I’ve yelled a lot this week. The kid is clingy, newly walking, growing and possibly teething. Who knows. At this point, all I know is I’m not proud of how I’ve handled it.
Read moreCOVID Burnout- You’re Not Alone
Parenting
Parenting can be overwhelming! Joan brings her best advice to the blog!
The Pea Pod Guide to Babywearing Safely
Babywearing, whether it’s in a sling, a wrap or a carrier, can be such a great thing. It allows you to have both hands free while still snuggling with your baby. It allows you to multitask! We all know how necessary that is with a new tiny human. That said, we want to make sure you’re babywearing safely!
Read moreWorking From Home With a Toddler- Lessons I’ve Learned
When the Pandemic began I had a baby. An immobile nine-month-old who liked to sit and stare at himself in mirrors. Man, I did not know how good I had it! Fast forward 10,000 years… ahem… almost six months now and I have a toddler. A wild, tantrum-throwing, fast-crawling, nearly-walking 14-month-old. Oof. Still working from home. Oof oof.
Read moreOur Favorite Child Sleep Books for DIY Parents
If your sink’s garbage disposal breaks- do you call a plumber or type “broken disposal” into YouTube? If you’re a DIY parent, you probably liked the YouTube option. So, when your child isn’t sleeping, we’re guessing you take a similar approach- you maybe even found this article Googling “child sleep books”. We have good news for you! You can absolutely help your child sleep better on your own. As sleep consultants, we are here when you’ve tried as much, or as little, as you want and need more help. Some people love having a guide and human resource, others don’t need that.
Most of the information you need to sleep train is online or in a book. But as you probably already know, there’s just so much information out there. And one approach can be SO DIFFERENT from the next. It’s especially tough to sort through it all when you’re totally exhausted.
There are hundreds of child sleep books. I have a bookcase that’s full of them. While most sleep books will help you in a safe and science-backed way, some are better than others! Here are our favorites.
Read moreReal-life review: Bitta Kidda Sleep Sack
Real-life review of the Bitta Kidda sleep sack from Casey, mom of a 13-month-old boy
We are a Bitta Kidda affiliate and received this product for free. We receive commission on any sales through our link. However, our real-life reviews are based on parents’ real experiences.
A couple key facts about my son’s sleep habits before I share my thoughts:
- He is just over a year old, so he’s very used to sleep sacks (we’ve used them from the start).
- He already has an attachment to lovies. I don’t recommend this in any way, but we introduced one about 6 months- against Joan and our pediatrician’s recommendation.
I wish I had known about the Bitta Kidda sleep sack when my son was little. He used to try to get comfortable grabbing onto his sleep sack! He just wanted to grab onto something while he slept. I delayed months introducing a lovey- and still did so before it was truly safe. This sleep sack would have made me so much more comfortable meeting him where he was- too little to have a loose blanket in his crib, but wanting comfort. The material is nice and soft- comparable to the popular sleep sack we’ve been using from day one.
This sleep sack features a whole lot of fasteners- velcro, snaps, a zipper. It’s a bit complicated for a sleep-deprived parent! And if you have a very tired, wriggly baby, even harder. It’s not rocket science, though, so I would just recommend practicing a couple times with a happy baby first. Probably a good idea, anyway, to help them get used to it!
The Bitta Kidda BittaSack is a great option if you’re looking to help your newly unswaddled kiddo sleep better!
We receive commission on Bitta Kidda purchases made through this link:
I Went Camping With My Baby
A mom walks into a campground- and runs out screaming 12 hours later.
That was almost me. Because I went camping with my baby. But, before you say you’ll never make the same mistake, this is a story with a happy ending!
A good idea, maybe
In the summer of social distancing, we decided camping felt safe enough for our little crew to have a weekend getaway camping with my in-laws.
My one-year-old is a happy camper. He’s never actually camped, but my easy-going kid loves nature. Camping fits his interests perfectly. Except for the fact that he sleeps best in complete darkness, at a crisp 68-72 degrees with the sound of ocean waves washing over him.
He’s a dream sleeper at home. We didn’t know how he’d do in a camper on a hot July weekend.
Day One
We timed the drive perfectly. Get him in his carseat right at naptime, he’ll sleep the first two hours, wake up, have a snack then become a camper.
Nope.
Thirty minutes in his eyes popped open to watch the cars and trucks buzz by. The next two hours consisted of 10 minute naps.
Nap one was a bust. But, there’s hope yet!
Lunch, play, nap two.
