Monthly Archives: January 2012
6 Infant Sleep and Crying Tips
Fact or fiction? If you keep your baby up late at night, they will sleep longer in the morning.
If you guessed fiction, you are right! We recently met up with the Fussy Baby Network during an NPN event. They helped to debunk common myths about infant sleep and crying and provided us with some interesting information and helpful tips:
- Crying typically peaks between 4-6 weeks of age and is thought to be caused by neurological development. Though most babies still experience a crying curve, babies often cry less in cultures where they are often carried.
- If your infant cries excessively, you’re not alone. One out of every five babies cry excessively.
- Babies are pattern seekers and a consistent routine during bed time (even naps!) is important for a baby’s sleep. For example, if your child normally falls asleep to the gentle vibrations of the Sealy Tender Vibes, repeating this routine every night can aide in sleep.
- When sleeping on their back’s, a baby has a strong startling reflex and can wake easily. When nestled in their bassinet, swaddling can help keep your little one’s arms down and help baby to sleep more soundly.
- Instead of focusing on the amount of sleep your infant gets, focus on how long they are awake. If your baby normally needs to rest every 90 minutes, be sure to watch the clock.
- Learn your child’s sleep signals. Do their eyes get red when they are tired or do you notice a change in their activity level when sleepy? Pay attention to these sleep signals to know when your little one is ready for bed.
The most important thing to remember is that all babies are different and have unique needs and experiences. If you live in the Chicago area, the Fussy Baby Network is an excellent resource for parents and care givers who have a fussy baby or are experiencing difficulties with sleeping.
What sleep tips for baby do you have?
Mom Monday Inspiration
Kolcraft has had a busy weekend with kid’s parties, family dinners and our children’s sports teams. We met some inspiring fellow moms who sacrifice for their children and don’t think twice about it. We were talking around the coffee pot about the gift of motherhood and how it changes a person to see everything differently and to experience a depth of love beyond words. Someone shared this quote that we felt it was perfect for our Mom Monday.
A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie. ~Tenneva Jordan
What is your favorite mom quote?
What To Expect When You Are Expecting – the Movie
We all read the book when we were pregnant to answer our questions – Is what I am going through this trimester normal? How big is my baby at 20 weeks? What do I do for round ligament pain? Can I breastfed? These and 101 other questions we had, we knew could be answered by What To Expect When You’re Expecting. And now this best-selling “pregnancy answer” book is being made into a movie.
We admit that we laughed during the movie trailer because there were aspects we could relate to. Tell us what you think. Would you go to see the movie?
Sesame Street Making a Difference in HIV Positive Children in Africa
Kami HIV positive Muppet Helping Children in Africa
When we think of the loveable characters of Sesame Street, we think of Elmo teaching our children how to be potty trained or Cookie Monster teaching them to count, but rarely do we think of them talking about HIV/AIDS. Unfortunately, HIV positive children in Africa is all too real. There is a fear and a stigma around HIV that keeps some of these children from receiving the help they need.
The Facts:
- 1 in 10 children in Africa have parents who have AIDS
- 5.5 Million people in Africa are infected with the AIDS virus
- Most suffer in silence out of stigma, fear and lack of knowledge
Sesame Street is doing what they do best – educating our children. Kami, an HIV positive Muppet, helps to break the silence around HIV/AIDS that keeps so many from seeking and receiving care. She makes it okay to ask questions, to be educated and to get help. Millions of children have received help because of Kami. We love that Sesame Street is making a difference in children’s lives where it is needed most.
5 Tips To Stop Your Child From Biting
It’s that phase of growth that every parent dreads along with your baby cutting teeth – biting. With these 5 helpful tips you can teach your child to stop biting and start hugging!
- Take the Attention Away from the Biter - Comfort the victim of the bite especially if it is another child. This will turn the attention away from the “wrong-doer” who may be biting for negative attention. If you are the one who is bitten, rub the spot where your child has bitten you and say that it hurts.
- Be Firm & Direct – Children don’t understand long explanations. Firmly and directly say, “Biting hurts!” or “No Biting!” Be calm, firm and direct when saying this.
