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 him.

According to KidsHealth, growing pains usually happen when kids are between the ages of 3 and 5 or 8 and 12. Doctors don’t believe that growing actually causes pain, but growing pains stop when kids stop growing. By the teen years, most kids don’t get growing pains anymore.

What are the symptoms?
Most of the time they hurt in the front of the thighs (the upper part of your legs), in the calves (the back part of your legs below your knees), or behind the knees. Usually, both legs hurt.  Growing pains often start to ache right before bedtime. Sometimes a child can go to bed without any pain, but then might wake up in the middle of the night with their legs hurting. The best news about growing pains is that they go away by morning. MayoClinic reports that some children may also experience abdominal pain or headache during episodes of growing pains. Dr. Greene cautions that if the growing pains occur during the day, or there is limping, redness or any other complaints, you should see your pediatrician.

What causes growing pains?
Kidshealth reports that growing pains don’t hurt around the bones or joints (the flexible parts that connect bones and let them move) — only in the muscles. For this reason, some doctors believe that kids might get growing pains because they’ve tired out their muscles. When you run, climb, or jump a lot during the day, you might have aches and pains in your legs at night. Dr. Greene says the muscles or tendons are still a little too tight for the growing long bones. Muscle spasms lasting from 1 to 15 minutes cause the pain. Many of these children are unable to touch their toes with their fingertips without bending their knees.

How can you help with the pain?
Kidshealth suggests an over-the-counter pain medicine like acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Kids should not take aspirin because it can cause a rare but serious illness called Reye syndrome.

There are three other things that might help you feel better:

1. placing a heating pad on the spot where their legs hurt
2. stretching their legs or having the child stretch like you do in a gym class
3. massage their legs

Dr. Greene suggests that during a pain episode, stretching the foot and toes upward will often resolve the muscle spasm. Gentle massage and moist heat over the painful spot can also help. In most cases the pain can be prevented with simple, daily stretching exercises. These exercises must be continued even after the pain subsides in order to keep the muscles and tendons relaxed and able to accommodate the next growth spurt. Some physicians recommend giving a glass of tonic water before bed. Though he has never seen any studies evaluating this suggestion, he does say that plenty of fluids should make cramping less likely.

A Child Grows, 2012. | Permalink | 8 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: growing pains, how to prevent, massage, preschool, symptoms of growing pains, teenager, Toddler, tween, what age get growing pains, what are growing pains, what causes growing pains

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 to us. Here they are:

I know, I know.  Daylight savings time again.  It always comes too soon.  Fret not, these simple tips for babies (6 months and older) and toddlers will help you stay on track with your good sleep habits.  Give your children a few days to settle in to the new time.  After they adjust to the new clock, the only thing left to dread is the sun setting at 4 p.m.  Ugh.

1. Put your child(ren) to bed on Saturday night (11/6) at the regular time.

2. Wake up with your child(ren) at the normal wake up time on Sunday morning (11/7).

3. Set your clocks back one hour.  This is where you stretch out the time.

4. Put your child(ren) down for the first nap at the regular time per the clock.**  This will mean that s/he has been awake a full hour longer during this window and may need some help to stretch out the time.  Going outside and getting lots of sunlight and fresh air is a great way to keep kids awake when you’re stretching them.

5. Follow the clock for naps and bedtime from here forward. It can take a few days for your child to fully adjust, so be patient and consistent.

**Younger children may have a harder time stretching a full hour without becoming overtired.  In this case it may be better to stretch them 30 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes in the afternoon or to stretch them slowly over several days.

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Post tags: 2010, advice, child adjusting to daylight savings, daylight savings sleep, daylights savings time, kids sleep, when to put them to bed, when to wake them up

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 having a family sleepover in Zuccotti Park from Friday, October 21 to October 22nd. The event will not only be a great teaching moment for kids but a totally community driven peaceful protest with events throughout the weekend.

