Celebrity dads go through the same grind as any first-time dad, including having fatherhood jitters. Ray Romano admits that he was no different. In his recent appearance on the Today show, Ray confessed to Matt Lauer that he was so nervous after his first child was born that he couldn’t get anything right.
The Everybody Loves Raymond star remembered the birth of his daughter Alexandra over 19 years ago, which led to his first dad debacle, followed by his first lesson in parenting as well.
“My daughter was born at St. Vincent’s Hospital right here in New York,” he says. “I went to pick them up, my wife and child, and [with my] newborn baby in my arms, [I] go outside [and say], ‘Where’s my minivan?’ I parked in a tow-away zone so we had to go to Queens in a yellow cab. My daughter came home in a yellow cab.”
Ray and his wife Anna are also parents to 16-year-old twins Matthew and Gregory, and Joseph Raymond, 11. The 51-year-old star admits that raising four kids has made him wiser. He has some very good advice for dads, “My advice is just let the woman tell you where to go and what to do.”
Ray Romano is also the voice of the mammoth, Manny, in Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, which is now in theaters.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Friday, July 24, 2009
Sleeping with your baby
Your picture-perfect view of new parenthood probably involves mom and dad staring lovingly over a crib as the baby sleeps. However, you, especially as a dad, may want to evaluate sleeping options and here's why:
1. The baby-in-crib alone is a relatively recent and distinctly American practice. If you think about it, before multi-room dwellings and back to caveman days, families used to sleep together for warmth and safety. Most of the rest of the world "co-sleeps" and finds it completely natural to do so.
2. Crib death, or SIDS, is a very American phenomenon, and perhaps can be related to the distance mommy is from a struggling baby.
3. And finally, and most importantly for dads: co-sleeping keeps mom close to baby for middle-of-the-night feedings. When we had our first and second babies, they slept with us for the first 6-7 months. In the middle of the night, baby was hungry and baby reached out and had a snack. My wife often said she barely remembered the feeding. Compare that with the story of some of my friends who kept the baby in a crib across the hall. Very often it was the DAD who got up in the middle of the night (wife had baby all day after all and was still recuperating from delivery) and it was DAD who spent 15 minutes at midnight and 4AM warming the bottle and another 15 minutes feeding and burping the baby. Now, I will grant you that middle of the night feedings have a certain romantic glow to them - there you are, the great dad, alone with your thoughts and your new son and daughter in the moonlight... However, after a week of completely interrupted sleep you may get a little tired of this routine, especially when you count the months before "sleeps through the night" is a reality.
1. The baby-in-crib alone is a relatively recent and distinctly American practice. If you think about it, before multi-room dwellings and back to caveman days, families used to sleep together for warmth and safety. Most of the rest of the world "co-sleeps" and finds it completely natural to do so.
2. Crib death, or SIDS, is a very American phenomenon, and perhaps can be related to the distance mommy is from a struggling baby.
3. And finally, and most importantly for dads: co-sleeping keeps mom close to baby for middle-of-the-night feedings. When we had our first and second babies, they slept with us for the first 6-7 months. In the middle of the night, baby was hungry and baby reached out and had a snack. My wife often said she barely remembered the feeding. Compare that with the story of some of my friends who kept the baby in a crib across the hall. Very often it was the DAD who got up in the middle of the night (wife had baby all day after all and was still recuperating from delivery) and it was DAD who spent 15 minutes at midnight and 4AM warming the bottle and another 15 minutes feeding and burping the baby. Now, I will grant you that middle of the night feedings have a certain romantic glow to them - there you are, the great dad, alone with your thoughts and your new son and daughter in the moonlight... However, after a week of completely interrupted sleep you may get a little tired of this routine, especially when you count the months before "sleeps through the night" is a reality.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
Sudden Infant Death syndrome (SIDS) is defined as the sudden, unexplained death of an infant, and is the one of the main causes of death among infants between a month and a year. SIDS is said to occur only when no possible explanation can be found even after:
* Autopsy
* Examination of the place where the death occurred
* Review of medical history of infant and family
The baby typically does not seem to show any sign of suffering and death occurs rapidly. In addition, SIDS is commonly known as crib death because of a strong link with sleep. It is estimated that 2,500 babies in the United States die of unknown causes every year.
