Blog | Page 4 of 90 | Sleeping Should Be Easy

How to Establish a Baby Nighttime Routine

Dec 30, 2020

Need examples of a baby nighttime routine to do every night? Learn how to establish a consistent evening routine to help your newborn sleep. We've all heard we should have a baby nighttime routine, but how exactly do you start? When and what age is it appropriate to follow a routine, and how long should each one be? With so much to take in as a parent, it's no wonder we're not even sure we're doing things right, including establishing a routine. When I took my eldest home from the hospital, I felt like I was always scrambling from one activity to the next. Other times, I was so … [Read more...]

How to Respond when People Criticize Your Parenting

Parenthood

Dec 29, 2020

Frustrated with the criticisms of the way you raise your kids? Here's how to respond when someone criticizes your parenting methods. One glaring fact had set me apart from my extended family: I didn't let my little toddler eat sweets. He had no first-year birthday smash cakes or Christmas cookies, and it was years before he had his first taste of candy. I became more lenient with the twins, but compared to most parents, still not too much. Coming from a family where dinner can include five desserts, this was sacrilege. And sometimes, I felt it. "Don't you feel bad for him, though?" … [Read more...]

What to Do When Your 3 Week Old Baby Won’t Sleep Unless Held

Newborn

Dec 28, 2020

It's tough when your newborn won't sleep in the crib (and only in your arms). Learn what to do when your 3 week old baby won't sleep unless held. During the newborn stage, weeks can feel like eons, with so many changes from one to the next. One of the biggest problems? Your 3 week old baby won't sleep unless held. You've tried putting him down as he drifts off, but he screams within five minutes, barely enough to do anything before he's awake and crying. Because he's inconsolable, you now have to start the whole sleep process all over again. He fights sleep no matter what, only to get … [Read more...]

How to Help Your Angry Child

Behavior

Dec 27, 2020

Dealing with meltdowns can be difficult, but it's during these times your angry child NEEDS you. Here are strategies to help you handle it. My kids had been so excited to work on the school garden. You couldn't peel them away from digging and turning the soil. Other than the occasional snack, they wanted to keep shoveling and pulling weeds. And then it happened: One of them didn't want to leave. Whereas the other two were ready to go home, he wanted to stay and dig. So, my husband and I did the typical moves: we showed empathy and tried to make the transition light. We even gave him … [Read more...]

How to Deal with Gender Disappointment During Your Pregnancy

Pregnancy

Dec 26, 2020

Disappointed about your baby's gender (and feeling guilty)? Learn how to manage gender disappointment during your pregnancy with these tips. A girl. That was what I was hoping my second pregnancy would reveal. I already had a boy and thought it'd be awesome for him to have a little sister. I wished so much that the sonogram would reveal that one of the twins would be a girl. But when I learned that they were both boys, I ended up dealing with gender disappointment I didn't know I'd feel. Gender disappointment isn't as strange as you might think. I know so many people who really … [Read more...]

What to Do when Your Child Disrespects You

Communication

Dec 25, 2020

Tired of the backtalk from your kids? Learn what to do when your child disrespects you and how to rebuild your relationship. The Terrible Two's. The Threenager stage. When kids were younger, we could chalk their snarky attitude to "it's just a stage." But after a while, that stage can get out of hand. Kids can be disrespectful, no matter how many times we've tried to teach them otherwise. And the attitude sometimes stems from a major change in the home—not exactly something we could erase. Regardless of the reason, it's difficult for everyone involved. Both parent and child seem to … [Read more...]

What to Do When Your Child Refuses to Eat

Eating

Dec 24, 2020

Frustrated when your child refuses to eat what you made for dinner? Learn how to avoid power struggles and get your kids to finally eat. I cooked orzo pasta for dinner—usually a family favorite—except this particular meal happened to have artichokes. My son crinkled his nose. "I don't want to eat it," he said, without so much as taking a single bite. "Aren't you hungry?" I asked, hoping his hunger would drive him to at least try one spoonful. "I am," he responded, "but I want something else to eat." And when I told him there was nothing else to eat but that, he proceeded to whine … [Read more...]

Children’s Books about Anger

Children's Books

Dec 23, 2020

Need ways to calm your angry child down? This collection of children's books about anger helps kids manage and understand these big feelings. It's that moment when you realize this is far more than just a tantrum or mere stubbornness. And after three kids, I've seen the face of true anger, especially when it comes out of nowhere. It might've been when I said it was time to leave the school garden, only for them to kick and scream in the van the entire ride home. Or when one of my kids yelled at the top of his lungs, his face in anguish because I told him it was time to take a … [Read more...]

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