What a great way for the world to see that parents and children can and should be heard (and not just in restaurants!), but about important matters.  We can show everyone that this peaceful movement affects all U.S. citizens and that includes families. This isn’t just a movement for the radical, super young or unemployed- as it has been popularly described- but a movement for families who have had home foreclosures, seen cuts in their school budgets, loss of health insurance- and most definitely, unemployment.

Activities include a sing-a-long with Dan Zanes, a surprise celebrity guest to read a bedtime story to the kids, arts and crafts, a parents coffee date, unity line, and a pizza party. Volunteers are organizing and running the entire event.

If you can’t do the actual sleepover but want to contribute somehow- they need volunteers and items like flashlights, tape and hot chocolate.

There will be a clearly marked Child Safe Area, with a check-in system and security personal. Only registered participants with children will be allowed in the family area. All children will be required to wear ID badges and a head count will be taken hourly.

“Parents for Occupy Wall St is a nonpartisan platform for all parents, families, and related organizations to come together to be heard about issues facing our children’s futures in support of Occupy Wall St.”

Family Sleep Over at Occupy Wall Street
Friday, Oct. 21, 4 pm. – Saturday, Oct 22, 11 am
Zuccotti Park, New York City
All ages welcome.
To donate, volunteer, or attend, please see their website at: Parents for Occupy Wall Street

Schedule*

4pm Check in begins

5pm Arts & Crafts

6pm Children’s Music Sing-Along – Featuring Dan Zanes

7pm Unity Line

7:30pm Pizza Party – Thanks to Mark’s Pizza 326 VanBrunt St Brooklyn

8pm Bed Time Prep/ 111 Child Meditation

8:45 Bedtime Story -

9pm Family Quiet Time

10pm Parents Coffee Date

*Schedule subject to change according to rain date & Hourly head counts not listed above

Please Make Sure to Bring:

-Warm clothes for the entire family

-Adult Ids

-Enclosure for children to sleep *tents are not permitted at the park but we can create enclosures with some creativity and tarps!* We recommend strollers, carriers, and the like

-Umbrellas

-Snacks if your child has food allergies

-Changes of clothes in case of rain

-Mats & sleeping bags for adults

-Tarps, lots of tarps

-Snacks & Drinks

A Child Grows, 2011. | Permalink | 5 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: dan zanes at occupy wall street, families at occupy wall street, kids at occupy wall street, occupy wall street with kids, parents at occupy wall street, parents for occupy wall street, zuccotti park

Imagine- your toddler may even enjoy goofing around on her own!

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 really dropped her nap?
During the course of a week, if your child is awake during nap time more days than not, then s/he is probably on their way to dropping the nap.

My kid is going to sleep sooo late at night!
You might actually want to have your child drop their nap if your child doesn’t fall asleep until after 8 or 9 pm.  That’s what we decided after many long nights with our 3.5 year old Birch, who was chirping all night. He happily took a 2 hour nap from 1-3 pm, but when nighttime came, he wouldn’t fall asleep until 10 or 11 pm. We were going crazy as he popped in and out of his room with increasingly ridiculous requests of an apple, a tissue, the light on… and off and on and….  We lost it and decided to take the bull by the horns.  We reduced his nap from 2 hours by increments of 30 minutes over a course of a couple of weeks until it vanished. My peace and quiet vanished too. That is until I got with it and instituted RESTING TIME.

How resting time saved all of us:
A lot of parents refer to this quiet slice of heaven as either “Resting Time”or “Quiet Time”.  Some kids take to it right away and others don’t…and maybe never do.   It’s like nap time in general- it takes some training, repetition and patience.

Here are some suggestions on how to make “Resting Time” work in your home.

