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Daily Routines aren't Humdrum


Posted by familybirthcenter in Postnatal & Parenting Blog | Saturday, January 2, 2010 | Comments (2)

 

After the hustle and bustle of the holidays families are usually ready for daily routines to normalize.  If you don't have a daily routine for your baby you might want to consider the benefits.  Creating a daily routine for your baby helps them to feel more at ease.  Babies who are on a routine are usually less fussy and sleep better. But, experts agree that it is best to wait until baby is about three months of age before establishing a routine.  The reason is because, it is important for babies in these early months to feed on demand in order to support optimal growth and brain development. 

 

When you begin to develop a daily routine for your baby it is best to let your baby take the lead.  Observe their eating and sleeping cues for several days.  Many new parents find it helpful to journal daily activities in order to see baby's natural patterns. Then structure baby's routine around their needs. While establishing a routine it is important to remember that your baby's well-being comes first no matter what the schedule says.  In other words, follow the advice of your Pediatrician and your common sense to decide what is best for your baby. 

 

If mom is working and baby needs to be at day care by a specific time in the morning, it is best to put baby to bed early then wake them up early in the morning to spend extra time playing, reading and snuggling with them before you leave for work.  In most cases this helps the transition from home to daycare easier.

 

When building a daily routine along with the basics of eating, sleeping and bathing it is vitally important to schedule in time for parents to play with their babies, and time for baby to play and explore by him or herself.  Play and discovery time are important learning opportunities for babies. 

 

Remember that as baby grows and his or her needs change the daily routine should be varied to meet these milestones in baby's development.  As baby gets older nap times should be altered along with eating and play needs.

 

Another thought to keep in mind is that there will be times when it will be difficult to stick to the routine for instance, vacationing can disrupt normal routines. If you are planning a stay away from home it can be helpful to bring familiar items like night-lights, special blankets or stuffed animals to help baby feel more comfortable.  During times of anticipated disruption like appointments, try to stay on schedule as much as possible for the rest of the day.

 

Another expected interruption is when baby is teething or becomes ill, he or she might not be able to eat or sleep as usual.  When this happens you will need to relax on the schedule or forget it until baby is well and then start again from the beginning.  In most cases it only takes a few days to get back on track. 

 

Most of all enjoy parenting your little one.  They are a blessing each and everyday!

 

 

Breastfeeding article


Posted by nikkik in Postnatal & Parenting Blog | Thursday, December 3, 2009 | Comments (0)

Yet another reason to breastfeed:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2009-01-26-breastfeeding-neglect_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip

The great thing about this article is that the author goes out of her way to make sure non-breastfeeding parents are not viewed as less than.

Foster Parents: Thank you


Posted by nikkik in Postnatal & Parenting Blog | Thursday, September 24, 2009 | Comments (12)

I have few yet vivid memories of some of the foster teens my parents took in when I was a preschooler. One of them was a fun-loving African American girl who made us laugh by impersonating the Cowardly Lion from The Wizard of Oz. Another stole our car. Nevertheless, overall, even my parents agree that it was a good experience for our family. Later, I would marry a man raised in part by foster parents, so, needless to say, I have great respect and admiration for foster parents.

I have a friend who recently, along with her husband, completed the application process to become a licensed foster parent, and got her first "assignment": a baby boy. It was a big adjustment, as my friend's only biological child is now in high school. But she relished the experience, sleep deprivation and all, only to have it end one short week later. You see, foster parents, by definition, provide a temporary home for those in their care (unless they move forward with adoption). Depending on the individual child's family situation, different, more permanent placement could become available at any time. A great foster parent will love the child with everything they have, even knowing that the child could leave at any time. This is true selflessness. Thank you to those unsung heroes: foster parents.

How did I ever live without . . .


