My Secrets to Get Your Toddler to Adjust to a New Baby

Having a new baby is such a special time but sometimes it can be made more difficult when you have a toddler who is struggling to accept the new baby. I had my second baby 10 months ago and have been amazed at how my first born has adjusted. He is a doting brother, looks out for her needs and loves giving his sister kisses and cuddles. He even shares his toys with her (the ugly ones of course!)!!

So what were my secrets to getting this result in my family? Here are some of them...

1. When the baby was born, presents were bought for both the baby and for our little boy who was 2 years.
2. Before the baby was born we spent time creating a new room / layout / bed area for the baby obviously but also for our boy. It was time he moved to a bed rather than a cot anyway and he was so excited. He wanted to show off his bed and new toyboxes and decorations off to everybody. We did this a few weeks before the baby was born.
3. After the baby was born I found that my little boy would very quickly learn when I was breast feeding and couldn't discipline him. He would throw tantrums and do all the things he was not aloud to do. I very quickly learnt that if I gave him attention before I began feeding and set him up with a special play activity that he could do on his own he would be happy for the duration of feeding the baby
4. I had my little boy help me as much as he was happy to with bathing the baby, changing the baby etc. He loved passing me the nappies and watching the little baby kick in the bath.
5. I made sure that when the baby was sleeping, my little boy and I had special 'mum' time and played a game he liked. You would often find us outside kicking the ball to each other or having a cuddle on the couch watching a movie.

I must admit I was very nervous coming home from the hospital wondering how on earth I would survive with such an active and strong willed toddler but after putting all the above into practise I am amazed at how well we have all adjusted to having our new beautiful daughter around!

I wish you all the best with your new baby!

Debs

Top 10 Tips on Why You Should Use a Baby Sling!

The big debate of whether baby slings are good for us and our babies continues! Here are some interesting things to consider. Being a practical parent, I love things that make life easier but are also good for me and my children so here are some practical tips to consider...

1. Baby slings allow babies to lie in a natural position rather than forcing their legs apart as in baby carriers
2. Baby slings allow us to walk around freely rather than having to negotiate around with a stroller
3. Baby slings promote a healthy closeness between us and the baby. Some benefits of this for the baby are:
   • When a baby rides in a sling attached to his mother, he / she is in tune with the rhythm of her breathing, the sound of her heartbeat, and the movement his mother makes - walking, bending, and reaching.
   • This stimulation helps baby to regulate baby's own physical responses and exercises baby's vestibular system, which controls balance.
   • The sling is in essence a " transitional womb " for the new baby, who has not yet learned to control his bodily functions and movements. Research has shown that premature babies who are touched and held gain weight faster
   • the more that babies are held the less they cry and fuss
4. Carrying a baby helps strengthen your back and neck and leg muscles after having your baby. In essence you are weightlifting with a weight that is correct for you to carry straight after giving birth and continues to gain weight to help continue stretching your strength capacity.
5. Baby slings cost a lot less than baby carriers, strollers etc
6. Baby slings are much easier to clean
7. Baby slings are a safe place for young children to be in crowded places
8. Baby slings are a warm and protected place to be when you have to go out in cold or windy weather
9. Babies in baby slings cry less
10. Baby Slings cause you to feel that your child is more a part of your life, and you will find yourself becoming more and more intuitive to the little persons needs.

Check out some of the great slings in My Practical Parenting Store.

Practical Parenting Baby Sleep Routines Part 2

PART 2
A baby's routine is always linked between the hours they are awake, the hours they are asleep and when they are fed. It is also important to note that a babies needs change every couple of weeks in the first few months and then changes slow to monthly.

The routine I used reflects these changes.This routine will help your baby develop their waking hours during the day time and get used to sleeping during the night. You have to teach them which is which. They will also fit better into the routine the rest of your family go by too!Here is the actual routine I followed from birth....

Birth - 2 wks
Wake baby 6am each morning
Feed every 3 hrs 7am - 12am
Wake baby every 3hrs 6am - 12am
Do not wake after midnight
Feed after midnight only whenbaby wakes himself

2 - 4 wks
Morning nap 8.30 - 10.30am
7am Feed
Lunch nap 11.30 - 2pm
10am Feed
Afternoon nap 4 - 5pm
2pm Feed
Bed Time 7pm
5pm half feed,
6.15pm half feed
Night feed low light n noise 10.30pm
FeedWake each morning at 7am no matter how early they may have woken duringnight

4 - 6wks
Wake baby 7am
Morning Feed 7am
Morning nap 9 - 10am
10.30am Feed
Lunch nap 12 - 2.30pm
2.30pm Feed
Afternoon nap 4.15 - 5pm
5pm half feed,
6.15pm half feed
Bed time 7pm
10.30pm night feed

6 - 8wks
Wake baby 7am
7am Feed
Morning nap 9 - 9.45am
10.45am Feed
Lunch nap 12 - 2.30pm
2.30pm Feed
Afternoon nap 4.30 - 5pm
6.15pm Feed
Bed Time 7pm
10.30pm Feed

8 - 12wks
Wake at 7am
7am Feed
Morning nap 9 - 9.45am
10.45am Feed
Lunch nap 12 - 2.15pm
2.15pm Feed
Afternoon nap 4.45 - 5pm
6.15pm Feed
Bed Time 7pm
10.30pm Feed

3 - 4mths
Wake up 7am
7am Feed
Morning nap 9 - 9.45am
11am Feed
Lunch nap 12 - 2pm
2.15pm afternoon nap
6.15pm Feed
Bed Time 7pm
10.30pm Feed

4 - 5 mths
Wake up 7am
7am Feed
Morning nap 9 - 9.45am
11am FeedL
unch nap 12 - 2pm
2.30pm Feed
Bed time 7pm
10pm Feed

5 - 6 mths
Wake up 7am
7am Feed
Morning nap 9 - 9.30am
11.30am Lunch
lunch nap 12.30 - 2.30pm
2.30pm Feed
Bed time 7pm
6.30pm Dinner

No more night feeds!! Sometimes you will find babies don't need this feed earlier but generally this has been a great routine to follow!If you feel like this is not going to help you then try The Baby Sleep Solution or Sleepytime Secrets. Both written by mums who have been there and seen the results!