- Teach Alternatives – Tell your child that we don’t bite, we can express ourselves in other ways like saying, “That’s mine.” Or teach them nice touches. After your child bites say, “We don’t bite, we HUG.” And hug your child.
- Repeat, Repeat, Repeat – Your child learns through repetition. Be sure to be consistent in your message of no biting and repeat it every time your child bites. Make sure other caregivers do the same.
- Pay Attention to Patterns – Try to see why your child is biting. Is she overtired? Is she hungry? Finding a pattern can help you deter that behavior in the future.
What tips do you have to stop children from biting?
The Perfect Baby Walker For Your Child
Your baby is just beginning to get mobile and is excited about exploring her world. Why not help baby have fun while learning to walk with the Jeep® Liberty Renegade Walker! This is no ordinary walker. This unique baby walker features rugged Jeep style electronic steering wheel with horn, car engine sounds & music! We love all the fun features that will keep your baby entertained for hours.
More features we love:
- Fully padded, easy-to-clean seat pad
- Non-skid friction pads on base for child safety
- 3-position height adjustment allows the Jeep Liberty Renegade walker to grow with your child
What features do you like on the Jeep Liberty Renegade baby walker?
Kid – Friendly Sandwich Recipe
Your picky eater will enjoy this take on sandwiches. It’s easy to make and your children can have fun creating their sandwiches with you!
What you will need:
- Bread cut into cubes
- Cubed cheese
- Baby jerkins pickles
- Cherry tomatoes
- Deli meat cubed
- Other vegetables cubed
- Skewers
What to do:
- Cut ingredients into cubes
- Put in bowls & arrange in an “assembly line”
- Give your child a skewer
- Let them create their sandwich on a stick. They don’t have to put the bread on the outside – let their creativity take over!
Parenting Tips – Gratitude
In the day to day parenting tasks of changing diapers, school drop-offs, laundry, meal planning and answering “why” for the millionth time, we may forget to stop and embrace the miracle of our children. Our parenting tip of the day is simple – embrace the present moment with all its “messiness” and be sure to give hugs, kisses and tell your children you love them.
What tips do you have for celebrating the miracle of your child?
A Mom with Creative Mayhem
Justin – Jackie's newest addition 
We first meet the mom behind Monkey Mayhem when her 3rd was a newborn. A couple of years and another sweet baby later, Jackie is channeling her mayhem into creativity!
Jackie lives in a quiet town in Shenandoah Valley, VA, but her life is anything but quiet! How could it be with 4 kids under 7 years old?! As if being a SAHM with four kids wasn’t keeping her plenty busy, Jackie has started to crochet and sell various items for kids – hats, blankets, gloves, scarves, dolls and the list goes on.
We love it when moms can use their creativity to help their families. We have already placed our orders with Jackie (well, round one of orders…:) ) and can’t wait to have out little cuties warmed by Jakie’s hats.
You can check out Jackie’s creations on her Facebook page at Mizz J’s Creative Mayhem.
Fun Indoor Train Activity for Your Toddler
Sometimes it’s hard to entertain your children when they (& you!) have cabin fever. One very creative mom sent us the perfect activity for indoor fun with your kids - Hop Aboard Your Personalized Choo Choo Train!
What you need:
- 2 Empty Boxes. One will have to be big enough to “fit” your toddler.
- Paper Plates
- Non-Toxic Marker
- Empty Paper Towel Tube
- Paper Cup
- Heavy Duty Tape
What to do:
- Cut a hole in the large box, big enough to fit your child.
- Tape the smaller box to the back of the larger box to make it look like a train.
- Put the paper cup on the paper towel roll to form a smoke stack.
- Cut out a circle for the bottom of the “smoke stack”.
- Tape the “smoke stack” to the top front of train.
- Draw spokes on paper plates to form wheels.
- Tape wheels onto sides of train.
- Have your child decorate the side of the train with a marker or crayon.
- Let your little one have fun being the conductor of her train!
We recommend creating a whole train experience. You can read books about trains, color train pages and take a ride on your local train. You can talk about how people take trains to see family and friends, to go to work or how trains transport goods. In simple ways you can teach your child about transportation while having fun!
Thank you to the Clark family for sharing their toddler train experience with us!
