ML Interest Tag: infancy

Why Do Babies Hiccup? It May Have to Do with Brain Development

by Erica Loop

Researchers may have discovered an actual purpose for those adorable little baby hiccups. As it turns out, the sweet little noises may boost some types of brain development.

A recent study, published in the journal Clinical Neurophysiology, looked at the brain activity of 13 newborns (born between 30 and 42 weeks) when they hiccuped. Through EEG data, the researchers found that contractions in the diaphragm muscle during hiccups elicited a response in the newborns’ brain.

photo: Public Domain Pictures via Pixabay

The increased brainwave activity the researchers recorded may tie to breathing and breathing muscle regulation. In other words, the newborns’ hiccups were training their brains how to regulate breathing.

The study’s senior author, Dr Lorenzo Fabrizi, said in a press statement, “The activity resulting from a hiccup may be helping the baby’s brain to learn how to monitor the breathing muscles so that eventually breathing can be voluntary controlled by moving the diaphragm up and down.”

Not only did this study help to find a reason for newborn hiccups, but it may also connect to adult hiccups too. Researcher Kimberley Whitehead noted, “Our findings have prompted us to wonder whether hiccups in adults, which appear to be mainly a nuisance, may in fact by a vestigial reflex, left over from infancy when it had an important function.”

—Erica Loop

 

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Two Moms Share How a Quality Plush Toy Can Make Life So Much Easier

by Kenzie Kramer
Partner Content

We all have that friend (maybe it’s you!) who has held on to their childhood plush or teddy bear throughout her life. It’s stuck around from infancy into teenage years and eventually ended up in her adult home, even if it’s tucked away. Whether it’s gifted from loving grandparents or from Mom or Dad, this beloved item become a symbol of comfort, a friend on adventures and a nostalgic reminder of childhood.

As a parent embarking on these years with your own children, you know the important bond between a child and their forever friend—and so does GUND. Backed by a 120-year-old legacy, GUND was the first ever company to produce a teddy bear in the early 1900s. The iconic brand known for creating premium plush for over a century receives thousands of messages each year from parents reaching out to reclaim lost plushies or to share the love their child has for their soft, cuddly friend.  Who else could better understand the adoration and intense love between a child and their plush, which was shown in their recent commercial (cue the tears).

Now until Nov. 26, Red Tricycle readers can save 15% on orders from GUND by using the code REDTRI at checkout!

Classic characters like Snuffles, GUND’s signature teddy bear with a unique crescent design that lets him look into your eyes with every hug, continues to steal hearts and new additions like Rainbow Sparkles Unicorn and Baby Toothpick Sloth give endless lovable character options for every child. We’ve curated some real life mom hacks that illustrate the important role of your child’s first best friend and exactly why you #gottagettaGUND.

#1: THE BUDDY SYSTEM

Creator behind @VeronaBrit and PR Specialist at a children’s hospital, Veronika Javor has witnessed both personally and professionally how plush can calm and comfort a child, from her own home to the hallways of the hospital.

“Aside from their everyday appearances at the breakfast table, or being used as a pillow during story time, my children’s plush plays a significant role in their lives on the ‘bigger’ occasions. A cuddle before the first day of school, or after a scraped knee. If I know that tears may be coming—like when booster shots roll around—I’ll make sure to pack their favorite plush for them to hold onto. It helps them manage those moments when they need a little bit of extra courage and comfort.”

#2: AMPLE INVENTORY

Ali Budd, mom of two and the principal behind @AliBuddInteriors, a Toronto-based design studio, learned the hard way what happens when a favorite plush is lost. On a recent trip to England, her son’s beloved friend Gordon was misplaced somewhere between arriving at the airport and boarding the plane.

“Children become so attached to their plush that it literally becomes an extension of them. It’s a disaster if it falls apart or in our case, gets lost. The solve: buy multiples! When your child finds the plush they love, make sure to stock up. It’s also important that the item be high quality, so it lasts and can withstand some aggressive hugs.”

#3: HIGH STANDARDS

Once these plush make their appearance, they are here to stay, so it’s important to ensure they are top quality and, of course, cute! GUND’s high-quality materials, textiles and construction, paired with beautiful modern designs, provide longer lasting memories, while also being modern and trendy additions to nursery décor and beyond.

Having recently transformed a nursery into a big girl room for one of her clients, Ali (with her designer hat on) experienced how a beloved plush can be one of the only ‘little kid’ items that graduates to the big kid room. Growing up doesn’t mean there isn’t a place for their plush.

