At the end of a very long day you probably look forward to a little bit of quiet time. One mom couldn’t wait for the kids to go to bed to enjoy a restful moment so she came up with a clever pajama hack to help settle her kids down.
Mom of two Jessica D’Entremont recently shared her hilarious hack to get her kids to quiet down for bed time and parents are loving it. “Looking for a way to keep your kids still….” she wrote in her Facebook post. “Buy them glow in the dark pjs. Tell them they have to lie really still under the light to “charge” them…..”
The photo shows her pajama-clad kids laying on the floor as quiet as can be and you can almost hear a pin drop just looking at the picture.
Of course, the only way this clever hack will work is to ensure that the glow-in-the-dark pajamas are in need of recharging. Luckily, D’Entremont has the answer for that too. “To expand on the trickery I’ve started putting the pjs back into their drawer when they get dressed in the morning……unexposed to light all day they dim and do not glow in the dark when they tried to test me last night until they laid down again. Reinforcing the need to lie quietly under the light before bed,” she explains in an update to her original post. Genius.
The idea of laying in a wooden box with absolutely nothing to do might sound terrifying to some, but for parents who can’t even go to the bathroom by themselves, the Six Flags 30 Hour Coffin Challenge sounds like a dream come true.
Six Flags amusement parks are bringing back this unusual contest just in time for Halloween. The challenge invites contestants to spend 30 hours in a 2-by-7 casket in order to win $600. With the exception of designated bathroom breaks (which don’t involve any accompanying kids!), contestants must remain in the box for the full 30 hours in order to qualify for the prize.
The way some parents see it, however, staying in the box for a day and a half is a prize in itself. No lunches to pack, no beds to make, nothing but resting… in peace. Well, sort of. According to a press release contestants might end up sharing a coffin with “scary slithering reptiles” or “munching on giant cockroaches.”
Still, parents aren’t dissuaded. “Moms in particular are excited about the Coffin Challenge,” Six Flags spokesperson Sandra Daniels told TODAY Parents. “They’re saying, ‘Sign me up! I need a break!”
Each of Six Flags 15 parks will put a different twist on the challenge, finding ways to scare contestants into giving in. After all, the idea is to narrow it down to just one winner in the end. The Jackson, New Jersey, location will blast songs like “Baby Shark” on repeat during overnight hours. Yep, a mom is definitely going to win this challenge. Hands down.
If you’re hoping to join the challenge, check out the full details on how to enter here.
Wrapping up your newborn like a burrito looks adorable and can soothe babies and help them sleep, but getting the hang of swaddling takes a little practice. Read on to find out the tricks to keeping your little Houdinis from breaking free of the blanket while giving them a safe and cozy spot to snooze.
Why should I swaddle my baby?
The swaddle mimics the womb environment, which keeps baby warm and feeling secure and may even help with colic, according to the Mayo Clinic. Young babies also experience the moro reflex, or startle reflex, which can wake them up, and the swaddle can soothe baby and lessen the intensity of the reflex. That said, talk to your health care provider about whether swaddling is right for your baby.
How do I safely swaddle my baby?
Take a prenatal class in swaddling or watch the numerous YouTube videos on the subject and you’ll find two main swaddling styles. Both follow a similar format, in which babies’ arms are tucked at their side or on their chest and then a thin blanket is wrapped around their bodies, tight around the chest but loose enough around the hips and legs for baby to move their legs freely. Leg movement is important, as you’ll learn about in the following videos.
Shriners Hospitals for Children Offers Advice on Swaddling Infants Safely
In this video, a pediatric orthopedic surgeon at the Shriners Hospital for Children demonstrates a popular swaddling technique and answers related questions about hip and leg movement and the importance of swaddling correctly.
How to Swaddle a Baby
In this video, UC San Diego Health shows a similar technique, which involves laying the blanket in a square shape, instead of a diamond with the top point folded down. The bottom of the swaddle is folded up like a blanket and then tucked into a side fold so it doesn’t unravel.
Are there risks to swaddling?
