Development Archives - Sleeping Should Be Easy

5 Effective Techniques to Help Kids with Transitions

Sep 11, 2021

Moving from one activity to the next can be a challenge throughout the day. Check out these 5 tips to help kids with transitions. I swore I would never take him to the automobile museum ever again. I had planned a fun outing to take my then-toddler to visit a nearby car museum, expecting to see different models of cars and play with the exhibits. Except it went nothing like that. He didn't want to visit any of the exhibits or even play with the toys on display—and screamed if we even suggested it. So, we figured he was hungry and ushered him to the museum's restaurant. Instead, … [Read more...]

The Importance of Raising a Self Sufficient Child

Development

Sep 02, 2021

Are you doing too much for your kids? Learn the importance of raising a self sufficient child and tips to encourage independence. Sometimes we assume kids still need our help with everything. We save them from struggle, making it easy to overlook the importance of self sufficiency. After all, taking a step back to allow them to try is hard. We save five minutes to tie their laces ourselves than teaching them how to do it. We avoid the big messes that follow when they feed themselves. And we feel needed and can't believe how quickly they're growing up. The importance of raising a self … [Read more...]

How to Raise an Independent Toddler

Development

Aug 31, 2021

Does your child insist on being a "big kid" and doing everything herself? Learn how to raise an independent toddler while keeping her safe. According to my toddler, being a grown-up was where it was at. He wanted to do everything adults did, refused to sit in the grocery cart, and liked to "discipline" his baby brothers. He even fussed about holding hands when crossing the street. As a mom, I found this desire to be an independent toddler both admirable and... exhausting. I knew our job was to raise self-sufficient future adults who could function as well as we do. At the same … [Read more...]

How to Get a Teething Baby to Sleep

Development

Aug 27, 2021

Is your baby teething? Discover how to get a teething baby to sleep, the tips and products that help, and how to handle the sleep regression. I can't remember how many times my baby would fuss and I'd declare, "He must be teething"... only for no teeth to show. Another fussy episode would pass, and again I'd say, "Okay, now he's probably teething," yet still no teeth would poke through. After a while, I got tired of blaming his fits on his teeth. That is, until the fiasco when, for about half an hour or so, he was inconsolable. Nothing that normally soothed him worked—not looking … [Read more...]

5 Useful Tools to Teach Impulse Control for Kids

Development

Jul 18, 2021

Do you wish your child would think before acting more often? Learn how to teach impulse control for kids with these 5 useful tools. Wondering what age kids typically stop to think before acting? Many parents struggle with impulse control for kids, despite time-outs or removing privileges. Perhaps your child grabs toys from other kids or pushes them for no reason. He doesn't think twice about touching something hot or dirty, and he can't stay away from the items you keep telling him not to touch. The confusing part? He says "sorry" right away and clearly knows that what he did was … [Read more...]

How to Gently Handle Separation Anxiety in Babies

Development

Jun 09, 2021

Separation anxiety, though normal, can surprise many parents. Learn how to gently handle separation anxiety in babies with these tips. My eight-month-old twins had been champion nappers. I'd put them in their cribs and close the door, reassured they could put themselves to sleep in five minutes tops. So, imagine my surprise when one of them cried after I left the room. He continued to wail and scream, with check-ins only making it worse. After he "woke up," he played happily in the living room, but fussed if I walked away to the kitchen. What happened to my sweet little boy who … [Read more...]

Are You Teaching These Life Skills Your Child Needs in Adulthood?

Development

Apr 14, 2021

Parenting includes teaching life skills your child needs in adulthood. Find activities and ideas to make learning life skills easy and effective. It's hard to imagine, but our kids will be adults. We assume we have time before they really need to buckle down and learn a few things. We don't think about important life skills they need to learn before becoming adults. Author and former Dean of Freshman at Stanford, Julie Lythcott-Haims, says many young adults don't have the skills they should've learned throughout childhood. Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links, which means … [Read more...]

What to Do When Your Teething Baby Won’t Sleep Unless Held

Development

Apr 12, 2021

What do you do when your teething baby won't sleep unless held at night? Here are 3 steps and remedies when your baby won't stop crying. Your baby had been doing so well with sleep. He was sleeping through the night—in his crib, no less. The rare times he'd wake up usually ended with him going right back to sleep. For months, this was his happy sleep routine. But then, his teeth started to poke through, and your once-easy sleeper is now inconsolable. He starts crying the minute you put him down in his crib. Even if you manage to get him to fall asleep, he'll only do so an hour at a … [Read more...]

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