“GUND features modern designs, adorable characters in premium fabrics with incredible attention to detail, making them effortless to incorporate into a styled space. They should be where your child is, whether on their bed or a cozy reading nook.”

Now until Nov. 26, Red Tricycle readers can save 15% on orders from GUND by using the code REDTRI at checkout!

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How to Successfully Prepare Your Child for Their First Dental Visit

By Sonal Bhoot

Parental duties never end, but nightmares—like your child’s dental visits—are always a good learning opportunity. If you haven’t yet figured out the logistics of getting your little one through those hair-raising moments, fear not. Perhaps some tips that begin at home will set you on the right track. 

1. Don’t let them smell the fear. This is one hard-and-fast rule that applies to anybody, from adult humans to animals. Children definitely figure on this list. If you are terrified of the dentist or have had unpleasant dental experiences in the past, chances are you’re going to let it slip at home. The moment your child picks up on this, you can bank on them being scared of the unknown factor that goes by the moniker of ‘dentist.’ Never let your child know about your fear. Try making it sound like a good thing. Allow your kid to experience their first dental visit without the shadow of your dental trials clouding their appointment. 

2. Prepare the young ones right from the start. If you begin a good oral hygiene routine early, chances are your pediatric dentist will have nothing to do but compliment your efforts and let you off easy. Start by massaging the gums with a soft cloth before 6 months of age. Once the teeth start coming in, use a toothbrush and continue brushing your child’s teeth for them until they can do it themselves. Allow them to watch you brushing so they pick up the pattern and don’t miss any spots. 

Diet-wise, make sure to avoid the sugary stuff, particularly before bedtime. If they’re breast or bottle feeding, take care that milk doesn’t pool in the mouth. Introduce healthy, fibrous foods into their diets as they grow older. 

3. Prepare yourself. Although preparing your child is an important consideration, another facet is how well-prepared you are. With infants, the whole process depends on you. Ideally, a child’s first dental visit should be between 6 months to 1 year of age. This is an age when you cannot explain anything to them and the whole dental visit depends on you and your good luck. With children that young, you’ll have to sit in the dental chair yourself and hold your child in your lap. Relax as much as possible and try reassuring your child through your own special signals that they can pick up on.

With slightly older children, you can expect tantrums but prepare to be firm and supportive at the same time. Do not warn them not to cry beforehand, because this will automatically create the impression that they have something to fear. Instead, act like it’s just a regular visit. A casual, laid-back approach with an emphasis on taking care of their teeth, and brushing before the appointment, will convey just the right attitude. 

Another detail to remember is that, as a parent, you may be anxious about your child. However, be sure not to translate this in your gestures, as you may simply be presenting them with an opportunity to take advantage of your fear, throw tantrums, or make the visit doubly difficult. Offer all your support while keeping your fears at bay. Discuss any concerns you may have with your dentist, preferably out of the hearing range of your child. 

4. Don’t let other people’s stories determine how your appointment will go. Remember that, while other parents may be able to give you good tips with references to their own experiences, each child is different with individual concerns. What works for one child may not work for another, and what applies to one may not apply to another. Telling your child to behave a certain way or to expect a certain thing puts additional pressure on them and may create an illusion of a right which may be completely wrong in their case. This applies to you as well, because parental expectations and behavior matters. 

5. The dentist is not the big, bad monster. We are all guilty of this one. When you want your child to behave, you scare them with monsters and doctor’s needles. Maybe you threaten them with a visit to the dentist if they don’t take care of their teeth. Inadvertently, though, you create an irrational fear of the dentist when you do this. Children are not born with a fear of doctors or dentists. Unthinking comments on pain, injections, and other scary threats lead them to believe that they have a reason for fear. Always try to make the dentist sound like the good guy.

Right from the time they are old enough to understand, avoid phrasing dental or doctor’s appointments in scary terms. Instead, try presenting it in a positive light. 

6. Scheduling your appointment at the optimal time. Your child is a lot less likely to be cranky if you schedule an appointment in the daytime; preferably morning. A dental visit at the end of a tiring day, particularly for children, is daunting for everyone—from your child to the dentist, and even you. 

Also, remember to be on time. Running late will also have tempers running high, time running low, and a less-than-satisfactory appointment. 