Probable Causes
While no single cause can be pinpointed, researchers believe that SIDS may be the result of a combination of several factors.
During pregnancy:
* Consumption of prohibited substances during pregnancy (tobacco, alcohol, drugs, etc.)
* Early motherhood
* Poor medical care during pregnancy
* Short interval between two pregnancies
After birth:
* Exposure to smoke after birth
* Sleeping on the stomach or sleeping on too soft a surface
The last point should be emphasized, as babies tend to pause in their breathing, or re-breathe exhaled air, reducing the amount of oxygen in their blood while increasing carbon dioxide. Babies need clear space around their heads to breathe freely.
Prevention
* Ensure that your child always sleeps on the back. Sleeping on the side is also not a good alternative. For babies, sleeping on the back reduces the chance of accidental death greatly.
* Your infant's sleep area should be firm, without any pillows, toys, or covering. A firm mattress is preferable to a soft one. Remove stuffed animals during nap or sleep time
* Keep a comfortable room temperature. Excess body heat is seen to increase the chances of SIDS.
* For unknown reasons, breast-feeding and pacifiers are known to decrease the risk of SIDS.
* Keep the air around the baby free of smoke.
* Autopsy
* Examination of the place where the death occurred
* Review of medical history of infant and family
The baby typically does not seem to show any sign of suffering and death occurs rapidly. In addition, SIDS is commonly known as crib death because of a strong link with sleep. It is estimated that 2,500 babies in the United States die of unknown causes every year.
Probable Causes
While no single cause can be pinpointed, researchers believe that SIDS may be the result of a combination of several factors.
During pregnancy:
* Consumption of prohibited substances during pregnancy (tobacco, alcohol, drugs, etc.)
* Early motherhood
* Poor medical care during pregnancy
* Short interval between two pregnancies
After birth:
* Exposure to smoke after birth
* Sleeping on the stomach or sleeping on too soft a surface
The last point should be emphasized, as babies tend to pause in their breathing, or re-breathe exhaled air, reducing the amount of oxygen in their blood while increasing carbon dioxide. Babies need clear space around their heads to breathe freely.
Prevention
* Ensure that your child always sleeps on the back. Sleeping on the side is also not a good alternative. For babies, sleeping on the back reduces the chance of accidental death greatly.
* Your infant's sleep area should be firm, without any pillows, toys, or covering. A firm mattress is preferable to a soft one. Remove stuffed animals during nap or sleep time
* Keep a comfortable room temperature. Excess body heat is seen to increase the chances of SIDS.
* For unknown reasons, breast-feeding and pacifiers are known to decrease the risk of SIDS.
* Keep the air around the baby free of smoke.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Know the pros and cons of co-sleeping
Is it okay to let the baby share your bed with you? There is no single correct answer to this situation. It is up to you, as a parent, to decide after knowing its pros and cons:
Advantages of co-sleeping
* Sleeping with your baby can foster a closer bond between you and your child.
* It gives you more time to spend with your baby. This is especially important for working couples.
* According to some studies, breastfeeding is higher amongst babies who share their parents’ bed
* Babies who sleep with their parents are believed to enjoy better sleep.
* Some studies report that babies who co-sleep wake less often during the night and fall asleep faster.
* Co-sleeping tends to reduce crying amongst babies.
* It is easier for parents to attend to the baby’s needs at night.
* Co-sleeping enables parents to respond immediately to babies when they cry.
Disadvantages of co-sleeping
* Once they get used to sleeping with them, babies may refuse to sleep in the parents’ absence.
* It may be difficult to teach co-sleeping babies to sleep alone later.