• Explain it well. This is a whole new concept for them and for most toddlers, not a particularly welcome one. “What? Time by myself? You mean YOU aren’t going to be playing with me every second?”  Show your child what you are going to do during your resting time and ask him what he would like to do for the hour of his resting time.  Help him find the right kind of activities and put them in a pile for him.
• Set rules. Figure out what rules you want to establish. We had a “no talking” rule- unless he needed help going to the potty. Now that he can go on his own, we have a firm “no talking” rule.  Other parents say “no running, no yelling, no music”, etc.
• Be positive. Resting time doesn’t work if a child feels like it is a punishment.  Try to tell them how excited you are for your own resting time (which, of course, you are!) and what you plan to do for it.  Tell them how they get to play with their toys all by themselves. This works especially if they have a sibling.
• Set up special toys for resting time. Sometimes having an out-of-reach basket filled with toys specifically for resting time makes that hour feel special.  You can switch the toys in and out as time goes by.
• Be consistent. So, this one seems like an axiom of parenting advice in general, but it’s important to remember for resting time too.  Keep the time and location consistent. Once it is a regular part of the routine, they won’t protest. Be patient with them and yourself. The routine will come together and most children start to look forward to resting time. Yes, really.
• Set a timer. Sometimes it helps everyone if you can set a timer. Your child can watch the time move and know that resting time is half or almost over. It also prevents the inevitable question, “Is resting time over?”
• Plan for afterward. I like to tell our son what we will do after resting time is over so he has something to look forward to after being quiet and by himself.  It doesn’t have to be anything big: time to read a book together, a “tea party”, a trip to the park, etc.
• If your child isn’t taking to it….. Try this: find a quiet spot in your house where you can lie down with your reading material and find a spot for your child nearby. Set a timer nearby. Modeling how you enjoy your resting time can help them see it is a positive experience. This can also aid with any separation anxiety.  Once you are both comfortable with resting time, the next step is to move them into a separate room.

A side note: Our son, 1.5 years later (5 years old) still has at least 1 hour or Resting Time each day. He builds legos, reads, draws, but always while listening to an audio book. Sometimes I find him sitting in his chair just looking out his window listening to the audio book. Often he asks to stay in there longer – for up to an 1.5 hours. Yes, it really works!

A note of caution: don’t count on getting your own nap in every day during Resting Time. Somehow our kids seem to know just when we want really want that nap, and decide that Resting Time is caput on that particular day.

****(Take it from me, all of this goes to hell once you go on vacation or visit someone- so lower your expectations while away.)

A Child Grows, 2011. | Permalink | 7 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: how to make quiet time, how to make resting time, quiet time, resting time, rules for quiet time, rules for resting time, toddler drops nap, when does a toddler drop nap

The Democrat and the ?

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 sleep should not be a pawn in partisan parenting politics! There doesn’t need to be two camps –the “cry it out” party vs. the “never let my baby cry” party.  Let’s calm down the rhetoric and just look at some very simple and gentle ways to help your baby get the sleep she needs.

A Child Grows, 2011. | Permalink | One comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: cry it out, day time sleep, infant sleep, newborn, sleep, soho parenting

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 open: it’s 24/7 and he always answers your phone calls.  What exactly does he do? Dr. Kulich comes to your home for anything: high fevers, ear infections, stitches, and even portable radiology.  He is also available for infant sleep training.

Let’s say your child has a painful ear infection in the middle of the night. You know the it requires immediate attention , but are dreading the long emergency room visit, the discomfort of the hospital and getting everyone bundled up and out of the house. If you call Dr. Kulich, he can come to your home, diagnose your child and give your child an antibiotic right then if needed. How much does this cost?  It’s not cheap and he doesn’t accept health insurance, but it can be worth it when you have the right situation and need care at any time of day or night. According to Dr. Kulich, ” reimbursement is typically between 50-100% of the cost of the visit, ” depending on your insurance plan.

Dr. Kulich is also available to your house guests or travelers from newborn to 21 years. Getting sick on a trip to New York City no longer means a trip to the emergency room.

As a regular contributor to Parents Magazine and its online site, as well as extensive experience as an ER pediatrician, Dr. Kulich has seen a lot of patients and reflected on pediatric medicine. As the Wall Street Journal reported on a profile on him, “his house-call-only practice allows him to deliver more TLC.” He lives in Brooklyn, so chances are, when you call him, he won’t be too far away, and so will your children’s relief.