7. Strike the right balance. Try to be open to the possibilities that your child’s dentist suggests in terms of treatment. Do not cling to your child or allow them to cling to you if they are old enough to understand. With young children between infancy to 4 years of age, it’s best to make sure you are there within sight or holding their hands. Avoid flinching, gesturing, or talking to the dentist using terms that convey anxiety to your child. 

Dr. Sonal Bhoot is the founder of Dental Expressions Lee’s Summit. She has over 15 years of dental experience and received her doctorate in Dental Medicine. (DMD) in 2003 from the New Jersey Dental School. Dr. Bhoot has certifications and proficiencies in cosmetic dentistry, CEREC training, Invisalign, endodontics, Oral Surgery

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Parenting Is Basically “Going on a Bear Hunt” Every Single Day

By Nicole Schmitz

It’s funny how, as new parents, we learn as we go, despite reading the books and listening to the podcasts. Just like what our little ones experience, once we think we have something figured out, it changes. Once a routine or a phase seems like it’s working, our children grow, learn a new way to explore or express, and we all have to learn how to navigate the next stage together.

Even though I nannied and babysat for 20 years before I had my son, there was so much I wasn’t prepared for. I wasn’t prepared for the unrelenting moments of frustration. I wasn’t prepared for my lack of freedom. I wasn’t prepared for the tears—mine, not his. Everyone told me that being a parent was the hardest job in the world. Now, I realize it’s just one of those things you need to experience for yourself to really understand.

As my preschooler recently turned three and reached a few major milestones, he also learned a few new things about his independence and ability to express himself. The routines and consistency that I had worked so hard to create for us in the last two or so years suddenly were no longer of interest to him. My brief, predictable hours of freedom during nap and after bedtime had become a battle…along with everything else, it felt like: meals, baths, cleaning up, getting in the car, getting out of the car, getting dressed and getting undressed.

Being someone who actively promotes self-care to my friends, family and clients, I know how important it is to prioritize my own needs, from meals and showers to alone time and quiet time. It took me a while to figure all of that out. If I can’t have these things, how can I be the best me? I couldn’t—and my son’s new demeanor was throwing all of this off track. I didn’t like it.

I found myself struggling with his behavior and my own reactions to it. This wasn’t what I expected. This wasn’t our routine. This wasn’t fair.

I started feeling something I remember vividly from his infancy. I felt disappointed for feeling disappointed and worse, guilty for my immature selfishness—and those feelings made me want to crawl out of my own skin. I was obsessed with and in love with my son. I had always wanted to be a mom. I read all the books. I ate all the organic foods. I breastfed. I gave up all of my time and my work and my body and my social life for him.

At that time, I thought, “Why doesn’t he see that? Why was he still crying? Why am I not happier?” I couldn’t believe more women weren’t shouting this from their Twitter feeds and at our park play dates. Most of them seemed elated every time I saw them; I know know they weren’t, really.

Two-and-a-half years later, I found myself on his bedroom floor, leaned against his crib, crying almost as loudly as he was while he refused his nap and my hugs, unable to express how confused and frustrated he was with his tiredness, lack of pacifier and a new schedule. I’m sure he desperately wanted to convey his wants and needs. He was probably thinking something like, “Why are you doing this to me?” (Ditto, kiddo.)

Well, I am sure most of this is all too familiar to some of you. But weirdly, I found solace in one of the unlikeliest of places: one of my son’s children’s books. You probably know the book, or at least the little chant of “Going on a Bear Hunt.”

Can’t go over it. Can’t go under it. We’ve got to go through it.

And it’s so true when it comes to parenting.

We’ve been reading this book nightly as of late and it started making me giggle when I considered its symbolism. My child, who, five minutes prior was screaming while refusing his evening bath (like, “I feel I should email my neighbors asking them not to call CPS” type of screaming), was now snuggling with me in the rocking chair, our cheeks touching, singing along to the book and making eye contact as though I was the only human in the world.

It’s a phase. But it’s also a process: it’ll pass, it’ll get easier…and it’ll get harder, too. We’ve got to go through it—and learn from it.

What I’ve been learning is that we can’t have expectations. I’ve learned to be grateful for my flexible work and lifest‌yle, my ability to mindfully change my thoughts and reactions, and for resources like friends and Janet Lansbury’s podcast and books to shift my understanding around my child’s totally normal brain. The frustration and hurt will return from time to time but I just have to remember: can’t go over it. Can’t go under it.

We’ve got to go through it—and we will, too.