* Sleeping with a restless baby may disrupt the parents’ sleep.
* Parents may see a baby in bed as an intrusion in their love life.
Advantages of co-sleeping
* Sleeping with your baby can foster a closer bond between you and your child.
* It gives you more time to spend with your baby. This is especially important for working couples.
* According to some studies, breastfeeding is higher amongst babies who share their parents’ bed
* Babies who sleep with their parents are believed to enjoy better sleep.
* Some studies report that babies who co-sleep wake less often during the night and fall asleep faster.
* Co-sleeping tends to reduce crying amongst babies.
* It is easier for parents to attend to the baby’s needs at night.
* Co-sleeping enables parents to respond immediately to babies when they cry.
Disadvantages of co-sleeping
* Once they get used to sleeping with them, babies may refuse to sleep in the parents’ absence.
* It may be difficult to teach co-sleeping babies to sleep alone later.
* Sleeping with a restless baby may disrupt the parents’ sleep.
* Parents may see a baby in bed as an intrusion in their love life.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Traveling with your baby
As a parent, you may have to travel with your baby on short and long trips. This would means taking your baby away from cozy, familiar surroundings in to new places with which your baby is not familiar. This can turn out to be a stressful experience for you as well as for your baby.
While traveling with your baby, plan early. Gather as much information as possible and try to cut down the inevitable uncertainties that go with any most travel plans.
These simple guidelines can make travel an enjoyable and pleasant experience for yourself and fun for your baby:
* Try to plan your trip well in advance. This will minimize hassles such as arrangements for boarding, lodging, destination breaks etc.
* Make a checklist of the baby items you will need to carry with you on the trip and stock up on these in advance.
* Carry diapers and wipes. You may need more of these than you think.
* Have a back up plan in place, in case you are not able to stick to the original arrangements you made while planning the trip.
* Schedule your trip to avoid inconvenient travel timings. Your baby will be most comfortable when its routine feeding, sleeping and waking time is only minimally disturbed.
* Avoid traveling to destinations where medical help may not be readily available.
* Avoid long-drawn out trips. Try to stick to the most comfortable modes of travel available.
* If possible, avoid traveling with your baby to places you are not familiar with.
While traveling with your baby, plan early. Gather as much information as possible and try to cut down the inevitable uncertainties that go with any most travel plans.
These simple guidelines can make travel an enjoyable and pleasant experience for yourself and fun for your baby:
* Try to plan your trip well in advance. This will minimize hassles such as arrangements for boarding, lodging, destination breaks etc.
* Make a checklist of the baby items you will need to carry with you on the trip and stock up on these in advance.
* Carry diapers and wipes. You may need more of these than you think.
* Have a back up plan in place, in case you are not able to stick to the original arrangements you made while planning the trip.
* Schedule your trip to avoid inconvenient travel timings. Your baby will be most comfortable when its routine feeding, sleeping and waking time is only minimally disturbed.
* Avoid traveling to destinations where medical help may not be readily available.
* Avoid long-drawn out trips. Try to stick to the most comfortable modes of travel available.
* If possible, avoid traveling with your baby to places you are not familiar with.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Web-Interactive Plush That Allows Kids to Create a Virtual Aquarium
Put away your snorkel and flippers, your fish tank and filter and get ready for the ultimate virtual underwater experience. Applause® from Russ, a brand of Russ Berrie and Company, Inc. (NYSE:RUS) and its subsidiary Russ Berrie U.S. Gift, Inc., introduces SeaPals™, a new line of marine-inspired plush that allows members to create their own virtual and interactive aquarium amid realistic ocean scenery.
Each SeaPals character comes with a secret code that allows you to log on to seapalsworld where you can create your virtual aquarium. Personalize your tank with castles, sand, coral and treasure chests, and ensure your aquarium thrives by feeding and nurturing your fish and keeping your tank clean.
Once you're settled in your new tank, you can choose to stay in your aquarium or jump out into the ocean, where you can play games, chat with other fish in the sea, explore reefs and shipwrecks, and learn about marine life.