We put his Pack ‘n’ Play in the camper, zipped him into his sleep sack, gave him his lovey and turned on the waves. He went out without a problem.
Snack, play, dinner… bedtime routine. And this is the part where mommy almost ran away.
My happy bathtime baby did not care for an inch of water at the bottom of the camper shower. Screaming. He didn’t want his bottle. More screaming and some wriggling. Reading was acceptable. Going to bed was not.
While I’m pretty powerful, if I do say so myself, I do not control the air temperature or sunset. So getting my son to lay down behind a sheet in the hot camper to try to block out light didn’t go well. He could tell it was still daytime- his favorite word is ‘go’ and that’s what he wanted to do- and he was H-O-T.
We fought him to sleep for HOURS. We sat in the air-conditioned car for bottle and stories. We swung in the hammock as the last light blue disappeared into the darkness. He fell asleep, but as soon as his head hit the Pack ‘n’ Play inside he was reminded he was in a weird place with weird light and too much humidity.
My husband and I didn’t know what to do. We followed all of Joan’s key sleep principles at home- cool, dark room, white noise, sleep sack, lovey. Luckily, we had parenting and camping professionals with us.
Here’s what we as first-time parents didn’t realize. You adapt and survive. So, my husband and father-in-law loaded my sad buddy into his car seat and drove. About an hour later, they brought back my cooled-off, snoozing dude and he went into his bed just fine.
He woke me up in the morning by pulling up on the side of his bed and giving me a smoochie.
Day Two
My husband and I woke up ready to call it quits on camping with baby. But, he’s more patient than I am and decided let’s get through nap one. And not take any chances that it’d be a good one.
The guys loaded up the baby again- committed to driving up and down the Door County peninsula for two hours of a solid baby nap.
It worked!
A solid morning nap led into a solid afternoon nap. A happy, splashing baby in between.
At bedtime, we had learned some lessons. First- since we couldn’t control the light, we didn’t. We pushed back bedtime until the night sky darkened. In the meantime, we did everything we could to keep the camper cool. We did most of his bedtime routine outside where the breeze could do the work for us. He and I snuggled in the big bed next to his Pack ‘n’ Play by ourselves for his bottle- him in his sleep sack ready for bed. The calm and quiet seemed to help. I reminded him mommy was still here behind the sheet.
We became happy campers
We ended up happy campers because we stopped trying to control the things we couldn’t. Sleep at home and sleep anywhere else are different. And we had to accept that.
Sure, driving our bud around at home isn’t sustainable. But, if that’s how we escape quarantine for two nights it’s fine. A late bedtime isn’t ideal, but if it saves a fight it’s fine. Letting go of my sleep anxiety really was fine since it meant I got to experience the joys of camping with my baby.
And next time, I might consider a battery-powered fan and/or this nifty invention to give buddy a private, dark space.
Sleep Training Methods Decoded
It’s 3 a.m. You’re awake. Again. Googling “sleep training methods.” Google spits back thousands of pages with dozens of methods with all kinds of crazy names that really don’t seem to make much sense. Maybe because it’s 3 a.m. Or maybe it’s the crying-is-best, crying-is-awful, somewhere-in-the-middle conflict. Plus, your co-worker, friend from high school and cousin’s wife have probably also said, “We did this. It worked for us. Try it. We know it will work for you, too!” It’s easy to get overwhelmed with information. Most parents are! How can every online sleep expert claim to have the perfect solution? How do you know what will help and what won’t?
This is Parenting During the Coronavirus Pandemic
Parenting in a pandemic is worse than my worst fear. Postpartum anxiety made me believe our beloved dog had millions of dangerous germs on her. It made me believe the air was full of toxins. It convinced me harmful bacteria lingered everywhere. It never suggested a world-wide, potentially fatal virus would spread into our community, shutting down work and schools. This is parenting during the Coronavirus pandemic.
Maternity Leave is Ending & Baby Doesn’t Sleep Through the Night- HELP!
After ten beautiful weeks of snuggling your sweet baby, sometimes at all hours of the night, suddenly the countdown to going back to work begins! As maternity leave is ending, baby may not be sleeping. And you might be wondering how you’re going to function at work totally sleep deprived.
Read moreHiring a Sleep Consultant
Where to begin hiring a sleep consultant when you’re at your wit’s end
There are a lot of people who claim to be sleep consultants these days, and when you’re a tired parent, it’s easy to hire the first person who says they can help. Not so fast! Before you hire a sleep consultant, be sure to do a little research to make sure that the person you are hiring is truly the right fit for you. Read more