Slumber Time Solutions

👉TIP TUESDAY👈When nights get colder, we want to make sure our kiddos stay warm ant night. A question that comes up often is when to start using a blanket to keep them warm (as opposed to using a sleep sack for example). I recommend that you don’t introduce a blanket for warmth until your kiddo can adjust it on their own. Every child is different, but that’s often not until they are at least 2 years old. Here’s why. Kiddos move a lot at night, and there’s a good chance that he will get uncovered at some point.​​​​​​​​

🧒 If they can’t adjust their blanket, they will likely want/ask to be tucked in again… by you! So I suggest that you continue to use sleep sacks or warm pajamas until your child can readjust the blanket all on their own so they don’t depend on you tucking them in to stay warm. Since it’s not an easy thing to do at first, help them practice during the day and at bedtime. Once they can do it well, then they are ready for a blanket at night! ​​​​​​​​

🛏️ Choose a blanket that is light and that is large enough so it’s easier for your child to get under it!​​​​​​​​

👉 NOTES: Today I am talking about a blanket to stay warm. Your child can sleep with a blanket they use as a lovey once it is safe for them to have a lovey, which is at 12 months (in the US) or when your pediatrician gives you the green light.

👉POTTY TIP👈⁣Have you ever considered all the steps and skills involved in going potty independently?

• Recognize that you need to go
• Choose to stop what you are doing and go potty
• Go find the potty
• Pull your clothes down
• Go potty
• Wipe
• Flush
• Wash your hands
• Put your clothes back on

Phew! It’s a lot of steps! And each step is complex! It can take a while until your child can do all the steps independently. For example, kiddos may need help with wiping and washing hands for a while.

➡️ Which step(s) is your child learning right now?

👉TIP TUESDAY!👈
Last week we talked about the 3 components of an effective bedtime routine: getting ready, relaxing, connection.​​​​​​​​⁣​​​​​​​​

Today I want to chat about how your attitude impacts that connection before bedtime. ​​​​​​​

Pay attention to your own mood during the routine: if you are frustrated, rushing through the routine, stressed out about all the things you have left to do that night, your child will pick up on that energy and that will make bedtime harder and longer.​​​​​​​​

If you are feeling frazzled before bedtime, take a moment to calm and get yourself ready. Take some deep breathes, go outside, take a few min to yourself. Then when you are ready, go in! This special ritual with you is very important to your kiddo.​​​​​​​​

💙 Try to be present, relaxed and positive – that will help you and your child connect emotionally before bedtime and that will likely help your child go to sleep faster! ​​​​​​​​

💙 Pay attention to your mood tonight during the routine and let me know what you notice!

👉 TIP TUESDAY 👈 ⁣Having a consistent bedtime routine is very helpful.

Studies show that children with calming and consistent bedtime routine tend to fall asleep faster and sleep better overall. So I like to think of the time that you put in the bedtime routine is an investment in the rest of the night. A bedtime routine can be 10-30 min depending on the age of your child.

🌙🥱 A bedtime routine has 3 components: getting ready, relax and connect.

🚽 GETTING READY
Start your routine with getting ready: change diaper, potty, brush teeth, put on pajamas, etc.

📖 RELAXING
Then pick a few calming activities that helps your child wind down and do them every night in the same order. Here are some examples: read a book, have some milk, sing a few songs, do a massage, say good night to objects in your room, talk about your day, etc. Ideally, we want the rest of the routine to be in the room where your kiddo will sleep. Over time your child’s routine will change as your child gets older, but the concept is the same.

📵 CONNECTION
This is a time when we want to connect with our child. We are about to be separated for several hours, so we need some quality time together beforehand. Put your phone away and really be present during the routine. Getting your full attention will “fill their cup” and your kiddo will be more ready to let you go when it’s time to sleep. I know this can be hard, so next week I will share tips about how to get yourself ready for your kiddo’s the bedtime routine!

What does your kiddo’s bedtime routine look like? Is your bedtime routine helping your kiddo wind down? Tell me in the comments!

🚽 POTTY TIP 🚽
Did you know that children’s sensitivities can derail potty learning?

If your child is sensitive to some sounds, light, smells, then going potty can feel overwhelming. But once we can identify these sensitivities, we can create a plan to support your child while helping them learn.

👉 Here’s an example. For a long time, my daughter was scared of the flushing sound of public toilets. It caused her to have accidents because she would not go even when she needed to! But I now know tools I could have used to help her navigate these situations better.