Conquer deep-sea challenges and explore the ocean to discover hidden treasures and collect hard to find items that you can bring back to your tank or share with friends. Earn and collect 'Pearl Points' by playing games and engaging in fun activities.
To support the preservation of marine environments, RUSS will 'seas the day' by making donations to local aquariums to help raise awareness about the importance of oceanic conservation.
The first ten characters in the SeaPals school of fish include the Bannerfish, Blue Lobster, Clownfish, Sea Turtle, Shark and more. If you're a land lover, your SeaPals character also doubles as a finger puppet, bringing it to life on land and in your virtual aquarium. Bring the beauty of your aquarium to your computer screen – the SeaPals virtual aquarium doubles as a screensaver when the sea is calm and you step away from your computer.
The first ten SeaPals are available now in stores nationwide for an approximate retail value of $11 each.
Each SeaPals character comes with a secret code that allows you to log on to seapalsworld where you can create your virtual aquarium. Personalize your tank with castles, sand, coral and treasure chests, and ensure your aquarium thrives by feeding and nurturing your fish and keeping your tank clean.
Once you're settled in your new tank, you can choose to stay in your aquarium or jump out into the ocean, where you can play games, chat with other fish in the sea, explore reefs and shipwrecks, and learn about marine life.
Conquer deep-sea challenges and explore the ocean to discover hidden treasures and collect hard to find items that you can bring back to your tank or share with friends. Earn and collect 'Pearl Points' by playing games and engaging in fun activities.
To support the preservation of marine environments, RUSS will 'seas the day' by making donations to local aquariums to help raise awareness about the importance of oceanic conservation.
The first ten characters in the SeaPals school of fish include the Bannerfish, Blue Lobster, Clownfish, Sea Turtle, Shark and more. If you're a land lover, your SeaPals character also doubles as a finger puppet, bringing it to life on land and in your virtual aquarium. Bring the beauty of your aquarium to your computer screen – the SeaPals virtual aquarium doubles as a screensaver when the sea is calm and you step away from your computer.
The first ten SeaPals are available now in stores nationwide for an approximate retail value of $11 each.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Traveling with a Baby on a Plane
On the plane
Babies under two years still travel free on the lap, though there are rumors that this perk may soon be coming to an end. Most airlines charge a hefty service fee ($100 on United) for overseas flights for the same privilege, of traveling with babies. Before you even consider buying that extra seat until they are over two, remember that the baby will probably be on your lap anyway during the entire flights. So, unless you need an expensive place to keep your unread newspaper and magazines, take advantage of this free ride for as long as possible, while traveling with your baby. Don’t forget the sippee cup, bottle and binkey. If you do, the plane ride will be a descent into hell, because little ears often can not handle take-offs and landings without sucking on something. If mom is there and still nursing, you're in luck; you can read the paper in peace. If not, you'll be playing hot potato with the baby for at least a half hour up and a half hour down. We lost the sippee cup one time on the way to the airport and were able to get one at Travelers Aid at the last minute.
One gadget (and we love gadgets) you may want to consider sticking at the bottom of the diaper bag, while traveling with babies, is a water bottle adapter. This small piece of plastic allows you to use a soda or water bottle as a baby bottle and includes an extra nipple. At $.99 on eBay, its value to you, while traveling with babies, as an always prepared dad, would be immeasurable.
While often harried, I’ve always found airline service staff to be very good at warming bottles or fetching hot water for formula, when you're traveling with your baby. Don’t expect them to wait on you, but they can be very helpful.
A word to the wise on diapers for the plane: carry many extras while traveling with babies. Planes get delayed or cancelled, and some end up sitting on the tarmac for hours. Don't become a horror story of a panicked parent down to the last diaper with a diarrhetic baby leaking all over you and your neighbors. We have asked strangers to borrow a diaper when really stuck, but wouldn't want to start bartering for one in a closed market environment where demand might really far exceed supply.
