Posts Tagged ‘5 minutes for mom’

Parenting is hard work and when you have a challenging sleeper and sleep-deprived yourself, it’s all that much harder. This article is straying away from sleep for a moment, to take some time to allow you to focus on you for the moment.

I hope all of you will take some time for YOU this holiday season, away from the sleep struggles for just a moment (the holidays are a crazy time for sleep anyway!). It’s important to recharge yourself, so you will be a happier person and have more patience with your little ones as you solve their baby sleep problems, whether you are helping them sleep through the night or nap better.

If you need help finding ideas that you can do for yourself, I encourage you to look at the “5 Minutes” websites. I was recently interviewed at 5 Minutes for Mom. They also have 5 Minutes for Giveaways, 5 Minutes for Parenting, 5 Minutes for Special Needs, 5 Minutes for Going Green, and 5 Minutes for Books.

If those don’t tickle your fancy, here are a few interesting articles around the ‘net for your reading pleasure. You can read about whether rich and poor kids’ brains are different, how to keep your children’s identities safe, the simple math of losing weight, or look at Dooce’s 14-week belly.

I hope those of you who celebrated Eid’ul-Adha, Fiesta of Our Lady of Guadalupe, or St. Lucia Day had a great holiday! And, I wish all of you a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Boxing Day, Happy New Year (did you know it would be delayed one second this year?), Happy Kwanzaa, Happy Omisoka, and Happy anything else you might celebrate that I haven’t listed! I love learning about different cultures, so please do comment below with your choice of holiday (even if it’s not in December!).

With that, I leave you with one of the guest posts from my holiday giveaway this month. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! See you after the new year when I’ll continue my Baby Temperament and Sleep series.

Rock-A-Bye Baby

I can still remember being a young woman and dreaming about my days as a mother. I had it all planned out. After a day of cuddles and giggles I would gently rock my baby to sleep with a story and their very own lullaby. (I had planned to write a personal lullaby for each child). Not many years later the reality of a baby was there but all my other motherhood fantasies seemed distorted in the reality of, well, life. Yes, my baby was soft and sweet and I loved him in a way I never even imagined. But suddenly I was seriously lacking in the sleep area and slipped into a depression that took over every part of the me I had always known. And when I would try to sing my baby would cry. And so would I.

Luckily things get better. That first baby is now eight years old and has three younger brothers. During that time and with each baby (or babies in one case) I have learned to sing that lullaby, although I’ve found that wordless humming seems to work the best. Some tips that I have learned in my years is that what works for one baby will not always work for every baby. Be willing to try new things and new techniques. Get to know your baby. Are they happier bundled up tight or do they like to wiggle around? Do they sleep better with a little light or in the dark? My twins actually sleep much better when their room is completely dark, but my four year old has always needed a light on. Be in tune to what they want and keep trying until you find what works. I think the most important thing I’ve learned as a mother is that I don’t have to be perfect. My children are cared for and loved. Isn’t that what really matters in the end?

I am so happy that I have been featured in 5 Minutes for Mom’s weekly column 5 Minutes Around The Blogosphere. My contest to win a copy of my Help Your Child Sleep, a Detailed Guide e-Book, sleep consulting services , or custom-made baby blanket was listed as a “Baby Essentials” contest.

If you haven’t heard of this website, you should check it out! It’s a place that brings moms together and gives you great places to visit while online. You should definitely check out their readers blogs and mom-run websites. The owners also have this really cute store that sells rocking horses called A Rocking Horse to Love.

If you haven’t already entered my contest, please make sure you post a comment on this blog post for a chance to win!