Our readers get a coupon for $20 off first-time visits for Dr. Kulich.

Dr.  Kulich, MD, FAAP attended Cornell University prior to obtaining his Doctor of Medicine from St. George’s University and completed a residency in Pediatrics at Maimonides Medical Center, Infants and Children’s Hospital of Brooklyn.

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post.

A Child Grows, 2010. | Permalink | One comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: antibiotics, brooklyn, dr. kulich, emergency care, house calls, kids house calls, NJ, ny, pediatrican who comes to your home, pediatrician who does house call, urgent care

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 or 5am, ready to play. A sleep clock seemed the obvious answer, though it seemed absurd to buy a clock for a 2-year old. We quickly learned he didn’t need to tell time and that it wasn’t so ridiculous after all!

A regular ol' digital clock

Digital clock:
One friend simply used a small digital clock as a sleep clock She covered up the minutes numbers with paper. Above the clock, she taped the number 7, so when her daughter saw that the number on the clock matched the 7 above it, she knew she was allowed to get up.  That worked for them when the daughter was 2-ish, way before it would have been possible for us.  We use the digital clock now for our son who is 4 years old. He knows not to get up or wake his sister before the clock says 6:00. We have gradually set the clock behind, so when he thinks it’s 6:00, it’s actually 6:43am, way later than I could have hoped.
Pros: you already probably own it, cheap, worth a shot before ordering one of the other options
Cons: your child needs to understand matching or know her numbers

“Sleep” clocks
There are several options.  Parents can set a time at which a picture changes or a light comes on or something happens indicating to the child that it’s appropriately morning. Most have some other features, like a song, changeable face plates or color schemes to match your décor and the ability to be an alarm clock or a night light or a game. These clocks tend to be pricey, but most of us would pay a pretty penny to give the family more sleep.
Pros: more sleep!
Cons: expensive for a child’s clock, some have too many “features”

Here are a few possibilities:

Kidsleep

Kidsleep
Cost: $39.99
What it’s like: The Kidsleep product works by showing lighted pictures indicating when it is time to get up and when it isn’t. Based on the parent-set time, the clock will either show a sleeping animal or a wide-awake animal.
Jill’s review: We used the Kidsleep clock for a year and loved it. We convinced our son the day couldn’t start until the bunny got up (shhh!) and (with the initial help of some popsicle bribes) he knew not to ask to be removed from his crib until the sleeping bunny turned into the going-to-school bunny. Worth the money, though I think anything to get us more sleep would have been worth the money.
Karen’s review: We have been using the travel Kidsleep (Globetrotter) for about a year too. It’s too complicated for me. I think I have set it correctly and then low and behold! my son comes into our room at 6 am saying the sheep is awake…and the sheep was definitely not supposed to be awake. It seems like some days it works, and others it doesn’t. Even my son got frustrated because the sheep would be awake when my son was going to sleep. My husband concurs: it’s too difficult to set properly and needs to be reset often.  I wonder if it has to do with the fact that the travel version (Globetrotter) runs strictly on batteries.
User reviews: some said it had a cute theme and was easy to use although other users said it was cheaply made and that it was too difficult to set the times, particularly if you wanted to set the time more than once in a day (for nap time too, for instance). However, most parents tended to agree that the clock serves its purpose well.

