New York Nanny Center » sleep

Sick Baby: 1, Mommy: 0

Lindsay Bell — Thu, 16 Jan 2014 16:11:09 +0000

Life has been quite the whirlwind lately. The girls have been so out of whack with their sleep schedules; on top of it, one of them came down with an ear infection, teething, and I’m pretty sure roseola all at the same time. I have never felt so helpless. As a mom, you try night and day to make sure your child receives the utmost best care possible. So when your kiddo comes down with something, you panic (at least I did) because you don’t know what’s wrong since they can’t tell you.

Now, on to the sleepless nights. I’ve attempted sleep training and the cry it out method- but none seem to be working very well. I have found it challenging, especially having both girls in the same room, and sure enough they wake each other up. I’ve read countless articles and advice on getting your baby(s) to sleep through the night. Last night, I finally tried a little something new and luckily enough it worked and they slept 10 hours! Hopefully it wasn’t a fluke- will let you know next posting!

-Courtney is a mother of twins, former sitter2mom, and an original LLD sitter!

Fussy Baby Means Sleepy Parents

Alison Gore — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 18:01:31 +0000

Dear #AskaLLDSitter,

I am a new mom who is trying to get our newborn to sleep. Any tips to help us with our fussy night owl and avoid sleep deprivation?

Best,

Sleepyhead

Dear Sleepyhead,

Funny that you should ask that question. I was recently having that same conversation with Winter Parris of Winters Play Place, who helps new moms with postpartum about how to get a newborn to sleep. She gave me such insightful tips beyond the running list of swaddling your baby, constant movement and using white noise because every family is different, so what may work for one may not be the best option for another. Her main idea is that new parents need to find a way that is comfortable not just for their child but also for them, otherwise it’s an unsettling situation for both parties.

The biggest point Winter made was for new moms to take some time out for themselves. If you are rundown and not feeling well, how will you be able to take care of your lil’ one? Be sure to take time to work out, read, nap, talk to other moms/get support and make time for that date night. Find a reliable sitter or sitters that you can coach through your routine. You can also get help through an agency & have them assist in coaching the sitter based on your parenting style. Having a trustworthy sitter who follows your instructions completely is almost like you are there, but really you’ll be downstairs sipping vino with your hubby or partner. You’ll feel confident that your instruction is being followed, and you’ll get some time to relax!

It’ll make you feel so much better knowing that the sitter is following your instructions and knows the routine.

#AskaLLDSitter from LLD and Renee Pena.

-Renee is a lifelong learner of parent’s education,creativity, special needs and early childhood. She is addicted to Pinterest, organizing, and the color purple. She is honored to be a guest blog for LLD as their go to sitter expert via #AskaLLDSitter. Renee is currently working on an upcoming blog on education, you may follow her launch and tips on Reneepedia. You can also chat with her via twitter at @enrichingkids.

Bedtime Routine Tips from the Experts!

Lindsay Bell — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 18:15:00 +0000

Big City Moms always supporting LLD, invited us to their Sleep Experts Lunch to speak about the importance of communicating bedtime routines to your sitter. Here are a few important tips!
1. Give your sitter a tour of your home. Show your sitter the kids rooms, point out dangerous areas you want the kids to stay away from and give specific instructions on how things work.

2. Bedtime Rules. Talk to your sitter about your bedtime routine with the kids i.e. What time do you begin to wind down the night? What is your child’s favorite story and/or bedtime song? What time should they be asleep by?

3. Special Instructions. Are there any special rules you have? Do your kids have any allergies the sitter should know about? Are the kid’s sick and need medicine?

4. Exchange Contact Info. Be sure to leave your sitter with your cell phone and an emergency contact numbers. Be sure to get her cell phone number so that you can text her throughout the night if you have any questions or to check in.

5. Anything else? Sitters are happy to lend a helping hand. If you’d like them to unload the dishwasher or change the laundry most sitters won’t mind. Especially once they have been at your home a few times and you feel connected to them. They will be happy to help!

I stayed to listen to Kira Ryan, mom, sleep lover and co-founder of Dream Team speak about her infant& toddler sleep tips. Here are a few!

Newborns should get 15-18 hours of sleep per day (24hrs)
A good bedtime for an infant is between 6-8pm
Signs of a sleepy infant: the cry is different, no engagement or eye contact, fussy
What is normal?
- Up to 6 mo infants take naps every1 ½ -2 hours
- At 6mo infants usually take 2 naps per day
- 15-18 mo 1 long nap in the afternoon
- Naps or ‘quiet time’ is recommended up to 3-4 years
- White noise machines are great especially for city noise
- Crib should be a sleep sanctuary, anything that screams party or playground should be removed
- Check the nursery temperature! It should be between 68-72 F.
- Is the room dark enough? Get blackout shades!

For more info on Dream Team click here