As you saw in the videos, there are risks. Babies should only be swaddled when they lay on their backs, and their legs must be free to move. Swaddles can also contribute to overheating or, if not wrapped securely, can cover your child’s face. Here are recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) on safe sleep for babies, which you can also find on the AAP website:
AAP Safe Sleep Recommendations
The AAP recommends parents follow the safe sleep recommendations every time they place their baby to sleep for naps or at nighttime:
• Place your baby on her back to sleep, and monitor her to be sure she doesn’t roll over while swaddled.
• Do not have any loose blankets in your baby’s crib. A loose blanket, including a swaddling blanket that comes unwrapped, could cover your baby’s face and increase the risk of suffocation.
• Use caution when buying products that claim to reduce the risk of SIDS. Wedges, positioners, special mattresses and specialized sleep surfaces have not been shown to reduce the risk of SIDS, according to the AAP.
• Your baby is safest in her own crib or bassinet, not in your bed.
• Swaddling can increase the chance your baby will overheat, so avoid letting your baby get too hot. The baby could be too hot if you notice sweating, damp hair, flushed cheeks, heat rash, and rapid breathing.
• Consider using a pacifier for naps and bedtime.
• Place the crib in an area that is always smoke-free.
When should you stop swaddling?
Talk to your health care provider for advice. The main sign to look for is that your baby is trying to roll over onto their belly, as swaddles are only safe when a baby is laying on their back. This could occur as early as two months after birth.
Struggling with the swaddle blanket?
If the traditional swaddle blanket isn’t working for you or your baby, check out our guide to swaddles and sleep sacks. No wrapping required; zippers and other enclosures keep your baby all bundled up.
With the arrival of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s son Archie, the social media-verse may have lost sight of the rest of the royal family—for a minute that is. Prince William and Kate Middleton recently posted a series of sweet family pics on Instagram. And they are absolutely aww-dorable!
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge appear to have enjoyed a day in nature. The photos, taken during a family visit to the RHS Back to Nature Garden at the Chelsea Flower Show, feature all kinds of family fun. According to the IG post, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and even Prince Louis helped Middleton to gather natural items (moss, leaves and twigs) to decorate the garden with.
So why a day of garden-filled play? Besides the obvious outdoor adventures, Middleton wrote, on her IG post, “In recent years I have focussed much of my work on the early years, and how instrumental they are for outcomes later in life. I believe that spending time outdoors when we are young can play a role in laying the foundations for children to become happy, healthy adults.”
Blink and you’ll miss it, because Blue Ivy is laying it down in Beyoncé’s Netflix documentary. The streaming original, Homecoming, premieres on Apr. 17 and focuses on Beyonce’s critically-acclaimed headliner performance at Coachella last year—or more affectionally known as Beychella by her legion of fans.
While no one can argue the powerful Maya Angelou voiceover or the visually stunning images in the trailer that dropped this week are so many levels of extra, young Blue Ivy seems to have stolen the show! Twitter fans have picked up on a critical moment (fast forward to 0:31) where the seven-year-old can be seen dropping some mad choreography skills to a team of dancers in chairs and well––you just need to see this fierceness for yourself:
While it’s only a two-second snapshot, hearts were captivated on Twitter, where Beyhive fans can’t seem to get enough of the superstar-in-training. Tweets are aplenty on Beyoncé’s oldest daughter and we can totally see why:
While we’re excited to see Blue Ivy rock it with mama Bey, we’re also more than looking forward to the Netflix Original highlighting the star’s iconic performance as the first black woman to headline Coachella. Tune in to Netflix on Apr. 17 to catch tons of backstage moments with Jay-Z, Beyoncé’s rehearsals and workout routine, the Coachella performance, and of course––plenty of moments with the kids.
We get it: all of those baby milestones are so precious you can’t help but share them with the world in post after post on social media. While all of those photos are adorable, one woman’s viral “baby” photo takes a look at the humorous side of parents over-sharing on social media.