Nicole L. Schmitz, helps others to improve their energy, digestion, sleep, nutrition, weight, and health conditions with simplified, cleaner eating, and better self-care. She is a mother, aspiring yogi, writer, and artist, loves living by the beach, and inspiring others to make clear and confident healthy lifest‌yle choices every day. 

 

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How I Handled My 2-Year-Old’s Separation Anxiety

By Jennifer Landis

While many moms go back to work only a few weeks after giving birth, I was lucky enough to be able to stay home with my now 5-year-old daughter until she was a little older than 2. When I was getting ready to go back to work, I spent a lot of time researching daycare options in my area, until I finally found one I thought would work well for us. They had a small class size, plenty of adults per child and some of the best reviews I could find.

When I went to check out the daycare, it seemed like it lived up to all the hype, so I signed my daughter up and got ready to head back to work.

What I didn’t anticipate was my sweet, outgoing, confident 2-year-old experiencing separation anxiety.

Monday Meltdowns

That first Monday morning, I’ll admit I didn’t handle things as well as I should have. She was happy to get the car with me and even excited to explore the daycare and meet all her new friends—until it was time for me to leave. I called her over to say goodbye and tell her I love her, and the waterworks started. She cried until she nearly made herself sick, clinging to my leg and saying “no” over and over. She didn’t have enough words to express what she wanted, so she just repeated the word “no.”

I didn’t know how to deal with separation anxiety. At the time, I had never handled it in children, though I did have a dog once who would misbehave as the result of the same diagnosis. I didn’t know what I was doing. I handed her to the daycare worker who was standing there with open arms and left for work.

They called me halfway through the day and told me she’d cried so much she was throwing up, and I had to come to get her.

Weighing My Options

I was beside myself. The daycare staff told me not to worry about it, and to go ahead and bring her back the next day. “Separation anxiety is normal in kids her age,” they said. “She’ll adapt.” Despite these comforting words, my daughter wouldn’t leave my side for the rest of the evening, and it made me wonder whether I’d ever be able to send her to daycare.

Having to leave half a day into my first day back at work didn’t look great, either, but I was less concerned about that.

Once I finally detached her from my hip and got her to sleep, I started doing some research into separation anxiety in toddlers. And you know what I found? The daycare workers were right.

Separation anxiety is par for the course in kids her age. Once they hit about 14 months, they start to develop a sense of the familiar. They recognize places, faces, and toys, so when I took her to an entirely new place and expected her to stay there with unfamiliar people, she panicked. Children who spend their infancy and toddlerhood in daycares learn how to handle this transition, and usually outgrow it around 2 years old. If it persists after that age, it can be a sign of separation anxiety disorder.

I didn’t prepare my daughter for this transition. She had stayed for afternoons or overnight with grandparents or other family members she knew, but I’d never taken her to daycare before. No wonder she was so stressed out!

Dealing with My Daughter’s Separation Anxiety

I was hesitant to head back to the daycare center the next day, but missing more work wasn’t an option, so we got dressed, had breakfast and piled into the car. As I had done the day before, I called her over to say goodbye. I told her I would be back to pick her up between her afternoon snack and dinner. We’d been keeping a pretty regular schedule at home, which the daycare followed fairly closely. Instead of saying, “I’ll be back around 5 p.m.,” which would have been meaningless to her, I put it in terms she could understand.

It didn’t stop her from crying, but I made it work. When I called to check on her at lunchtime, the staff told me she was playing happily with the other 2-year-olds, and that she’d only cried that day for around 20 minutes.

I was surprised, but I shouldn’t have been. Separation anxiety is part of growing up. She’s used to daycare now, though she still has trouble sometimes if she’s tired or not feeling good. That’s understandable. When little ones are sick, they want to be with their parents, no matter how often or how much time they spend at daycare.

Lessons I Learned

Today, my daughter is a happy, well-adjusted 5-year-old who happily goes to kindergarten, but our period of separation anxiety taught me a valuable lesson. It’s essential to prepare your children for new experiences, especially when they’re young. If I could do it over again, I would take her to the daycare for a couple of days to play and get to know the facility and the people before her first drop-off. You have to be delicate, and take their feelings into account.

Jennifer Landis is a mom, wife, freelance writer, and blogger. She enjoys long naps on the couch, sneaking spoonfuls of peanut butter when her kid's not looking, and binge watching Doctor Who while her kid's asleep.  She really does like her kid, though, she promises. Find her on Twitter @JenniferELandis.

