The post Is your baby an early riser? Follow these 14 tips to stretch your baby’s sleep! appeared first on All4Baby.
]]>Between 5am and 7am is a tricky time for babies as they are in the lightest stage of their sleep and most likely already have 10 hours under their belt, so if they are woken, it is very tough to get them to go back to sleep.
The reality is, early mornings are probably going to be a part of your life for a while (a side effect of being a parent unfortunately), but here are a few suggestions that I recommend you try to see if you can make that early morning not quite so early.
Is your baby’s room as dark as possible? Even the slightest bit of light can encourage your baby to wake before an appropriate time, especially during the summer months. We sleep best in complete darkness so investing in good blackout blinds for you and your family will help encourage restful sleep.
Is there any environmental noise happening? Somebody getting up for work, building noise, a garbage truck rolling by?
Using a sound machine set to white noise can help eliminate the chance that an outside noise wakes your baby up. Make sure if introducing white noise that it is on when baby goes to bed and stays on all night long so their sleep environment is consistent.
Stick to your guns when it comes to wake-up time. I never suggest getting your baby out of bed prior to 6 a.m. If you start bringing them out earlier than this it will only persuade them to call for you at this time.
Decide on a minimum wake-up time (within reason) for your family and make it a rule. If you have a toddler who is in a bed, introducing a night light that changes colour when it is morning can be very useful.
What time is your baby’s first nap? If you’re putting your little one down too early after rising then they will start to use this as an extension of their night time sleep.
What is happening when your baby is waking early? Could they be waking up early looking for something?
Make sure to delay your baby’s first feed by about 10 minutes. If you rush to them and feed them right away when they wake at this time, you’re only supporting their decision that it’s time to get up.
What time is baby’s bedtime? It could be that your baby is overtired, which can lead to early wake ups.
Ensuring that your child gets to bed somewhere between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. is ideal, depending on when their last nap ended.
Keep in mind that when changing bedtime you often need to stick to the new time for a week or two to see any results, so be patient.
If after trying an earlier bedtime for a week or two with no change in wake-up time, it may be time to look at slowly moving bedtime later by 10 minutes every three days until it is 30 minutes later than normal.
Again, you cannot expect to see results for at least a week, if not two; just be consistent and patient.
This is usually the last thing that I suggest to parents when nothing else has worked and you have looked at all other possible causes for the early rising. This can only be done if the wake-up time is fairly consistent;
About the Author: Good Night is a child and baby sleep consultancy that specialises in helping parents with children who struggle to sleep soundly. For more information, visit: www.goodnightbaby.co.za
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]]>The post How to treat your toddler’s burn appeared first on All4Baby.
]]>Burns can range in size as well as severity and are classified as follows…
Superficial burns occur when the skin is red, sore and inflamed but the layers of the skin are not damaged. This type of burn can be caused from;
If your toddler has a superficial burn, the first thing to do would be to run the burnt area under the tap for five to ten minutes. Once the inflammation has calmed down, a multi-purpose burn cream should be applied every two hours. The cream will cool the burn and alleviate the pain. You should continue to apply the cream twice daily, reduced to daily until the burn is completely healed.
Partial thickness burns involve blistering and damage to the the epidermal layer of the skin which may cause the skin to peel. This type of burn could be caused by;
It’s important that you never pop or burst the blisters or pull the skin off. Also, never apply butter, toothpaste or polish to any partial thickness burn wounds.
Cool the wound under cold water as soon as possible for up to 15 minutes, until the pain goes away. Take care not to open the tap too big, as the force of the water might burst the blisters.
After cleaning the skin (with cooled boiling water or saline solution), an aseptic dressing should be applied.
As with a superficial burn, a multi-purpose cream should be applied as soon as possible. These creams are designed to repair and regenerate the skin, assisting in the formation of new granulation tissue.
It’s important that you keep the burn covered while it is healing so as to avoid infection.
Full thickness burns involve damage to the dermal layer and the skin may bleed.
This type of burn can be caused by;
For any partial or full thickness burns, a doctor or emergency room should be consulted. Your toddler may go into shock or loose fluid and this could be life threatening. Infections can also occur which can be prevented by seeing a healthcare provider at a medical facility.
Never use butter, any fatty or oily substance to treat a burn.
About the Author:
Sister Jenny’s JEN-TIL Multi-Purpose Healing Cream is made from all natural ingredients that are non-harmful, non-toxic and are in a dosage that is ideal for safety. For more information, visit www.jentiltouch.com
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]]>The post Picky, picky – advice for dealing with your fussy toddler appeared first on All4Baby.
]]>Yet still he refuses to eat, and mealtimes have become a continuous struggle.