Twenty-four year old Sam Ackles is an aunt to an adorable little girl that she loves, but when it comes to those Facebook milestone pics her sister posts (every month), she’s not so sure. So Ackles decided to poke a little fun at the trend.
“So every month we would write down what kind of food she likes, what games she likes to play, what milk she drinks, all that kind of stuff,” Ackles told FOX 17. “So when it came to be my birthday, I thought it would be a good idea to do the same thing.”
Wrapped up on in a blanket to resemble a swaddled baby, the picture features Ackles laying next to a chalkboard that reads “288 months.” Ackles shared the photo on Facebook with the caption, “Ya girl is 288 months today! Has all her teeth. Favorite food is Mac n Cheese. Enjoys a bottle of wine, daily.”
The photo has since garnered thousands of likes and comments on Facebook. While Ackles admits her sister wasn’t initially thrilled with the idea, she went along with snapping the picture that has clearly given many people a good laugh.
Ackles says, “People from California, my friends from Florida and like, Texas have been messaging me, sending me screenshots that had no idea who I am sharing my picture and saying how funny they think it is.”
Even if you’re a seasoned traveller, long flights with young ones can be challenging. One airline is looking to make it easier for parents to fly with kids by making air travel much more comfortable and it’s a wonder no one thought of this sooner.
Air New Zealand recently announced a brand new way for families to fly with the Skycouch. The seat modification allows both adults and kids to safely lay down in flight, even during takeoff and landing. Using a row of three economy seats, the space can be converted into a flat surface so that kids have a safe space to stretch their legs and play, take a nap or just curl up next to mom and dad for a cuddle.
The Skycouch isn’t entirely new. The design for the Skycouch Cuddle Belt, which keeps you safely in your seat even when laying down, was originally designed for couples flying together, but now it has been adapted for use by families with kids. It can safely be used by two children laying side by side. The airline has also introduced the new infant pod, which acts like a tiny bassinet where a baby can lay down to take a nap or simply give your tired arms a break.
“While we initially marketed the Skycouch to couples, we quickly found the product suited parents with young families especially well,” Air New Zealand general manager Anita Hawthorne told the Huffington Post. “Parents can relax while their children are able to have their own space and flat area to play without interrupting other passengers.”
The Skycouch will be available to travelers later this year. Hopefully it will inspire more airlines to follow suit. After all content kids in airplanes benefits everyone.
Would the Skycouch encourage you to travel more with kids? Share your thoughts in the comments.
It is an uncontested truth that kids have more energy than their parents, except when it comes to cleaning. Yesterday, my kids wore me out. Budgie is cutting his one-year molars and Binnybeans decided that it would be a good idea to argue with me about everything. Every little thing. I was done by the time they went to bed. I managed to get the dishwasher loaded and tidy up a bit, but I just needed to sit. I was done.
So I sat down to watch the 10:00 news, and I was out before the sports came on. Normally, if I fall asleep on the couch, it’s for 20 minutes. I wake up with a kink in my neck and head up to bed. Not last night. When I woke up, Seth Meyers was just about to introduce his musical guest. I slept for two hours.
I turned off the TV and lights and headed up to bed, thinking I would just slip into bed and drift off into the sleep I so desperately needed.
HA!
I developed a bad case of Momsomnia. I had just enough sleep on the couch that I couldn’t get back to sleep. I laid awake, listening to my husband’s rhythmic snoring. I took deep breaths, adjusted my MyPillow, and thought soothing thoughts. Nothing was working. I took a warm shower, thinking it would relax my muscles and mind. Nope. Pretty soon it was creeping up on 3 am, and I was closing in on panic mode. My kids would be up in a little over 4 hours. 5 hours if I was lucky. I’m an 8 hours a night kind of woman… this was not going to cut it.
I tried laying back in bed, but at this point my husband’s snoring was less like gentle rhythmic white noise and more like a buzzsaw beside my head. I couldn’t do it. I wanted to kick him in the ass and tell him to stop his damn snoring. But that wouldn’t help either of us. He needed to be at work for 7, and I just couldn’t do it to him.