Dining out
We’ve eaten at dozens of great restaurants over the years, sometimes with a dozing child on our lap. However, the biggest caveat here is that kids will behave in a strange restaurant the same way they will behave at home. If you know your child will never sit through a dinner at home, don’t do as we do. We’ve never been afraid to finish up a dinner quickly if the kids have really had enough, but we’ve also never shied away from having a full meal. Go to eat as early as possible, while the staff is fresh and accommodating. We’ve always found wait staff to be super-understanding and welcoming to our kids.
A day with baby
Finally, you’re now traveling with a third person who has input into the activities of the day. Luckily, babies enjoy many things parents do: a walk through the park, a trip to a museum, or just people-watching from the luxury of their stroller. And, unlike us, they can just close their eyes and nod off whenever they get bored or tired. If you time it right, during those moments, you and your wife might even have a little bit of time to yourself to muse about life before children and all the freedom you had.
Babies under two years still travel free on the lap, though there are rumors that this perk may soon be coming to an end. Most airlines charge a hefty service fee ($100 on United) for overseas flights for the same privilege, of traveling with babies. Before you even consider buying that extra seat until they are over two, remember that the baby will probably be on your lap anyway during the entire flights. So, unless you need an expensive place to keep your unread newspaper and magazines, take advantage of this free ride for as long as possible, while traveling with your baby. Don’t forget the sippee cup, bottle and binkey. If you do, the plane ride will be a descent into hell, because little ears often can not handle take-offs and landings without sucking on something. If mom is there and still nursing, you're in luck; you can read the paper in peace. If not, you'll be playing hot potato with the baby for at least a half hour up and a half hour down. We lost the sippee cup one time on the way to the airport and were able to get one at Travelers Aid at the last minute.
One gadget (and we love gadgets) you may want to consider sticking at the bottom of the diaper bag, while traveling with babies, is a water bottle adapter. This small piece of plastic allows you to use a soda or water bottle as a baby bottle and includes an extra nipple. At $.99 on eBay, its value to you, while traveling with babies, as an always prepared dad, would be immeasurable.
While often harried, I’ve always found airline service staff to be very good at warming bottles or fetching hot water for formula, when you're traveling with your baby. Don’t expect them to wait on you, but they can be very helpful.
A word to the wise on diapers for the plane: carry many extras while traveling with babies. Planes get delayed or cancelled, and some end up sitting on the tarmac for hours. Don't become a horror story of a panicked parent down to the last diaper with a diarrhetic baby leaking all over you and your neighbors. We have asked strangers to borrow a diaper when really stuck, but wouldn't want to start bartering for one in a closed market environment where demand might really far exceed supply.
Dining out
We’ve eaten at dozens of great restaurants over the years, sometimes with a dozing child on our lap. However, the biggest caveat here is that kids will behave in a strange restaurant the same way they will behave at home. If you know your child will never sit through a dinner at home, don’t do as we do. We’ve never been afraid to finish up a dinner quickly if the kids have really had enough, but we’ve also never shied away from having a full meal. Go to eat as early as possible, while the staff is fresh and accommodating. We’ve always found wait staff to be super-understanding and welcoming to our kids.
A day with baby
Finally, you’re now traveling with a third person who has input into the activities of the day. Luckily, babies enjoy many things parents do: a walk through the park, a trip to a museum, or just people-watching from the luxury of their stroller. And, unlike us, they can just close their eyes and nod off whenever they get bored or tired. If you time it right, during those moments, you and your wife might even have a little bit of time to yourself to muse about life before children and all the freedom you had.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Dads and kids: Making paper doll chains
Making a paper doll chain is a perfect activity for dads and children on a sleepy afternoon. It is simple and does not require either time or money. Most importantly, it will be an exercise in creativity that the children will surely enjoy.