Although it can be very distressing for parents, be reassured that in most cases fussiness is a normal phase of development and children are unlikely to come to harm, eating poorly for a short while.
Dietician and Pampers® Institute expert Claire McHugh offers advice on what you can do to deal with fussy eating habits.
Remember that getting used to the new routine of meal times and a variety of new foods is part of growing and learning for your toddler.
McHugh recommends that you focus on providing them with a positive feeding environment. “An enjoyable eating atmosphere at meal times helps. Encourage your toddler to sit at the table with the family during meals and let them eat what the family eats, he needs to be exposed to a good variety of food, and when he sees you enjoying the food, this will encourage him to also enjoy and eat his food,” says McHugh.
Part of picky eating is your toddler asserting his independence. Let your toddler be involved in his food choices. Avoid giving your child free rein, but allowing them to choose between two healthy options, will help your toddler to feel more in control and willing to eat the food,” suggests McHugh.
When your baby refuses textured foods, this doesn’t mean he dislikes it. Children need time to adjust and explore new tastes and textures. Spitting out his first pureed foods is part of his learning and adjusting to a new way of eating.
Spitting out purees are often your baby’s way of telling you he is ready to progress to finger foods. Allow your baby to start experimenting with soft finger foods like cooked pieces of vegetable and soft ripe fruit. This may be messy, but it is a very important stage and a great way to encourage better intake.
McHugh also explains that it can take between 15 to 20 exposures to a new food before your baby gets used to it and accepts it. Offer new foods alongside old favourites, to help keep the meal enjoyable and ensure that something is eaten.
Make sure that your toddler gets his meals and snacks at regular times each day. This ensures that they have a good appetite at meal and snack times.
Limit the amount of juice offered and restrict milk to a maximum of 500ml per day. This will ensure that the child isn’t filled up and will have a better appetite for meals, advises McHugh.
Praise him when he does eat his food, but don’t give too much attention to food refusal. In many cases all the fuss created when food is refused can encourage this behaviour.
As a parent, there’s no denying that the amount of food your child eats can make you really worry about their health. You constantly have to wonder if they have had enough or what to do to make them eat more, but forcing them or shouting at them is not the best way of handling this stressful situation.
Force-feeding your child creates a negative association with those foods and mealtimes and just makes the problem worse.
Persevere; most picky and fussy eaters start eating better over time. However, if your child has excluded a full food group for an extended period, taken only a small number of foods or excluded certain textures, it may be worth seeking professional advice.
Your dietician or doctor can recommend a nutritional supplement to help meet nutritional requirements while the fussiness persists.
”To help meet calorie requirements, accepted foods can be fortified or enriched by adding butter, cream or oil to make them as energy dense as possible,” concludes McHugh.
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]]>The post Buying a gift for a toddler? Follow these four tips! appeared first on All4Baby.
]]>We know your first instinct will be panic – what do you buy for toddlers? Do you buy a stuffed toy which they will drag through the mud? Or a set of blocks they will chew right through?
Before you drag yourself to the over-priced toy stores, we have prepared a list of alternative gift options for toddlers…
No parent can have enough nappies: as unglamorous as that sounds, a secret stash can be a life saver. While you’re at it, don’t forget to throw in some aqueous cream. You could even go the whole mile and gift a baby pamper hamper with everything they could possibly need. Taking a trip to Makro to buy wet wipes in bulk is a gift that will keep on giving.
Let’s be honest, one-year-olds don’t even know that it’s their birthday, so don’t feel guilty about not getting them a present. However you can’t show up completely empty handed.
Get something that could make the parents’ life easier. If you’re brave enough, how about a few babysitting vouchers, to give the moms and dads some time off?
You could spoil them with a pamper hamper of luxurious goodies to make them feel sexy again, perhaps even throw in something naughty? Or you could simply gift them a lovely night in, with a picnic hamper and a great bottle of wine.
One of the best parts of having a kid around is that you can dress it up in some really fun things, and it can’t complain! A gorgeous little baby grow make the perfect gift for anyone who has a streak of fun and loves South Africa.
How about creating a toy castle from cardboard boxes and tape? It’ll be sure to entertain the little one long after the cake high has worn off. And will cost you nothing but some imagination.
If you want to give a special gift that signifies your intention of being in this kid’s life for good, we suggest some more long-term gifting ideas.
Give them a fruit tree and plant it together. You can then develop a tradition of taking a picture next to it every year on their birthday, and make jam together when it produces fruit.
What about setting up a savings bond that they can touch only when they come of age? By the time that happens there will be a healthy little nest-egg awaiting them, especially if you add to it each year thereafter.
Something that the whole family will appreciate is a gorgeous family photo shoot. This is a sure winner and a gift that they will treasure for the rest of their lives.
For more gift ideas, visit www.tidyandco.com
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