Teach Me Time

Ok to Wake

Teach Me Time or OK to Wake, both from American Innovative
Cost: TMT is $39.95 and OK is $29.95
What TMT is like: Teach Me Time! is bedside alarm clock that changes colors when it’s time to get up. It can be used as a grown-up alarm clock and the clock also has an interactive game to help teach children how to tell time. The interactive, talking time-teaching game is designed to help school-aged kids learn to tell time on both analog and digital clocks. The large, bright LCD display is capable of displaying the time in either format or both at once. The shape is fun and cartoon-ish and kids love to press the “toe” buttons to turn it off and on.  The voice volume (thank God!) is adjustable and so is the brightness and color changing option.
User Reviews: In general, this clock gets great reviews. I just ordered mine, so I’ll report back after I try it out. Some reviewers were frustrated that the numbers on the clock weren’t backlit so you couldn’t read the time at night. One has to press the “toes” to see the numbers illuminated.  Others couldn’t find a way to turn the nightlight off for kids who don’t use one (there is a way apparently). One parent’s five-year old son was able to fidget with the controls and change all the times so that the alarm went off in the middle of the night. However, parents do love the design and that it operates both on batteries and by plug-in.
What OK is like: OK to Wake! glows green when it’s time to get out of bed.  It acts as a nightlight that can be turned on with a tap of the “toe”.  For older children it can be an alarm clock with snooze. It also has a nap timer.
User Reviews: While a bit more expensive, parents preferred the Teach Me Time clock for its extra functions. There is no plug-in option with Ok to Wake and the time is not illuminated, so while kids can tell that it’s okay to get up, they can’t see what time it is. Some said the nightlight is not very bright. Neither Ok to Wake nor Teach me Time give a money back guarantee, which some of their competitors offer.

The Good Nite Lite

The Good Nite Lite
Cost: $45 with shipping
What it’s like: The Good Nite Lite combines a 6” traditional night light with a built-in timer that changes the visual display from moon to sun to tell kids when it’s time to wake up. This one seems the most basic of the bunch. I do like that it acts as a large nite lite. If I were buying another one, I would pick this one for its simplicity.
User reviews: Some parents love it and a few didn’t like the moon face, nor did their kids. The moon face scared them and they weren’t able to use it. A couple parents were frustrated that it was plug-in only.

My Tot Clock

My Tot Clock
Cost: $60 with shipping
What it’s like: My Tot Clock changes colors so the child can know when it’s time to sleep (blue light) or get out of bed (yellow light) or have a time out (red light!), and a green light encourages them when it is time to do a chore or task like brushing teeth.  (Sounds like a lot of color options to remember!) The clock can play white noise, a bedtime story and some songs. Of course, more songs and stories can be purchased separately.
User reviews: In general, parents seem really happy with this clock. They say it’s easy to set the times. Most don’t use the storytime, time out and white noise functions. Those that did found the white noise not loud enough or wouldn’t work. Quite a few reported mechanical issues of some sort or other.  Parents liked that that the clock can be both plug-in and battery operated.

Baby Zoo Trainer

The BabyZoo Sleeptrainer
Cost: $34.99
What it’s like: The BabyZoo Sleeptrainer has a cute little monkey named Momo that opens and closes its eyes. You can tell your child that as long as the monkey is sleeping, he/she should stay in bed as well. Babyzoo has digital and analogue clocks and a jungle alarm sound with adjustable volume (which can also be turned off/not used). A nightlight is also available that automatically shuts off in 30 seconds. At night, the child can press the nightlight button to see that Momo is still sleeping.
User reviews: Parents said it’s easy for the child to know that he/she should be sleeping when Momo has his eyes closed and many reviewers were very happy to see their children sleeping later with the clock. Negatives comments include no plug in, and the night light uses up a lot of batteries, although using it is optional. One reviewer said her two-year old learned how to turn on and off the alarm and push the button to open the monkey’s eyes himself so that he could get out of bed/wake up. Another big complaint was that the alarm had to be reset every night. The ticking of the clock is also loud.

Make your own
One last idea, which I never tried, but which could save you $50:  buy a light timer at your hardware store (the kind people use so it looks like someone is home) for a small desk lamp or night light and set it for your wake-up time. Explain that when the light is lit, it’s okay to get up.

Posted by Jill, updated by Joy

A Child Grows, 2010. | Permalink | 2 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: 5 am wake up, baby zoo, child wakes up early, child waking up too early, early riser, good nite lite, how to keep your kid in bed, kid night light, kid wakes up early, kidsleep, night lite, ok to wake, okay to wake, sleep clock, sleep through the night, sleep trainer, teach me time, toddler clock, tot clock

Cool bunk beds!

