August 2010

Stop Mosquito Bites

By: lee
Published August 24th 2010, in Health, Mosquito Repellents

So here are the solutions for of us that cannot bear the itching and scratching that these pesky creatures cause.  I suggest natural solutions instead of using brandnames that contain DEET, because the verdict is still out on the long term effects on our children’s health and the environment.

Believe it or not:

  • Spraying amber colored mouthwash in the area you are going to be stops mosquitoes from coming close to you.
  • Misting a mixture of water and vanilla extract especially in outside areas helps to keep mozzies at bay.
  • Citronella oil and candles have long been known to work effectively.
  • Eat enough garlic and the mosquito will rather make a meal out of your neighbour.
  • Long sleeves, long pants all in a light color repels mosquitoes, they are actually drawn to darker colors.
  • The following herbal oils work very well and longer than products with DEET:
  1. Eucalyptus
  2. Lemongrass
  3. Cinnamon
  4. Castor
  5. Rosemary
  6. Cedar
  7. Peppermint.

Remember to reapply the oils every two hours to keep yourself and your kids bite free!

How to take back your bed

By: lee
Published August 19th 2010, in Sleep, Sleeping in own bed

Many parents complain about sore bodies in the morning after having to share their bed with one, or sometimes more than one little person at night.  Children have the ability, however small, to take over the whole bed – having both parents hanging to the side of the bed just to stay on.  The most common strategy to conquer the bed is the horizontal approach to occupation. No wonder we are in pain when the sun finally rises.

Family beds are not new.  In some cultures it has been done for thousands of years. I agree, it does enhance bonding and give children an extreme sense of safety and security.  Problems arise when you are not able to be there physically to play the role of the human pacifier. Sharing a bed with your child also deprives you and your partner of much needed privacy and worst of all (personally) is the fact that you might be sharing a bed when your newly potty trained girl have a little accident…

Why do we do this to ourselves?  It is because, the little person knows that at 2 am your resistance is at an all time low.  It is much easier to let her just jump into bed with you, than get up and try to get a hysterical child to sleep in her own bed in her own room.  The biggest problem is that when you allow it once, they know that if they persevere in their crying, eventually tiredness will win the battle and the bed will be their prize.  Worst of all, if one is in, how can you deny entry to the next one? It is just not fair…

What are the possible causes of your child’s night time wandering?

  • Night Time Fears: Fear of monsters, spiders, etc. drives children every night to a big person’s bed. Arming your child with a flashlight, a monster deterring spray bottle or a protecting stuffed animal might do the trick.
  • Jealousy: Sometimes jealousy prompts a child to get extra attention at night.  A sibling with special needs, or a newborn might make a child feel deprived and being able to snuggle at night will give much needed comfort.
  • Fear of Growing Up: Some children are afraid of growing up – being small enough to share their parents’ bed reassures them that they will not lose affection and protection.

Some tips to keep your child in their own bed:

  1. Make your child’s room look inviting. Decorate it age appropriately – is she into Barbie or Pooh Bear? If it looks nice, she will want to spend time there.  The more time she spends there, the more comfortable she will feel in that environment – even at night time.
  2. The size of the bed might play a role.  Going directly from a crib to a single bed might be scary for a little one.  Putting up a guard rail might make her feel safer.  Another option is to use a toddler bed as a transition bed.  Toddler beds usually come in fun shapes and that can add to the attractiveness of the room. 
  3. A special bedtime routine provides precious time that you and your child spend together giving her the much needed sense of security and bonding with you.  A bedtime routine that is followed every day gives your child a feeling  that things are predictable and safe.
  4. Many children get up at night to go to the bathroom.  Make sure your little one goes to the toilet just before bed time.  If she does get up at night to come to your bed, redirect her to the bathroom, which she might need and make sure she goes to her own bed after that.
  5. Do not lie down.  If you lie down with her until she is asleep, she will assume that you are there for the duration of her sleep. Waking up and finding herself alone, will cause anxiety and tears.
  6. Establish the rule of sleeping in your own bed. If it is a rule, everyone has to adhere to it, even mommy and daddy. Mommies are not allowed to become weak when there is crying and whining. (This is for me the difficult part).  If she comes to your bed, she has to walk back immediately.  Important though:  No child should feel it is a punishment to go to bed.
  7. A mattress next to the bed, might help to reduce tears. She is allowed to sleep in your room, but not in your bed.  It is usually not as comfortable to sleep on the mattress and she might make the decision to move back to her bed on her own.
  8. 15 Minutes snuggle time before bed reassures your child that she is safe and loved.  Reassure her that you are near at all times whilst she is sleeping, this helps her to know she is safe.
  9. Reinforce the fact that sleeping in your own bed is a sign of maturity.  “If you were not such a big girl, we would not think that you can sleep in this bed all by yourself.”
  10. Be patient! Rome was not built in one day – the fact that your child is looking for you at night, means that you are loved and they feel loved by you!

Rest assured, your teenage girl or boy will not want to share their parents’ bed.  There is light at the end of the tunnel!

How much sleep does my child need?

By: lee
Published August 17th 2010, in How much Sleep is needed, Sleep

I often wonder about our preoccupation with how much sleep our children need. I think we subconsciously need to know that our children do need more sleep than they are actually getting in the hope that they will eventually learn how to sleep for longer.  And all of this in order for us to be able to close our eyes for a little bit longer.

Sleep is important to all creatures and all people of all ages.  We need sleep to give our bodies much needed rest to prepare for the next day. When we sleep, our brains brain sorts and stores information, replaces chemicals, and solves problems. Without sleep we become cranky, clumsy and not very nice to be around.

We now know why we need sleep, but just how much do we need?

1 – 4 Weeks old: Newborns need between 15 and 16 hours of sleep in a 24 hour period.  Unfortunately for tired mommies, they sleep for short periods of two to four hours at a time. Having not developed a circadian rhythm, they do not discriminate between day and night.  Premature babies generally sleep more and colicky babies sleep less.

1 – 4 Months old: Babies of this age need between 14 and 15 hours of sleep per day.  Luckily they develop more regular sleep patterns during this period.  They start sleeping for longer periods at a time – 4 to 6 hours and generally this will be at night.

4 – 12 Months old: Babies still need between 14 and 15 hours of sleep, but it is becoming predictable with 3 naps during the day and a long stretch at night.  A mid morning nap at about 9 am for about an hour, and early afternoon nap at about 12 for 1 to 2 hours and a late afternoon nap at about 4 will be enough rest during the day.

At about six months old, baby will drop the early morning nap and hopefully start sleeping through the night.

1 – 3 Years old: Toddlers need between 12 and 14 hours sleep a day.  After 18 months baby usually drops another nap and therefore starts sleeping for longer at night.  Toddlers typically go to bed between  7 and 9 at night and wake at between 6 and 8am.

3 – 6 Years old: Children of this age need between 10 and 12 hours of sleep at night.  Up to the age of 3 they will probably still nap during the day, but at 5 years old we would expect a child to only sleep at night.

7 – 12 Years old: With school and busier social schedules, children start going to bed later and therefore do not always sleep as much as they should.  The ideal is that they should still get between 10 and 11 hours of sleep, but on average this age group only gets 9 hours of sleep at night.

12 – 18 Years old: Sleep is especially important for growing teens.  When we get upset with our teenagers that sleep until 11 over weekends, they are actually only doing what their bodies need. Teenagers manage well on between 8 and 9 hours sleep at night, but often have to make do with less due to social and school pressures.

Parents: Parents do best on as much sleep as possible. Unfortunately we have to fall in with our children’s sleep schedules and therefore often walk around with dark rings around our eyes.  Do not become concerned when you see a mommy nodding off in the park or in the car waiting to pick up her darlings from school.