Fun Ideas!

I came across this blog today (of course by blog stalking...thanks Lauren!) that has so many fun ideas to do with our little ones! If you are in a slump at home trying to think of ways to keep the kiddos entertained then click on the link immediately! http://dressesandmesses.wordpress.com/

I am so excited about the whole slew of activities to do...our first one is going to be this fun Sensory Table! My son will LOVE this for that I am sure. I am excited because I think this will keep him entertained for hours;)

Also try this educational activity about The 5 Senses. I did an activity similar to this about 6 years ago for a Primary Sharing Time (church lesson) and it was a HIT!! I had ALL the kids' attention as they each wanted to have a turn to touch, smell, and taste. This one takes a little more planning and putting together but no doubt your kid(s) will love it!

Just thought I would share! When you strike gold it only matters if you share the wealth! (I think I just made up a quotable quote!...haha!)

Cause for Concern

I was sent this article today and read over it and think everyone should take a look. With the recent headlines of teen suicide I think it is good for everyone to become more aware of the problem even if you think this is an issue you don't have to worry about. It takes a village right?

Click here to view the article.


On a brighter note, Happy Easter to you all! Hope you all are having a fabulous weekend!

Want to Help?

Hello Everybody!

I hope this post finds you all happy, healthy, and enjoying the new year!

I am calling all helping hands...or checkbooks:) If you are not all maxed out from donating to Haiti this past week, I want to ask you to consider if helping today is something you can do.

I was contacted to see if Dollars for Diapers could do anything to help this family.

Here is the story (the short version)

In DeSoto County Mississippi two adorable twin boys were born a few days ago. Their mother has four other children and found herself in a situation that she could no longer handle. She couldn't keep her babies. She just couldn't. Her sister stepped in and is in the process of trying to legally adopt the boys. However, due to the situation and having no time to prepare, this lady and the babies are in need of everything. Clothes, diapers, wipes, blankets, lotions/creams, formula, pacifiers, etc...you get the picture.

I verified the situation and wanted to assure you that any donations made will go to TWO deserving little boys...who despite no reason on their part...are getting a rough start in the world.

If you have any clean infant clothing in good repair, diapers, wipes, toys, creams, blankets, etc that you would like to donate please e-mail me and I will send you our shipping address. If you have any funds that you can spare...EVEN JUST A DOLLAR...send me an e-mail and I will get you our address. And of course you can donate through Pay Pal by clicking on the link on the blog.

Thank you all in advance!

Sleep Myth Busters

*Hey All* This is an article that was sent to me and asked to be put on the blog...enjoy!


Sleep Myth Busters: The Sleep Lady Sets the Record Straight
By Kim West, LCSW-C,
Author of The Sleep Lady®'s Good Night, Sleep Tight: Gentle Proven Solutions to Help Your Child Sleep Well and Wake Up Happy

#1 If I skip my child's nap, he will sleep longer at night. Also, the later I put my child to bed, the later he'll sleep in the morning.

Sleep Lady: The more overtired you allow your child to get, the more wired he'll get -- making it harder for him to get sleep and stay asleep.

#2 Children not sleeping through the night for the first year or two is a fact of life.

Sleep Lady: Healthy babies 6 months or older who are growing well can often sleep 11 hours at night. Although teething, illness and developmental milestones can disturb sleep at various times, they're only temporary interruptions.

#3 Newborns sleep all the time and know what they need. You don't need to schedule their sleep times.

Sleep Lady: Even very young babies benefit from scheduling and consistency at night time and nap time. It cuts down on their crankiness and crying and lays the groundwork for learning how to sleep through the night once they're a little older.

#4 Children know when they're sleepy and when they should go to bed.

Sleep Lady: Not once they learn to fight sleep for your company! Children need our direction and guidance with a soothing bedtime routine to help them slow down and transition to sleep. Once you get your child on a consistent schedule, you can plan your own day better and can count on having a happy awake child.

#5 Some children, including babies, don't need as much sleep as others.

Sleep Lady: Very few children need less than the average amount of sleep for their age. They need enough good quality sleep to grow and learn at the incredible rate they do! They need us to protect their need for sleep.

#6 If I let my child "cry it out" at bedtime, I can do whatever it takes (rock, walk, nurse, bottle feed , etc.) to get him back to sleep in the middle of the night.

Sleep Lady: Once your baby is over 6 months of age, you must be consistent at bedtime AND all night wakings. If he becomes accustomed to being fed, rocked, walked, etc. during the night, that is what he will need and expect each time he wakes up in order to go back to sleep. He won't understand why you are doing it sometimes and not other times.

#7 I will have to give up all forms of co-sleeping if I want a baby with good sleep habits.



Sleep Lady: Not true. Consider an alternative middle ground called "room sharing" -- where you keep your baby in your room in a crib or co-sleeper for months or even a year. You can easily feed your baby, its gives you the peace of mind of having her close by and you don't have to worry about the safety challenges of bedsharing. Most importantly you can begin to put your baby down "drowsy but awake" at nap time so she can learn to put herself to sleep independently and you are still near by. This will make the transition to her own crib and room one day much easier!

#8 If I feed my baby late at night, he will sleep longer.

Sleep Lady: A baby will sleep for a longer stretch when he no longer needs to eat at night AND if he knows how to put himself back to sleep without being fed.

#9 Feeding my child formula rather than relying on breast feeding in the evening will help her sleep longer.

Sleep Lady: It may help her sleep longer since formula takes longer to digest, but it won't make a difference if she doesn't know how to put herself back to sleep without nursing or bottle feeding.

Copyright © 2009 Kim West, LCSW-C, author of The Sleep Lady®'s Good Night, Sleep Tight: Gentle Proven Solutions to Help Your Child Sleep Well and Wake Up Happy

Author Bio
Kim West, LCSW-C, known as The Sleep Lady®, has helped thousands of tired parents gently teach their babies and children how to go to sleep and stay asleep. West has appeared on Dr. Phil, the Today Show, NBC Nightly News, Good Morning America, TLC's Bringing Home Baby, and CNN, and has been written about in a number of publications including The Wall Street Journal, Associated Press, Parents, Baby Talk, Parenting, the Baltimore Sun, USA Today, and theWashington Post. West hosts the sleep section of The Newborn Channel, played in maternity wards in hospitals across the country. She is the mother of two daughters and a licensed child and family therapist, practicing for over seventeen years. She lives with her family in Annapolis, Maryland.

In addition to The Sleep Lady®'s Good Night, Sleep Tight, West is also the author of 52 Sleep Secrets for Babies and the upcoming, Good Night, Sleep Tight Workbook.

Visit Kim West at www.sleeplady.com.

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Caitlin G. Price

Senior Publicist

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