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. After lots of research I decided on bunk beds.  I would bet that every doctor, furniture manufacturer and grandmother will tell you that kids younger than 6 or 7 years should not be in bunk beds. I won’t disagree with them. An American Academy of Pediatrics study found that annually, an average of almost 36,000 children are treated in emergency rooms for bunk bed-related injuries.  And the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission requires that all bunk beds sold display a warning label advising against putting children younger than 6 on the top bunk. Yet in another stunning example of do as I say, not as I do, my kids Jake and Jenn, ages 4.5 and 3, are the new proud owners of bunk beds.

Actually, I bought a bunk bed with a trundle, initially thinking that Jake would sleep in the bottom bunk and Jenn would call the trundle her home. When it was delivered and put together, we ended up using the top bunk for him and the bottom for her. The prospect of using the trundle daily (pulling it out and making it for night; unmaking it and putting it away in the morning; losing all floor space while trundle is out) seemed overwhelming. I’m sure you are thinking, “Okay, so that’s more work, but the trundle is way safer.” True.  I  didn’t make this decision lightly, but I’m hopeful that we will be lucky and make it through the bunk bed-danger years unscathed.

Lots of people actually have bunk beds for their under-6 year olds and they have given me lots of advice on this.  Very first, my fingers are crossed. Beyond that, here are some other ways to make it safer:

• Before even buying the beds, start with very firm rules of what is and isn’t allowed on the beds and ladder. At our house: bed is for reading or sleeping.  The ladder is a means to get to the top, not a place to lounge or chat.  It also might not hurt that my kids fully believe that the toddler bed and crib, still in the apartment, could possibly be re-introduced to their room. The know-your-child advice works here the best– I could never have trusted my son at 3 in a room with a bunk bed but I do with my 3-year old daughter. Every kid listens and obeys rules (or disobeys!) differently.
• Remove the ladder during the day, pulling it out only for bedtime. We store our ladder on the bed all the time although your children will realize how to climb the bed without a ladder at some point.
• Make sure there are sturdy railings on both sides of the top bunk. We have a railing on the bottom bunk, as well.
• Have a nightlight in the room for late-night bathroom trips down the ladder.
• Be sure there are no toys on the floor near the bed.
• Pay particular attention when the kids’ friends are over – non-bunk sleepers LOVE bunk beds. Nothing good will result!
• Pay extra attention while the beds are new (and fun and exciting!!).  My kids have (almost) lost interest in the bunk beds, after two months.

Ohdeedoh has done a couple of posts about bunk beds, and readers’ comments from them are informative. Here are some below:

• My brother and I shared bedbunks till I was about 6-8 and I have fond memories of chatting after nights out… BUT – if your older child stays awake late bear in mind it will affect your younger child’s sleep patterns.
• With the bunk beds you gain a ton of room, but its difficult to snuggle and its been a bit of a fight to keep my youngest off the top bunk (she’s four).
• We put my daughter in the top at age 4, mainly out of necessity. I was nervous about it at first, but she was super careful and has never had a fall. I wouldn’t even dream of putting my son in the top bunk at that age. He’s too wiggly, and far too fearless. But my daughter has always been a still sleeper, and very cautious. She’s diligent about making sure her younger brother never climbs up. She’s nearly 6 now, and we’ve never had a bunk-bed related accident. I think they’re great. A fantastic space-saver when you need to multi-purpose a bedroom.

********
Once employed in tv production, Jill Austin now uses those management skills to boss around her husband, son, daughter and dog, with minimal success. When she’s not turning daily life into a production, Jill is a free-lance writer, a middle-of-the-pack triathlete and an optimist.

