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.

Help Your Child Take Medicine without a Fuss

Is giving your child medicine a difficult experience? Does she fuss and push you away whenever it is time to take the medicine? When you finally get the medicine in her mouth, does she spit it out or let half of it drip down her chin?

Unfortunately, at some point your child will likely have to take medication. And since it is very important to give your child medication when necessary and as prescribed, it is also important to lessen the struggle and have your child take the medicine as needed.

Weaning Your Child from the Pacifier

Pacifier weaning is often dreaded by parents; however, this post will outline gentle tips to slowly but surely wean your child from their pacifier. Unless there is a specific reason that you must take away your child’s pacifier quickly, then it is best to take a gradual approach.

When you are ready to start weaning, follow the tips below…

Make Evenings Easier with a Bedtime Chart

Parents are exhausted by the end of the day, and children rarely go to bed willingly. This, of course, means that evenings can become a source of tension in your home. Luckily there is a simple solution to relieve some of this frustration and create a new, easier bedtime routine for your family.

Create a bedtime chart…

When You’re Frustrated that Your Child is Dawdling

“Let’s go!” “You need to hurry up!” “We need to leave!” Sound familiar? It is hard not to get frustrated when you are trying to get everyone out the door, on to the next activity, or ready for bed. It is even more frustrating when your attempts seem to slow everyone down even further rather than speed them up.

The first step in minimizing frustrations is understanding why kids dawdle, and then learning about what you can do to help…

What’s the Best Way to Transition from Crib to Bed?

Part 2 of a 2 part series –
   Previous Week: When Should You Move Your Child from Crib to Bed?

There are many ways to help your child make the transition from crib to bed. When deciding which way is best, you will want to consider your child’s personality and the size and configuration of his bedroom.

No matter which path you choose, be patient! Do your best to make it a pleasant experience for your little one. Keep in mind that such big steps toward growth sometimes happen in spurts, and your child may be excited to welcome change one day but wary of it the next. Maintain the important parts of your nightly routine and help your child develop a positive, happy association with her new bed, since she’ll be sleeping there for many years to come.