Things you will need:
* Some cardboard or hard paper
* A pair of scissors
* Pen, crayons, markers, and color pencils
* Glue
* Colorful paper or fabric scraps, buttons, beads, ribbons, sequins, and stickers to decorate the dolls
Steps to make the doll chain:
* Cut out a broad strip of the cardboard or paper. This could be about 10 cm high and as long as you want to make your doll chain.
* Fold about 6 cm of one end of the strip. At the point where the folded end overlaps, fold the strip again, but in the other direction. Go on making similar, alternating folds, so that the entire strip is folded into accordion style panels.
* Hold the folded panels bunched up tightly, with the top panel facing you. Help your children to draw the outline of a doll on this top panel, with the hands and legs spread out so that these extend to the panel borders.
* Carefully cut around the doll, taking care to retain the folds where the hands and legs touch the borders.
* Now unfold the strip to see your chain of dolls, joined by their hands and legs.
* Let your children decorate the dolls using the crayons, markers, color pencils, pieces of fabric, beads, ribbons, etc.
* You can even help your kids cut out little shapes from fabric scraps that they can use to create colorful dresses for the dolls.
You can use this chain to decorate the walls of your living room. You could even stick it around a lampshade, hang it as a mobile, or use it to decorate your child's door.
Things you will need:
* Some cardboard or hard paper
* A pair of scissors
* Pen, crayons, markers, and color pencils
* Glue
* Colorful paper or fabric scraps, buttons, beads, ribbons, sequins, and stickers to decorate the dolls
Steps to make the doll chain:
* Cut out a broad strip of the cardboard or paper. This could be about 10 cm high and as long as you want to make your doll chain.
* Fold about 6 cm of one end of the strip. At the point where the folded end overlaps, fold the strip again, but in the other direction. Go on making similar, alternating folds, so that the entire strip is folded into accordion style panels.
* Hold the folded panels bunched up tightly, with the top panel facing you. Help your children to draw the outline of a doll on this top panel, with the hands and legs spread out so that these extend to the panel borders.
* Carefully cut around the doll, taking care to retain the folds where the hands and legs touch the borders.
* Now unfold the strip to see your chain of dolls, joined by their hands and legs.
* Let your children decorate the dolls using the crayons, markers, color pencils, pieces of fabric, beads, ribbons, etc.
* You can even help your kids cut out little shapes from fabric scraps that they can use to create colorful dresses for the dolls.
You can use this chain to decorate the walls of your living room. You could even stick it around a lampshade, hang it as a mobile, or use it to decorate your child's door.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Travel Tips for Dads with Babies
Summer is here and time is right for dancing in the streets. Well, maybe not, if you have little kids under your supervision. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have a great vacation with kids. In so many ways, time off with kids is more meaningful and enriching than a week on the beach without them ever could be.
The first rule of thumb for planning any family adventure is to figure out what will work for the entire family. Normally, I’m not one for saying that having kids should hold you back from doing the things you love to do. To the un-ending misery of fellow travelers, we took our babies on 12 hour plane trips to the other side of the world where we let them sleep on our laps while we ate long gourmet meals. We refused to let their tiny existence ruin our plans, and they often did not throw up or even break too many things. But now that they are older and have opinions and their own desires, we have to admit that things are more complicated.
Here are a few things we learned along the way:
Traveling with Babies
Babies are cheap and immensely portable. Pushing a stroller is like having a perpetual shopping cart where you can also store extra clothing, purchases and even a snack and bottle of wine. Babies remind you that you need a nap and provide a wonderful reason to stop and sit in a park. They change the rhythm of a holiday in a positive way if you can appreciate it.
As a dad, I traveled with a five month old and four year old from San Francisco to New York. Everyone treated me as if I had accomplished the most heroic effort of my life and I certainly didn’t play down my travails when I met my wife at the other end. Your mileage may vary, but I’ve always found the horrors of travel with babies way over-stated, even when traveling alone. The fact of the matter is that during this time period of “life with babies,” you’re in the baby zone and little that they do can fluster you in the same way as if it were a crisis you had to endure outside of parenthood. Even standing in an airplane bathroom over the Pacific for what I remember as hours holding a baby crying about teeth or congestion, I’ve never regretted bringing our kids along on a trip.