If there’s something your child is afraid of around potty, put it in the comments! 👇

👉TIP TUESDAY!👈 Does your child have a lovey?

​​​​​​​⁣🐇 A lovey is an object (stuffed animal, blanket, etc.) that your child sleeps with. It can be a great tool to help with sleep and separation. A lovey can make a child feel safe and secure, particularly at bedtime or when they wake up at night.​​​​​​​​ In the US, the AAP recommends to wait until your little one is 12 months before introducing a lovey.

🐘CHOOSE A LOVEY​​​​​​​​
Your child may already have something they like to touch and hold. If not, you can pick something you think they would like. Pick something that is small (easy to take with you!), washable and ideally get a couple of them (in case you misplace it and you need a back up)! ​​​​​​​​

🔘 Does your child like to touch certain textures? Some kiddos like to touch tags, buttons, satin, zippers, etc. If so, try to find a lovey that has that texture, or add it to their lovey (sew a button or some tags for example).​​​​​​​

👉INTRODUCE A LOVEY​​​​​​​​
To introduce the lovey, hold it between you and your kiddo at bedtime and naptime routines. You can also include the lovey in bedtime games. Say good night to the lovey, give it a kiss, etc. Really play it up for a few days! If you pay attention to the lovey in front of your kiddo, they are more likely to pay attention to it too! ​​​​​​​​
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Put the lovey with your kiddo when they go to sleep and you’ll see what happens over time! We can’t make him attach to that lovey, but we can make that object feels safe and familiar, and then he can decide!

❤️Today is Grandparent’s day!❤️
⁣If your kiddos have the chance to have some loving grandparents in their lives – either by blood or other adults that play a similar role, we want to encourage their relationship with your kiddo(s).​​​​​​​​

👵 Sometimes grandparents tend to follow their own rules (hmm hmm, in other words they do not follow what you ask them to do!). If the grandparents in your life insist on doing bedtime or naps their own way, it’s probably ok. As long as it does not impact your kiddo negatively after grandparents leave, let them have their own way. Kids are super smart and they quickly learn that different people/places have different expectations/rules!

This Saturday is National Read a Book day, so let’s talk about books today!

👉Research shows that reading to children has lots of benefits: increased vocabulary, social and cognitive development, listening skills, developing a love for reading, bonding with parent – to list a few!​​​​​​​​

👩You can read as part of your bedtime routine. I think it’s a lovely way to snuggle and wind down before going to bed. But if your kiddo is not into reading at bedtime, or reading gets them too wound up, you can you can also read at another time in the day. ​​​​​​​​

✨Also, some kiddos are VERY active during reading: touching the book, walking around, etc. And that’s ok! Keep reading – they are still enjoying it and benefiting from your reading. You can also tell stories instead of reading books, or look at a picture and talk about it.​​​​​​​​

So grab a book and read!

👉 What is your favorite kid’s book in the comments! I would love to hear what you're reading again and again these days!

Here's all the ways that we can connect this month!

Note: My weekly Sleep Support group has a new time: we meet on Tuesdays at 9:30 am on Zoom. DM me for link.
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💙 Let me know how I can support you this month!

👉POTTY TIP!👈 Potty training can be a journey, especially when your little one goes to daycare/preschool. Before you start potty learning, ask your child care provider about their policies. I have found that some are wonderfully supportive and will accommodate those inevitable potty accidents while others have stricter policies, like requiring your child to keep their diaper dry for X days in a row before they are allowed to stop wearing diaper.

🚼 If your child will likely need to wear a diaper while at child care after you start taking the diaper off at home, it’s ok. Parents worry that wearing diapers at day care (but not at home) will be confusing to the child and slow down their progress – and it may be to a certain degree – but your kiddo can still master potty training!

🤩 But don't worry! Even if your daycare isn't as flexible, your child can still learn at home. Here’s how:
• START AT HOME: Begin potty training on a weekend when you have some uninterrupted time at home.
• EXTRA DAY HOME: If possible, keep your child home for an extra day to reinforce the learning.
• DIAPERS AT CHILD CARE: It’s okay if they need to wear a diaper - the real magic happens at home.
• CONSISTENT ROUTINE AT HOME: As soon as your kiddo comes home, take off the diaper and continue the training.
• COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR CHILD CARE: Ask how your child is doing and let them know what your child is doing at home. Share what works for you at home (language you use, timing of when they usually need to go, signs that your child needs to go, etc.).

It might take a bit longer, but if you stay patient and consistent at home, your kiddo will soon be able to show off their potty skills at home and at daycare/preschool!! 💪✨