Ach! Growing Pains

    by Karen on 2/02/12 | 8 Comment(s)

    We thought we were golden with our 3.5 year old’s sleep pattern: um, yeah, right! We have had lots of middle-of-the-night wakeups from nightmares and now- growing pains. When our son wails from the pain, I get it. I had them too.  But, what I don’t get is what they are and how to help [...]

    Daylight savings sleep tips!

    by Karen on 11/04/11 | 0 Comment(s)

    Daylight savings is coming up this Sunday: this is when we move our clocks back one hour and “gain” an extra hour.  Even just an hour change can be a disruption in your child’s (*and yours!) sleeping. Janeen Hayward, a parent consultant at Swell Being, was kind enough to share her daylight savings sleep tips [...]

    It’s Our Turn: Family Sleep Over At Occupy Wall Street

    by Karen on 10/19/11 | 5 Comment(s)

    If you have wanted to join in on Occupy Wall Street and haven’t been able to do so because of family obligations or if you want to teach your kids about making our voices heard- you now have the opportunity to do so in a safe and festive event.  Parents for Occupy Wall Street is [...]

    What to do when your toddler drops her nap

    by Karen on 6/23/11 | 7 Comment(s)

    All parents love nap time. It is essential for kids and for us. So, what do you do when your toddler decides to drop her one and only nap? It can happen for kids aged anywhere from 2.5 years old and up. How do you know when they have actually dropped their nap? Has she [...]

    Sleep- how to help your baby get the sleep she needs

    by Karen on 3/09/11 | 1 Comment(s)

    Soho Parenting has a solid reputation for helping parents with sleep issues. They have been around for a long time and they have some great advice for us parents! Sleep- by Soho Parenting It seems when it comes to babies and sleep the discussion is as heated as the Democrats vs. the Republicans.  Your baby’s [...]

    Good to know about: a pediatrician who does house calls

    by Karen on 12/17/10 | 1 Comment(s)

    Have you ever ended up waiting in the emergency room for stitches or even a strep test? It seems like children are always getting sick just when your pediatrician’s office is closed. There is a pediatrician’s office that never closes. Dr. Edward Kulich, is a “concierge house call pediatrician” which means his office is always [...]

    Sleep clocks for an early riser (update)

    by joy on 10/18/10 | 2 Comment(s)

    Update to 2/4/2010 post: Do you have an early riser? Or a child that yells “get me!” at a way-too-early hour in the morning? Sleep clocks might be a good solution for you.  We were at our wits’ end when we had a newborn and our 2 year old son was getting up at 4:30 [...]

    Bunk beds- should you or shouldn’t you?

    by Jill on 8/11/10 | 1 Comment(s)

    As my daughter approached 3 (still in a crib!) and my tall son seemed to be growing in the shape of a C in his toddler bed, I had to come up with a new sleeping solution.We don’t have a bedroom big enough for them to have two twin beds. We needed a compact solution. [...]

    RealBirth is closing

    by Karen on 5/04/10 | 5 Comment(s)

    I was totally surprised by the news I heard today that Realbirth, a respected New York resource for pregnancy, childbirth preparation and drop-in supportive activities, is closing. In the last year, they had paired with Tribeca Pediatrics in Williamsburg and Park Slope to bring their classes to Brooklyn. I tried to call Realbirth multiple times [...]

    How much sleep should my child be getting?

    by Karen on 5/03/10 | 0 Comment(s)

    Here I am again. Up late, exhausted and at wit’s end.  I put Willow down to sleep only to find her sitting up in her crib still an hour later.  Birch insists on coming down for a “second dinner”- and, while I admit I enjoy his company while I clean the kitchen, I know these [...]

    Can you really camp with children?

    by Karen on 5/02/10 | 2 Comment(s)

    It occurred to me tonight that we missed our annual spring camping with 3,000 people in North Carolina for Merlefest- a bluegrass festival. Shhh please….. thankfully, I think my husband forgot! Last time we went, I was 6 months pregnant and we had our toddler Birch. Being pregnant, I was at the portapotties all night. [...]

    Chubby Babies: too fat?

    by Jill on 3/23/10 | 0 Comment(s)

    In spite of today’s story in the New York Times science section, “Baby Fat May Not Be So Cute After All,” I still think  chubby babies are cute…and right on target. But Roni Rabin reports that we should be actively concerned with obesity in our children from, and even before, day one.  “More and more [...]

    Sleep Clocks for an early riser

    by Jill on 2/04/10 | 1 Comment(s)

    Do you have an early riser? Or a child that comes to your room way before he should be? Sleep clocks might be a good solution for you.  We had a newborn and our 2 year old son was getting up at 4:30 or 5am, ready to play. A sleep clock seemed the obvious answer, [...]

    Recall: Cribs sold at K-Mart, Sears and Wal-Mart

    by Karen on 1/19/10 | 3 Comment(s)

    I’m sorry to report that there is another recall on cribs, this time it is for cribs sold at K-Mart, Sears, and Wal-Mart between January 2005 through December 2009.  The recall is for drop-side and non-drop side cribs.  They are a strangulation hazard to babies, resulting in one tragic death and ten injuries. This recall [...]

    When Can A Baby Sleep Though the Night?

    by Karen on 10/05/09 | 1 Comment(s)

    Dr. Gilgoff, our blog pediatrician, tackles the “sleep issue” for us: when is it okay to sleep train? Should we sleep train? If so, what are the best methods? We sleep trained Birch at 10 months and Willow at 9 months. I still feel badly that we ended up having to put Willow through sleep [...]

    How much sleep at night and how many naps?

    by Karen on 4/20/09 | 2 Comment(s)

    Here I am again. Up late and exhausted. I put Birch to bed hours ago, but that doesn’t mean he is asleep. Ever since he started school he sings and talks to himself for two hours until he finally falls asleep. At times, Papa Tree and I crack up as we listen to him in [...]

    Nightlights Can Be A Danger

    by Karen on 4/16/09 | 2 Comment(s)

    I read this post on one of my neighborhood forums- and, I asked the writer, if I could share her story. I think it is so important that we all hear it. Thanks “anonymous” (since she preferred to remain so). “At the risk of exposing my husband and myself as less than the rocket-scientists we [...]