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How to Raise an Emotionally Resilient Kid

By Jacquelyn Oldham

Photo: The Little Gym

There’s no doubt that emotional health is equally as important as physical health. For parents, raising a child with a healthy emotional well-being is an immense responsibility. Studies show that as many as 1 in 10 children and young people are affected by mental health challenges. Because of this, it’s important that parents strive to educate their children about mental health and focus on efforts to help their children become emotionally resilient.

Emotional resilience can benefit children in many ways; not only will children have a higher sense of confidence and self-esteem, but they will also easily bounce back from failure, conquer challenges, and reach their true potential. While this can seem like a colossal undertaking, these 5 tips can help parents raise an emotionally healthy child:

1. Focus on Feelings

It’s important to teach your child at a very young age (think infancy) to express their feelings. Whether your child is angry, sad, happy, excited or scared, it’s important to acknowledge what emotions your child is feeling. Once identified, you can teach them the skills needed to cope and deal with that feeling. Show real interest in your child’s feelings and help them express and manage their emotions in a healthy way.

2. Let Them Make Mistakes

While not always fun, mistakes help children learn. It’s important to teach your child that it’s ok to make mistakes. It’s ok to fail. It’s ok to be wrong. Teaching your child that mistakes are ok, and encouraged, can help them develop a healthy relationship with failure and teach them how to deal with shortcomings in a positive way.

3. Let Them Make Decisions

Not only will allowing your child to make some of their own (age-appropriate) decisions help foster their independence, it will also help them deal with the consequences or rewards of their own actions.

4. Nurture Them

There is no such thing as too much love! Caring, nurturing, and loving on your child is a BIG way to help them feel emotionally secure and will also help them grow into loving adults.

 

5. Lead by Example and Take Care of Your Own Emotional Well-Being

Parents need to practice what they preach. By taking care of your own emotional health you can, in turn, help your child grow into an emotionally healthy little person.

As Director of Curriculum & Training at The Little Gym International and a mother myself, it’s important for me to explore new ways to instill confidence and resilience in my own children and the ones that come through our program. These pieces of advice are to help kids feel emotionally empowered to take on new challenges and know that they don’t have to be the best as long as they are trying their best.

Experienced Director in Curriculum and Training with a demonstrated history of working in the entertainment, education, health wellness and fitness industry. Skilled in nonprofit organizations, event planning, customer service, franchising, entrepreneurship, coaching and sales. 

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5 Things to Keep in Mind When Choosing Baby & Toddler Classes

By GoBambino Kids Activities

Photo: iStockPhoto

When picking a class for your baby or toddler to participate in, it can be helpful to take her development into consideration. Many classes for babies and toddlers will work on skills from different areas of development, but it may not be obvious to you as a parent which skills are being addressed.

In order to help you better understand how classes for your 0 to 3-year-old may address these skills, here’s what you can look for when picking a class for your own baby or toddler.

Gross Motor Skills

During your baby’s infancy and toddlerhood, she is developing all kinds of new skills right before your eyes! Her gross motor skills may be the easiest to see as she goes from lying down to sitting, crawling, walking and eventually running.

A class that incorporates gross motor skill development will likely have a movement component, where your child is encouraged to move their body by dancing, crawling, or climbing. Any movement is good for gross motor development, but classes that help your child improve their gross motor skills will facilitate new movements that your child has not yet mastered.

Fine Motor Skills

Your baby’s fine motor skills progress from learning the basics of how to reach for and grasp toys to more advanced manipulation of toys.

Fine motor skills are skills that incorporate using our hands, and are essential for most activities. Classes for young children that target fine motor skill development will likely consist of playing instruments, using tools, or manipulating objects.

Cognitive Skills

Your child’s cognitive skills explode during this time period as she transitions from learning by passively observing the world around her to learning through interacting with objects and actively exploring her environment.

Your young child uses cognitive skills whenever she is engaged in an activity, but some activities require more cognitive skills than others. Classes that advance your child’s cognitive skills at this stage may involve activities such as counting, discussing colors, and naming objects.

Social Skills

You can watch her social skills grow as she moves from depending fully on you to being curious in other adults and children in her life.  In your baby’s first few years of life, her social skills development focuses primarily on her primary caregivers.

Classes that promote social skills at this stage will be for both your baby and you (or another caregiver), and will require your active participation in activities. For older toddlers classes that address social skills may also work on sharing and turn taking.

Play Skills

The development of all of these skills culminate in her play skills, which change and advance as she develops new ways of interacting with the people and things in her world.