Carefully plan travel with babies, though, making sure you have enough diapers and formula, which are never as easily available as you think they will be. And, think twice about African safaris or anything labled “must-see adventures on a Harley.”
Surprisingly, big cities make good vacations with little kids since you can often walk them around different spots, sticking them in strollers. New York, Boston, San Francisco and Chicago are great cities for walking holidays that provide a lot to see just by wandering from place to place on foot. Unfortunately, most other U.S. cities are too spread out to tour in this way.
The first rule of thumb for planning any family adventure is to figure out what will work for the entire family. Normally, I’m not one for saying that having kids should hold you back from doing the things you love to do. To the un-ending misery of fellow travelers, we took our babies on 12 hour plane trips to the other side of the world where we let them sleep on our laps while we ate long gourmet meals. We refused to let their tiny existence ruin our plans, and they often did not throw up or even break too many things. But now that they are older and have opinions and their own desires, we have to admit that things are more complicated.
Here are a few things we learned along the way:
Traveling with Babies
Babies are cheap and immensely portable. Pushing a stroller is like having a perpetual shopping cart where you can also store extra clothing, purchases and even a snack and bottle of wine. Babies remind you that you need a nap and provide a wonderful reason to stop and sit in a park. They change the rhythm of a holiday in a positive way if you can appreciate it.
As a dad, I traveled with a five month old and four year old from San Francisco to New York. Everyone treated me as if I had accomplished the most heroic effort of my life and I certainly didn’t play down my travails when I met my wife at the other end. Your mileage may vary, but I’ve always found the horrors of travel with babies way over-stated, even when traveling alone. The fact of the matter is that during this time period of “life with babies,” you’re in the baby zone and little that they do can fluster you in the same way as if it were a crisis you had to endure outside of parenthood. Even standing in an airplane bathroom over the Pacific for what I remember as hours holding a baby crying about teeth or congestion, I’ve never regretted bringing our kids along on a trip.
Carefully plan travel with babies, though, making sure you have enough diapers and formula, which are never as easily available as you think they will be. And, think twice about African safaris or anything labled “must-see adventures on a Harley.”
Surprisingly, big cities make good vacations with little kids since you can often walk them around different spots, sticking them in strollers. New York, Boston, San Francisco and Chicago are great cities for walking holidays that provide a lot to see just by wandering from place to place on foot. Unfortunately, most other U.S. cities are too spread out to tour in this way.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Eight Baby and Kid Sleep Tricks Your Doctor Will Never Tell You
Face it. Doctors are pretty lame with practical advice on stuff that should come naturally to babies. So here are a few tricks we've picked - none risky, we promise - that might help you get your baby to sleep or back on track sleep-wise.
1. Dads, take charge. This is one area where dads can really add some value. Sadly, it's because we have nothing more to add than just being odd and different though. Send dad in to do the final diapering and reading and baby won't get distracted by the thought of mommy milk or the comforting sensations of the mommy aura. This goes also, unfortunately, for midnight diaper changes when you're weaning the baby off breastfeeding. Babies won't think "food!" when they see daddy's breast-less chest and dad has a better chance of getting baby back to sleep.
2. Pump up the volume. Don't let your child get used to a completely quiet house, or you may be subject to a baby who wakes to every siren or dog bark. Usually, yes, babies sleep through anything, unless they are conditioned to complete silence. If you're using complete silence as a tactic in the sleep wars, you may be doing more harm than good.
3. Be all business at night. While moms and dads often can't resist a cuddle with the baby or even trying to get the baby to smile or laugh while changing and feeding, everyone will get back to sleep faster if you are calm and efficient in the semi-dark, getting the baby back in bed with as little distraction as possible. This way, baby knows that daytime is playtime and nighttime is "get back to sleep as soon as possible."
