Posts by blogEPantley

When Reality Doesn’t Match Our Expectations

The realities of everyday life often don’t match up to our expectations; however, this seems especially true when you become a parent. There are three main areas where our parenting expectations become out of sync with real life…

1. The Ideal Family Life

Parents tend to paint a picture of what their family life will be even before their first child is born. These daydreams idealize their future family and put focus on the many joys of parenthood.

Holiday Gift Ideas for Babies

Here are some gift ideas for this holiday season (or anytime you need one of these items.) These are things I know and love, so if you’re looking for something and aren’t sure which to choose – maybe I can help. Have fun shopping!

(The links & images in this post are affiliate links. This doesn’t change your price or shopping experience, it simply means that Amazon gives me a small payout for my time & recommendations. If you purchase via my links, I appreciate your support!)

Let’s start with a few baby gear favorites…

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Benefits of Bedtime Reading

Many parents read to their kids as part of the bedtime routine, and it’s a popular pre-bed activity for good reason. Children will lie still and listen to a book, which allows them to relax and become sleepy. Reading is a peaceful way to end the day, and it is key to a child’s academic success. Bedtime reading rituals guarantee that children will get their daily reading time.

One Simple Tip to End Bedtime Battles

If you currently feel like bedtime is a stressful, rushed experience for everyone in the family, there is one easy solution! Simply allow more time for bedtime activities so that it can be a calmer, gentler routine.

You will inevitably face problems if you are starting your child’s bedtime routine fifteen minutes before you’d like your child to be asleep. Fifteen minutes is barely enough time to get through the essentials in the bedtime routine if everything goes perfectly, and we all know that putting children to bed rarely goes perfectly. You will not have the time to enjoy the slower pace of a nighttime routine, you will not have time to be patient with your child’s dawdling, and everyone will feel pressured by the time constraint. Your child will pick up on this tension and will respond with additional requests, more dawdling, and meltdowns.

Music is Good for Babies

Research shows that exposure to music from a young age, and musical training, can create new pathways in a young brain. You don’t need to be a professional musician or trained opera singer to give your baby the benefits of music. There are many ways to introduce your children to music, and it is very likely that they will love it! Since music can be good for your baby’s development, here are a few ways to bring music into your baby’s life.