Classes that promote play skills will allow your child free time to explore toys and/or activities. While structured time is important for other skill development, play skills require more open-ended activities to fully develop.

All of these skills are essential to healthy development and finding classes that address each of them will benefit your baby for years to come.

GoBambino Kids Activities
Tinybeans Voices Contributor

GoBambino provides a stress-free, commitment-free way for families to find & book activities and classes for kids. Our mission is to eliminate the stress of planning family activities. We built GoBambino to simplify (ever-so-slightly) the chaotic lives of today’s moms and dads.  

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5 Reasons I’ll Never Give Up My Kids’ Early Bedtimes

By Jamie Engelman

Photo: Oh Baby Consulting

If you’re struggling with sleep in your household your situation may drastically improve with one small, but critical change: an earlier bedtime.

Many of the parents I work with have children that are resisting bedtime, waking up frequently throughout the night and rising early in the morning. While my work with parents does a deep-dive into more than just schedule adjustments, ensuring that children are getting down to sleep at an appropriate time in the evening is an important piece of the puzzle.

So what time is bedtime, then? 99 percent of the time, it’s between 7 and 8 p.m in our house. While I fully agree that all children are different and some tend to sleep better with a slightly later bedtime, most children over the age of three months do best with a bedtime within this window. So, why is that?

Here are five benefits of an earlier bedtime.

1. It’s easier to put a child to bed before they become over-tired.

There is a natural dip in our circadian rhythm during this “after-dinner hour” and this is an optimal time to capitalize on the ease of putting children to bed before they get a “second wind”. Think about how tired you might feel early in the evening. You say to yourself, “I’m going to go to bed so early tonight!” But all of the sudden it’s 11 p.m. and you’re still on the couch scrolling through Instagram and watching reruns of Real Housewives and not really feeling all that tired. So, why is that?

It’s because you got your “second wind”—your body began to pump stimulating hormones into your system to keep you awake after you didn’t climb in bed after dinner. The same things happen with our children when we miss this optimal window. While it’s certainly easier to get children to fall asleep when these stimulating hormones aren’t running through out bodies, there are also several unattractive side-effects that overtired-ness brings: crankiness, tantrums, power struggles and behavior issues. Getting your child down before they reach this stage can help reduce bedtime stress enormously.

2. Earlier bedtimes help reduce night wake-ups and early-rising.

Being overtired can also lead to frequent night-waking and early rising. With more adrenaline and cortisol (stimulating hormones) and less melatonin (the sleepy hormone) pumping through your body, it is harder to not only fall asleep but also to stay asleep through the night. If your little one is up several times a night or rises before the sun, take a look at bedtime.

3. Early bedtimes provide more restorative sleep.

The most restorative period of sleep occurs before midnight. Humans sleep in cycles ranging from a lighter REM stage to deeper non-REM stages. The stuff we’re after, the really restorative sleep, comes during the non-REM stages. It is during these phases where our brains are replacing vital cells, repairing muscles and releasing growth hormones. Non-REM sleep occurs only at certain parts of the night regardless of what time we get into bed.

While kids who have schedules that are pushed later may still get the same number of hours as a child who goes to bed at 7:15 p.m., they’ll be getting much less of that wonderfully delicious, non-REM sleep than their early-to-bed counterparts. Putting your little one down earlier in the evening will ensure they get as much of that rich, good-quality sleep as possible.

4. Early bedtimes will help ensure you are meeting your child’s sleep needs.

Most children from infancy through adolescence need about 10t o12 hours of sleep per night. Oftentimes, children who go to bed later don’t actually sleep in much later than 7 to 8 a.m. simply due to circadian rhythm patterns. The ability to “sleep in” does not actually develop until later in childhood. Therefore, an early bedtime between 7 and 8 p.m. will ensure that your little one has all the time he needs to get plenty of quality sleep before they need to be up the next morning.

5. Early bedtimes mean a more relaxing and peaceful evening for you!

When you get your child to bed before 8 p.m., the night is yours! Catch up on your favorite TV show with your partner, take a relaxing bath or head to bed early yourself! Not only will your child be more well-rested, you will be too!

Jamie is a Certified Pediatric Sleep Consultant and offers personalized sleep solutions to exhausted families nationwide. With a background in child development and infant mental health, keeps up to date on the latest evolutions in the field which allow her to blend technical knowledge with empathy and compassion to tailor her support.