4. Let the baby fall asleep on his own. Every doctor or sleep specialist will encourage strict routines to help the sleep ritual. What some won't think of though is making sure you put your baby in bed when he or she is drowsy rather than completely asleep. Falling asleep on your own is an important development step for a baby, which you can help by getting your baby in bed when you sense he is getting drowsy.
5. Treat your baby like he or she has jet lag. Experts recommend that when adjusting to new time zones, you should spend daylight hours in bright sunlight and keep out all light at times you should be sleeping. The same goes for babies. Make sure his or her internal time clock knows it's nighttime.
6. Turn down the baby monitor. If you're so sleep-obsessed that you have to check on your baby every few minutes, you're going to end up teaching the baby that every gurgle or whimper gets mom or dad's attention. I am definitely not a "let them cry it out" dad, but I do know that giving in to the temptation to just peek in on them usually reset the timer on my efforts to get my kids to sleep.
7. Skip the diaper change? Yes, maybe, if you don't smell #2 and you think the diaper isn't really full. A full diaper change, complete with baby wipe hitting warm skin in the night air, will definitely wake up a sleeping baby. Wake up a baby for one last feeding before you go to bed. This might be the one trick that scores you some extra sleep. While it might be risky to wake up a baby for more stimulation, if you can accomplish the feeding to a half asleep baby, it might mean your baby remains full and satisfied all the way until morning. This means you get some much needed baby sleep of your own.
1. Dads, take charge. This is one area where dads can really add some value. Sadly, it's because we have nothing more to add than just being odd and different though. Send dad in to do the final diapering and reading and baby won't get distracted by the thought of mommy milk or the comforting sensations of the mommy aura. This goes also, unfortunately, for midnight diaper changes when you're weaning the baby off breastfeeding. Babies won't think "food!" when they see daddy's breast-less chest and dad has a better chance of getting baby back to sleep.
2. Pump up the volume. Don't let your child get used to a completely quiet house, or you may be subject to a baby who wakes to every siren or dog bark. Usually, yes, babies sleep through anything, unless they are conditioned to complete silence. If you're using complete silence as a tactic in the sleep wars, you may be doing more harm than good.
3. Be all business at night. While moms and dads often can't resist a cuddle with the baby or even trying to get the baby to smile or laugh while changing and feeding, everyone will get back to sleep faster if you are calm and efficient in the semi-dark, getting the baby back in bed with as little distraction as possible. This way, baby knows that daytime is playtime and nighttime is "get back to sleep as soon as possible."
4. Let the baby fall asleep on his own. Every doctor or sleep specialist will encourage strict routines to help the sleep ritual. What some won't think of though is making sure you put your baby in bed when he or she is drowsy rather than completely asleep. Falling asleep on your own is an important development step for a baby, which you can help by getting your baby in bed when you sense he is getting drowsy.
5. Treat your baby like he or she has jet lag. Experts recommend that when adjusting to new time zones, you should spend daylight hours in bright sunlight and keep out all light at times you should be sleeping. The same goes for babies. Make sure his or her internal time clock knows it's nighttime.
6. Turn down the baby monitor. If you're so sleep-obsessed that you have to check on your baby every few minutes, you're going to end up teaching the baby that every gurgle or whimper gets mom or dad's attention. I am definitely not a "let them cry it out" dad, but I do know that giving in to the temptation to just peek in on them usually reset the timer on my efforts to get my kids to sleep.
7. Skip the diaper change? Yes, maybe, if you don't smell #2 and you think the diaper isn't really full. A full diaper change, complete with baby wipe hitting warm skin in the night air, will definitely wake up a sleeping baby. Wake up a baby for one last feeding before you go to bed. This might be the one trick that scores you some extra sleep. While it might be risky to wake up a baby for more stimulation, if you can accomplish the feeding to a half asleep baby, it might mean your baby remains full and satisfied all the way until morning. This means you get some much needed baby sleep of your own.
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