Posted by nikkik in Postnatal & Parenting Blog | Sunday, September 20, 2009 | Comments (0)

. . . wet wipes? Before our babies were born, I never bought wet wipes. I rarely even used paper towels. Rags and towels, it seemed, were all we really needed to clean up the occassional mess. Then our first daughter was born, and along with the obvious necessity of changing diapers, wet wipes came in very handy for all the new messes that turned up. I'll save readers the gory descriptions of bodily fluids, but you mommies and daddies know exactly what types of messes I'm referring to. Now that my kids are no longer babies, I wonder how I ever lived without wet wipes, even before they came along. I've got a pack in each car and in almost every room in the house now. You never know when you'll need to wipe off obnoxious face paint from your 3-year-old's face before heading to the store, etc. Don't leave home without them!

Choosing a daycare


Posted by emmareaghansmommy in Postnatal & Parenting Blog | Tuesday, September 8, 2009 | Comments (0)

Going along with the stay at home or go to work topic, I thought I would share my thoughts on choosing a daycare:)  I have worked in three daycare centers in about eight years.  It was a couple of years ago that I worked in childcare, but I do have a couple of "insider" suggestions for parents who are picking out a daycare center.  One really good idea is to just drop in...don't call and make an appointment!  Walk in and really listen to what is going on.  I wont name the center I worked for that was not so great, but  I will tell you the director would freak out when people did that because things were not what they should be!  A good time to get an idea of what really goes on, is lunch time.  This is when staff is starting to take their breaks, and a good time to see if a center keeps their adult to child ratio.  Another important thing to do is ask lots of questions!  Important things to know are...what their ratios are...there are laws but some centers choose to have less kids per adult, and that is a really good thing.  Ask them about their staff's attendance...especially the lead teachers, some kids would have a very hard time with new teachers every day.  Also see how long the lead teachers have been in that classroom, the longer the better!  If you are checking out infant rooms, I would hang out for awhile and see how the staff responds to busy times when babies are up and needing care or crying.  That not so great center I mentioned, would leave babies in cribs to "cry it out!"  I worked there before I had kids, once I had Emma I had to find a new center..this is where your baby or child spends a lot of time.  They deserve a loving safe enviroment:)

Birth Order


Posted by nikkik in Postnatal & Parenting Blog | Saturday, September 5, 2009 | Comments (0)

I'm the oldest of seven children - all from the same set of parents who are still married! Over the years, it's been interesting to observe how each of my siblings' personalities have developed, and I've always wondered how much of their tendencies (and my won) are shaped by birth order. I certainly believe that my own position as first born has affected my outlook and habits. For example, without older siblings to look up to, I mostly look to my parents for "approval" and validation. I also take my role as older sibling pretty seriously - wanting to be a good example to the younger ones (now adults and peers, but it continues!). I also tend to be "Type A" - organized and borderline controlling. Growing up, I always felt that I got the raw deal - more responsibilities, less pampering.

As parents, it's important to understand the perspective of each child, relative to their birth order. Here's a great websitedescribing common characteristics of children in birth order:

 http://www.childdevelopmentinfo.com/development/birth_order.htm

Stay at home or go to work?


Posted by emmareaghansmommy in Postnatal & Parenting Blog | Monday, August 31, 2009 | Comments (1)

For me, this was an easy choice.  Ever since I was little I wanted to be a mommy...take care of the house and kids, cook dinner, and just make it a happy home.  Maybe this is because my mom stayed home, and was an awesome role model of a "housewife."  She made our childhood a happy and memorable one.  She never sat on the couch eating bon bons and watching Oprah!   She played imaginary games, built forts, drove us to and from school and sports, etc.  That is just what I wanted to grow up to be, and here I am:)  Sometimes, it is harder than I thought it would be!  But that is the same with any job...and if its too easy, then you probably are not doing it right!  It is not for everyone, and I don't think thats a bad thing at all.  When Emma was born I had to work full time, when Reaghan was born I was able to go to part time and eventually quit altogether.  Working while my girls were little was something that I really had a hard time with!  I missed them, pumping was just not the same as actually nursing, and I missed out on so much. Unfourtunatly, once I heal from my surgery it looks like I might need to go back to working part time.  This is terrible news to me, but as parents we gotta do what we gotta do to keep the household running.  With Wes being in real estate, I am lucky to have been able to be home for this long..and hopefully we will get back to the point where  I can be a stay at home mom again someday:)

 

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