information and up-coming seminars, so make sure you check back often.
If you have a question, please drop me a line and I will be happy to help.
Best regards
Dawnn
| Posted by Cheeky Chops at 4:37PM |
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Robert Taylor
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