When to keep your sick baby/child at home I read an article recently which stated that “The common cold is not enough reason to keep a child at home.”. In which universe? I agree that the occasional runny nose or very mild cough is not enough reason to have to take a few days off […]

I read this the other day: “Welcome to Parenthood, where everyone is always right. Except you.” I get a kick out of that statement, because it can often ring true! There is SO much information (and misinformation) floating around these days, that it can be hard to read between the lines, and weed through the […]

As mentioned in last week’s blog – making time for yourself and partner is as important as anything you can do for yourself and your family!   “Date night” doesn’t mean you need to leave the house or spend money on a sitter either.   Sometimes, we feed the kids and put them to bed, […]

My blogs, columns, and discussions with parents almost always revolve around children and family, but sometimes it’s necessary to be selfish and put YOUR needs first. After all, what good are you to your family if you are constantly putting everyone else and their needs first, and end up feeling miserable (often, before you even […]

After putting my youngest, still a baby, to bed last night, I read an article about a baby who died after going into heart failure. The baby (6 weeks old) was thought to have been sleeping in her parents’ bed and accidentally suffocated. Suffocation due to avoidable circumstances and factors, does not fall under the […]

Just when it seems like you’ve got the whole sleeping baby thing under control, your little one goes and keeps changing and growing, right before your eyes! Changing from 4 or 5 naps a day to 3 doesn’t seem to be too challenging for most parents because newborns tend to do this naturally, as they […]

By Regan Forsyth of Eat Play Sleep Family Wellness   While mobile phones are a really convenient way to keep close touch with your pre-teens and teens, there is a lot more to be taken into consideration when deciding when is the right time to sign your son or daughter up. Cell phones are very […]

Once children are off to preschool, or school, many parents tend to leave it to the teacher to work on pre-reading skills, and trust that their young child is learning what they need to in school.   The truth is, that learning is a triad of student, family, and school. All three must be invested […]

This is a very common time of year for people to take family holidays.   If you are planning a family trip or getaway with a baby or toddler, it really is important to consider how travel plans are going to affect your child’s sleep routine. This is even more important if you have recently […]

Whether it’s only been a few months, or it has been a couple of years, going back to work after being at home with your little one is never easy. This is a reality that almost all families deal with at some point, unless one of the parents is able to be the daytime caregiver […]

Part Two of a Two Part Series   Getting adequate sleep with a newborn in the house (and helping the baby sleep) is a challenge for any parent, but if you are the mother or father of more than one baby, this can be especially difficult to achieve. Additionally, I tip my hat to you! […]

Part One of a Two Part Series Getting adequate sleep with a newborn in the house (and helping the baby sleep) is a challenge for any parent, but if you are the mother or father of more than one baby, this can be especially difficult to achieve. Additionally, I tip my hat to you! I […]

What comes next? It’s really quite simple to find lots of accurate information on what foods to introduce to babies between 6 and 7 months, as first foods. Less readily available, is information about what comes next, but before “toddler food”. The next stage:  Here are a few suggestions of things to try next (8 […]

I wanted to share this article with my readers: http://psychcentral.com/lib/teaching-your-baby-sign-language-can-benefit-both-of-you/0002423 I knew the potential benefits for using it with my own child, because I had researched it, worked with it and seen it benefit MANY other families. However, I had NO idea just how beneficial it would be. My two year old has been learning […]

Maintaining Your Child’s Healthy Sleep Habits Over the Holiday Season Keeping Your Children Rested and Joyous! By Regan L. Forsyth Every year, in January and February there seems to be an influx of parents trying not to pull their hair out because sleep routines and habits in their homes went out the window over the […]

Do you have visitors at 5am? When switching from the crib to a bed, bedtime can be pretty disruptive for awhile – if you can even get them to remain in bed, that is. THEN, you suddenly have a new visitor beside your bed at 5am. Fun! In our house, 5 am is no different […]

One of the key factors in having a well rested baby, is being mindful of how long they have been awake and watching carefully for ‘tired signs’. Naturally, each and every baby is a wee bit different, but here is a rough estimate of the appropriate amount of awake time (the window between sleeps) for […]

For many families with young (and older) babies, nap times can be a struggle. You spend a great deal of time preparing for the nap, watching for tired signs, getting them to sleep and then POOF! Within 20 to 40 minutes, your wee one is wide awake. First, it’s important to note that the average […]

Well, THAT is a very good question indeed. The term ‘sleep training’ (as most families have become familiar with it, anyway) seems to mean to use a program or a plan where you follow steps with your child to get them sleeping through the night. Period. It also now carries a rather negative connotation, and […]

Out of fear and the unknown, arise myths. A myth is a story with a purpose. Often the purpose is to sway opinion or beliefs. I prefer to base my decisions on fact. Let’s get to it then… Sleep training methods are all the same. Not at all. However, the term ‘sleep training’ has, in […]

Not as much as you might think…. This is something I am asked about almost daily, since all babies have to live through it! Firstly, it is important to realize that teething usually only affects sleep when the teeth are actually cutting through the gums. Some children can have a couple of nights that are […]

Because I am expecting again in June, I find myself thinking a lot (again!) lately about newborn sleep habits and those first few months of life and so I thought I would share something for all you expectant and newborn Mommas. The NUMBER ONE most important thing you can do from that very first night […]