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Post tags: advantage of bunk bed, age for bunk bed, best bunk bed, bunk bed, disadvantage of bunk bed, loft bed, parents thoughts, reviews, Safety, should i get a bunk bed, trundle vs bunk bed, trundle with bunk bed

Erica Lyon at Realbirth ©New York Family

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 today to find out the entire story, but no one ever answered their lines. I did manage to get information from Tribeca Pediatrics though.  They said that Realbirth is slowly closing their doors and their last classes will run through June 30, 2010.  A new entity will be forming called “Tribeca Parenting”.  Tribeca Parenting will have the same kind of education programs as Realbirth and most of the teachers from RealBirth will be moving to the new business- and that will hopefully include the owner of Realbirth, Erica Lyon (as a teacher).  The new contact for Tribeca Parenting is emily@tribecaparenting.com (Emily is from Realbirth). Realbirth’s childbirth classes and inexpensive breastfeeding clinics will be especially missed. However, there are still plenty to choose from in Brooklyn. Check our listings for childbirth prepartion here and our listings for breastfeeding support here.

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Post tags: breastfeeding support, childbirth classes, childbirth preparation, erica lyon, realbirth brooklyn, realbirth close, realbirth closing, realbirth ny, realbirth nyc, tribeca parenting, Tribeca Pediatrics

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 late nights are bad for him.

I wonder: how much sleep should they each be getting? After looking at a lot of different charts and recommendations, I think this one from WebMD is the best I found. This is average- so don’t worry if your child is doing something different. And for those of you who have “gifted sleepers”- hooray!

1-4 Weeks Old: 15 – 16 hours per day

Newborns typically sleep about 15 to 18 hours a day, but only in short periods of two to four hours. Premature babies may sleep longer and colicky ones shorter.

Since newborns do not yet have an internal biological clock, or circadian rhythm, their sleep patterns are not related to the daylight and nighttime cycles. In fact, they tend not to have much of a pattern at all.

1-4 Months Old: 14 – 15 hours per day

By 6 weeks of age your baby is beginning to settle down a bit, and you may notice more regular sleep patterns emerging. The longest periods of sleep run four to six hours and now tends to occur more regularly in the evening. Day-night confusion ends.

4-12 Months Old: 14 – 15 hours per day

While up to 15 hours is ideal, most infants up to 11 months old get only about 12 hours sleep. Establishing healthy sleep habits is a primary goal during this period, as your baby is now much more social, and his sleep patterns are more adult-like.

Babies typically have three naps and drop to two at around 6 months old, at which time (or earlier) they are physically capable of sleeping through the night. Establishing regular naps generally happens at the latter part of this time frame, as his biological rhythms mature. The midmorning nap usually starts at 9 a.m. and lasts about an hour. The early afternoon nap starts from 12 to 2 p.m. and lasts an hour or two. And the late afternoon nap may start from 3 to 5 p.m. and is variable in duration.

1-3 Years Old: 12 – 14 hours per day

As your child moves past the first year toward 18-21 months of age he will likely lose his morning nap and nap only once a day. While toddlers need up to 14 hours a day of sleep, they typically get only about 10.

Most children from about 21 to 36 months of age still need one nap a day, which may range from one to three and a half hours long. They typically go to bed between 7 and 9 p.m. and wake up between 6 and 8 a.m.

3-6 Years Old: 10 – 12 hours per day

Children at this age typically go to bed between 7 and 9 p.m. and wake up around 6 and 8 a.m., just as they did when they were younger. At 3, most children are still napping while at 5, most are not. Naps gradually become shorter as well. New sleep problems do not usually develop after 3 years of age.

7-12 Years Old: 10 – 11 hours per day

At these ages, with social, school, and family activities, bedtimes gradually become later and later, with most 12-years-olds going to bed at about 9 p.m. There is still a wide range of bedtimes, from 7:30 to 10 p.m., as well as total sleep times, from 9 to 12 hours, although the average is only about 9 hours.

12-18 Years Old: 8 – 9 hours per day

Sleep needs remain just as vital to health and well-being for teenagers as when they were younger. It turns out that many teenagers actually may need more sleep than in previous years. Now, however, social pressures conspire against getting the proper amount and quality of sleep.

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