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10 Tell-Tale Signs You Know You’re Ready for Baby Number 2

By Carly Sachs

I know, I can’t believe it either. Your sweet and tiny baby is no longer quite so teeny tiny. She’s probably approaching toddlerhood and moving around like a mad woman. Gone are the days of putting the baby down and expecting her to remain there contentedly.

You might have always known that you wanted a second baby at some point, or you might have been on the fence after you had your first. But more and more frequently you’ve found yourself wondering: are we ready for another one?

It doesn’t help that from your baby’s first birthday onward you’ve probably been getting the question, “When’s the next one coming?” There’s no great answer. The lack of sleep combined with the whole scale change to your life during infancy, it may be something you feel like you’re never ready to tackle.

The age old question – should we have another or shouldn’t we, is something that many couples debate for years. If you’re having a second baby, make sure you know what to expect and that you’ve gotten your financial plan in order.

If you’ve been on the fence for a while and are debating having another, check out these tell-tale hints that you may be more ready than you think to take the plunge. Here are the top ten signs that you might be ready for another baby:

1. Everything seems SO tiny.

Was your little one ever really that little?

2. You can’t quite remember the last time your babe had that new baby smell.

I mean, she smells good, but that specific new baby scent seems to have disappeared overnight.

3. You’re in the midst of or have considered potty training.

Okay, when your kiddo pees all over the floor or poops her pants you’re probably not in the optimal frame of mind to be considering adding to your brood. However, if you’re close to potty training that means you’re almost out of diapers. Which meann…You could do it again.

4. Your firstborn carries around baby dolls and asks for a baby.

This is adorable and also maddening. As if you weren’t having a hard enough time deciding on whether or not to have another baby, you now have to worry about disappointing your current child.

5. You finally lost all the baby weight from the first go round.

I know, right? You finally hit that goal on the scale and now you might be willing to ruin it?! This is a good time because it signals your body is back in a pre-baby equilibrium. Getting pregnant when you still have 10 to 20 pounds to lose just makes it harder to get all off in the long run. Starting from neutral is a much better choice.

6. Sleeping through the night is no longer something that only happens to other people..

That first year I know it felt like you might never sleep again. And then, once it happened you were afraid for months it was going to go away. Once you’re solidly sleeping through the night again it’s SO hard to consider going back. But, it’s a reminder of how far you’ve come. And you now know that even with another kid, you will sleep again. Eventually.

7. Sitting down and actually eating as a family isn’t a foreign concept. You haven’t had to eat with a baby in one arm for months now.

If you’ve been having real family meals it means that your little is now sitting in his or her own chair and feeding herself. This is a huge win and means your arms are free to now feed another one if necessary. (Or you could just enjoy feeding yourself for awhile.)

8. Everyone in your kid’s class at daycare now has a baby sibling.

This is NOT to say that you should have a baby because everyone else did. It’s just that once your older child starts seeing everyone else with sisters and brothers, she’s inevitably going to ask where hers is. No one should peer pressure you into adding to your family, but once all your kid’s friends have siblings you can bet you’ll get the question.

9. You’re no longer breastfeeding.

It’s so hard to think about getting pregnant when you’re still nursing and your body isn’t fully your own. Once you’ve weaned and have had some time to get back to your former self, you may be a little more willing to get pregnant and share yourself again.

10. You’ve blacked out labor from the first time.

It’s true. No one would ever have another child if they didn’t black out labor. Even if you, in theory, remember your birth experience, almost everyone blacks out the pain at some point. If you remembered in every acute detail what it was like there would be no siblings.

Should you have another baby?

That’s not to say that EVERYONE wants a second baby. There are actually studies that prove mothers of one are happiest. Just because you have nostalgia about those baby coos doesn’t always mean you’re ready to add to your family. Definitely weigh the pros and cons for your family, your goals, and your personal situation before you commit to a decision.

No one can tell you when you’re actually ready for a second baby. It’s something only you and your family can truly know. However, if you’ve experienced enduring nostalgia or hit any of the milestones above, you might just be more ready than you think!

Carly is a mom, wife and brand marketer who is passionate about talking about the reality of motherhood. She blogs about parenting, awesome products and productivity at The Mamma's List. Her hope is that sharing tips and tricks will help other moms and make this parenting gig easier for all of us. 

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When Traditions Die, Make Them New

By Kristin Van de Water

Photo: Kristin Van de Water

Every family has its non-negotiables—until life forces you to renegotiate.