Practical Parenting Baby Sleep Routines Part 1

PART 1
Don’t you think that if you could sleep right through the night, the role of being a mother during the day would be so much more enjoyable? It is! Because that is the life I live!

My Aunty has had two boys and one of them was born with autism. She has used some great routines that helped even her little boy go to sleep and when my first little boy was born, she passed these routines on to me! This advice has made my life as a mother SO much easier.

From about 8 weeks old my two babies have slept through from their 10.30 feed right through to their 6.30 / 7am feed.I have shared this advice with friends and they have had the same results so it is no coincidence.The FIRST key is to get your baby into a routine...

Why put your baby in a routine rather than demand feed?
- Demand feeding leads to exhausted mothers
- Demand feeding leads to sore and cracked nipples for breastfeeding mothers as you don’t get much of a break between some feeds
- Erratic patterns of sleeping and feeding for as long and as often for babies is not normal and will not necessarily change after a few months
- ‘Demand feeding’ can be taken too literally and babies fed every time they cry and mothers don’t learn the different needs of the babies cry
- Babies do not put themselves into routines, parents put babies into routines
- Babies do not know the difference between day and night naps, they need to be taught.
- Demand feeding does not teach babies to go to sleep by themselves at the right times

Why follow a routine?
- Feeding little and often brings in milk supply
- Feeding regularly and for a short amount of time gives baby plenty of milk but mothers nipples time to adjust
- Helps a mother learn a babies different needs quickly: hunger, tiredness, boredom, over stimulation…

40 Practical Parenting Tips to a Better Life

Practical Parenting sometimes means looking at your life as a whole and working out how to enjoy the family and life that you have. Here are some great tips to making Parenting and life a lot more enjoyable and meaningful!

1. Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. And while you walk, smile. It is the ultimate anti-depressant.
2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
3. Buy a DVR and tape your late night shows and get more sleep.
4. When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement, 'My purpose is to __________ today.'
5. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy.
6. Play more games and read more books than you did in 2007.
7. Make time to practice meditation and prayer. They provide us with daily fuel for our busy lives.
8. Spend time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of 6.
9. Dream more while you are awake.
10. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.
11. Drink green tea and plenty of water. Eat blueberries, wild Alaskan salmon, broccoli, spinach, kale greens, almonds & walnuts.
12. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
13. Clear clutter from your house, your car, your desk and let new and flowing energy into your life.
14. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip, OR issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
15. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn.Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
16. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out charge card.
17. Smile and laugh more. It will keep the NEGATIVE BLUES away.
18. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
20. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
21. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
22. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
23. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
24. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
25. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: 'In five years, will this matter?'
26. Forgive everyone for everything.
27. What other people think of you is none of your business.
28. REMEMBER GOD heals everything.
29. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
30. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
31. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
32. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
33. The best is yet to come.
34. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
35. Do the right thing!
36. Call or email your family often.
37. Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements: I am thankful for __________. Today I accomplished _________.
38. Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.
39. Enjoy the ride. Remember this is not Disney World and you certainly don't want a fast pass. You only have one ride through life so make the most of it and enjoy the ride.
40. Help someone that is less fortunate than yourself!

Hope you can put some of these into practise and you see distinct changes in the life of your family but also in your wisdom and patience as a parent!

10 Tips to Making Meal Planning Easy!!

Ever found the stress of the kitchen affecting your balanced parenting skills? Planning your meals will reduce a lot of that stress. It will mean a more organised week and a budget that doesn’t get blown by food every week!

I don’t know about you but at the end of the day, the last thing I want to do is think about what I can cook with what I’ve got in the cupboard. Unless I’ve just been shopping I find it very hard to be inspired.I also find that I will often do my next weekly or fortnightly shop and there are still items in the cupboard from last time that I didn’t even touch and vegetables in my fridge gone rotten because I didn’t use them.

Here are 10 Tips to Making Meal Planning Easy
1. Make a list of all your families favourite meals.
2. Choose 7 or 14 of them depending on whether you do a weekly or fortnightly shop. Don't forget to include the occasional desert if like sweets, your breakfast, lunch and snacks
3. List all the ingredients you will need to make your meals
4. Do a cupboard check and cross off from your list what you already have
5. Do your shop and buy in bulk when you can.
6. Only buy what is on your list
7. Don't shop for 'extra's' in between shops if you can help it
8. After shop, prepare and chop up vege's or meat portions into their right sizes and freeze them in snap lock bags. If particular meat needs to be marinated then freeze it in its sauce. How good will that taste!
9. Make sure you have clearly marked storage containers in your pantry to put all your packet goods so you don't end with half opened sugar, flour, macaroni spilling all over your shelves! And being forgotten behind the weetbix and left unused!
10. Have your list of meals ready up on the fridge so you can choose what you feel like for that night (if you're like me and my hubby, we hate being told what to eat every night by a list but a choice of any 7 meals is good!)

If you don't feel like putting all that thought and effort into planning for your week so that meals will run smoothly and 4 - 6pm isn't chaotic then check out Menu-In-A-Box. It's done all the hard work for you including shopping lists and countless meal ideas that are not only easy and budget conscious but take into account what little kids will love too! There is heaps more in the Menu-In-A-Box than just menu's so check it out and make your meal planning a whole lot easier!