Back to the couch. That damn couch. Worn out leather, lumpy cushions, vague musty smell from a mystery spill. Curse you couch!
I fluffed my MyPillow and prepared for a couple hours of sleep at least. Eventually I drifted off again, only to be woken by my husband trying to sneak out to work. I pretended to sleep; he was sincerely trying not to wake me. I drifted off again for about a half hour before Budgie’s cockcrow woke me for good.
Grand total, I got about 4 hours. Not nearly enough for me. So when the kids went down for rest time, it took everything I had in my body to clean up lunch and try to write this blog.
I fell asleep with the computer on my lap and a half-created someecard. Not even half-created. I typed the word Momsomnia and fell asleep.
So now I’m totally out of whack. I’ll probably be up again tonight, trying to sleep because I slept for an hour this afternoon. Ugh.
Crafts, computers, hiding the good snacks... I do it all. I'm a computer scientist by training, but a mom by experience. I love to write about technology for families, because those are my two loves in life. Close behind? Cheesecake. And coffee.
From the soccer carpool to the never-ending assortment of mismatched socks, sometimes there are days when you’ve only got a few seconds (or 140 characters) to get in a good giggle. Well, sit back and get ready to scroll because we’ve scoured the Twitterverse for moms and dads that rap about the highs and lows of parenting, and the results are hilarious.
If trampoline shoes and hovering frisbees sound strangely familiar, your summers were spent in the glory days of the of the 80’s and 90’s. Take a trip back to when you weren’t allowed to come in until the sun went down and the only gaming you knew about was what you played on the sidewalk. Scroll down to revisit your childhood and the toys that came along for the ride.
Pogo Ball: It looked like planet Saturn done up in awesome colors. From contests on who could bounce the longest to practicing jumps in the air, the Pogo Ball bounced it’s way up and down your sidewalk every summer. Oh, and the wind-blown Corey Haim hair was a must.
Moon Shoes: Someone, somewhere must thought it would be a good idea to strap mini trampolines on the feet of unsteady little people. Did you have a pair? If so, how far did you actually manage to go? There’s a reason Michael Jackson had the monopoly on moonwalking.
Sit’ n Spin: It was a constant challenge to see who could spin themselves the dizziest. It also made an excellent Graviton-style carnival ride for Barbie and G.I. Joe.
Clackers: The click clack sounds coming from these orbs on a rope are almost as familiar as the tunes you hear in VHI’s count-down classic, 100 Greatest One-Hit Wonders of the 80’s.
Pogs: Either you or someone at your house had about a thousand of these. Playing for fun or for “keeps,” it was all about The Slammer.
Koosh Vortex Howler: Claiming to let kids throw a football as far as John Elway, we’re still excited about the whistling noise that let us know our head was about to be used as a target.
Super Soaker 50: A chance to drench your next-door frenemy through the fence with a pressurized squirt gun? Priceless. Summer water warfare was never the same after the Super Soaker appeared on the scene. The neon colors were an added bonus.
Diabolo: When you threatened to run away and join the circus, your mom didn’t flinch. Nope, she got you one of these babies to help perfect your moves, instead.
Roller Racer: The newer versions aren’t even half as cool as the original. There’s just something about propelling a tractor seat attached to handlebars with just your arms.
Air Spinner: A toy that hovers and flies? So awesome. The spinner took frisbees to the next level… until it got stuck on the highest branch of the tallest tree or flew away with the first gust of wind.
Inchworm: He probably showed up during the holidays and spent many a summer inching along the sidewalk in front of your pad. If you didn’t have an Inchworm, no doubt you coveted your best pal’s.
Skip It: Getting your full dose of daily moves wasn’t an issue with one of these laying around. The question was, how many times could you get that ball around your foot?
1-2-3 Roller Skates: After strapping these babies on, you were off… a rolling pro in hours! The best part was the look on your mom’s face when you skated right into the screen door on overdrive, trying to show off your progress.