Growing up, Christmas traditions held a weight like no other. In particular, visiting the Dayton’s department store Christmas display in downtown Minneapolis was a given. Nothing—not even living across the county in California—could stand in the way of this childhood staple.

From infancy into adulthood, I looked forward to Dec. 26, when we would meander our way through a life-size version of our favorite fairytales, from Beauty and the Beast and Peter Pan to Puss in Boots and Pinocchio. Most people enjoyed the show on their way to see Santa. We came for the display itself—and of course couldn’t resist the after-Christmas sales. Our reward for waiting patiently in line was a gigantic sugar cookie (caked with frosting!) and an ornament to match that year’s theme.

When I became a mom a few years ago, I was eager to share the magic of these living storybooks with my own kids. I could picture their little faces lighting up in awe and wonder at all the colorful characters and dazzling sets. I eagerly anticipated sharing a sugar cookie as I helped my kids pick out an ornament each to hang on our tree.

As I had done for 30 years on the day after Christmas, we dashed through the chilly parking garage, over the sky bridge, up a gazillion escalators, and around the bend to discover…wait a minute. The doors were closed! Apparently, when Santa returned to the North Pole on Christmas Eve, they shut the display down as well instead of staying open through New Year’s as before. In 2016 the store closed for good.

When traditions like this threaten to die off, it’s a shock to the system. Thankfully, as parents, we knew all too well how to think on our feet and used those closed doors as a lesson in resilience and adaptability. We had to reimagine our non-negotiable. That meant we shopped for our annual ornaments at the Mall of America instead. Admittedly less charming, but still pretty awesome.

This year brought another major shock wave when my husband, kids, mom and I opted for a warm-weather trip to Florida instead of our traditional gathering with extended family. The Midwest had been my Christmas home for 32 years, so this decision meant the bittersweet end of an era.

I was tired of being tied to traditions (even though I loved them!) just because that’s how things had always been done.

It was always Minnesota and Wisconsin. Always Dad’s side and then Mom’s side. Always fighting off sub-zero temperatures to play in the snow. Always card games and board games late into the night. Always elaborate dinners served on china and elegant platters of peanut butter blossoms for dessert. Always plenty of summer sausage and wild rice to nosh on while cheering on the Packers or Vikings. Always me making excuses not to eat the herring.

And always nice, long chats with the aunts about life, love and the Lord. Our lives would collide for a few days together after months and miles apart. We would catch up on what life was currently throwing our way and mourn the losses of the year. We would marvel at what God has accomplished in us and through us over the last 12 months. We would share our hopes and dreams for the year ahead and anticipate whatever new phase of life the New Year would bring.

And each new year has, indeed, thrown some major life changes our way. In the last decade, my family has seen college graduations, new jobs, cross-country moves, engagements, weddings, new houses, pregnancies, new babies, cancer diagnoses, divorce, memory loss and death.

My immediate family’s commitments and priorities used to center around Minnesota and Wisconsin. Now, my brother has in-laws to visit and my dad gained a whole new extended family (grandkids and all!) when he married my stepmom. Both my grandmothers passed away recently, reshaping all our connections to the motherland. Matriarchs hold us together even in their frailer moments when cancer and strokes intrude. Without the draw of Grandma, my cousins, parents and I are sticking to the coasts.

To be honest, I’m mourning a little bit this Christmas. “Home” seems so distant. Will it feel like Christmas away from the coziness of my favorite armchair by the fire? I can’t believe I packed swim goggles, sunscreen and sand toys rather than snowsuits, scarves and slippers.

As parents, growing kids make us experts at flexibility. They force us to keep learning, strategizing and making the most of whatever circumstance comes next, including this current flavor of Christmastime travel. We will figure it out—one day and one year at a time—just like we do with every facet of parenting.

This year we’re trying out new traditions with a Florida spin. We’re making our own ornaments and hanging them on a homemade tree. And while it may not be a Dayton’s display, the palm trees lining the streets look quite festive with their twinkle lights.

When we search for 2019 flights, I’ll know that, armed with Christmas traditions galore, I can embrace the spirit of the season and be at peace in sand or snow.

Kristin Van de Water
Tinybeans Voices Contributor

Kristin Van de Water is a former journalist and teacher who relies on humor, faith, and her mom crew to get her through the day. Raising four kids in a two-bedroom NYC apartment, Kristin is always on the lookout for life hacks to save time, space, money, and her sanity.

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