Help! Why Won’t My Child Sleep?

If you are reading this, you probably don’t even remember your last night of good sleep. At this point, you’d probably be satisfied with some just okay sleep if it was for more than two - three hours at a time.

We wish we had a magic formula that would turn all babies and children who have trouble getting to sleep on their own, or staying asleep, into perfectly lovely little sleepers. Sadly though, we don’t. We do have suggestions that can help.

Create conditions that encourage sleep:

  • Create a bedtime ritual that includes some quiet time such as a warm bath, massage, or cuddling while singing or reading.

  • When creating your nighttime ritual, try to do most of it in the room where your child is sleeping.

  • Keep the same daily routine as much as possible: wake up at the same time, keep meals and snacks at the same time, and make bedtime the same time so your child knows what to expect.

  • As it nears naptime or evening bedtime, keep lights dim to signal your child’s brain that it is time to sleep. Make sure that their room is not too bright. If using a night light, find one that gives off a dim light.

  • Try to keep a consistent nap and bedtime. Infants who do this seem to have less trouble falling and staying asleep, and older children appreciate a consistent routine too.

  • Try nursing or bottle feeding your baby right before naps and bedtime. If they begin to drift off, then place them in bed and then quietly leave the room. For older children, a light snack before bed can help them but stay away from sugary foods and caffeine.

  • Adjust your sleeping arrangements, if needed, by having your infant and young child sleep in your room so that you can comfort them before they are fully awake.

  • Lots of babies love “white noise” that drowns out distractions and simulates the sound they heard in the womb. This sound can be from a vaporizer, a fan or even a sleep machine.

Some habits not to encourage:

  • Don’t put your children to sleep in a bed full of toys. It’s dangerous for babies, and distracting for older children. Plus, beds are to sleep in not for play.

  • Don’t soothe your children to sleep by placing a bottle of juice, milk or formula in bed with them. These liquids can cause tooth decay as well as sleep onset associations that increase sleep problems.

  • Don’t let your children use screens two hours before bed time and keep screens out of bedrooms. The lights from the screen interfere with their natural melatonin production.

  • Don’t punish your children by sending them, or threatening them with going, to bed.

Additional Resources:

Winter Car Seat Safety

It’s cold outside so naturally you want your children dressed appropriately for the weather. However, experts recommend that you leave off the heavy coats or any clothes that add extra bulk between their small bodies and the straps of car seats and booster seats. The extra space is compressible which means their bodies could thrust forward into the straps, potentially being thrown out of the car, in the event of a car crash.

Instead of dressing your children warmly for the car, dress them as you would if they were indoors before you buckle them up. To make sure they stay warm, you can warm the car before bringing them out in the cold, throw the coat over them once they are buckled or tuck a blanket around them. Be sure that there is nothing between their back and the straps.

Other tips for winter vehicle safety include:

  • Conduct the “Pinch Test” with your car seat straps: With your thumb and your index finger, pinch the harness near the child’s collar bone. If you are unable to pinch any excess fabric when you pinch the strap, the harness is considered snug enough.

  • Dress your children in thin layers; no riding in snow suits or puffy coats.

  • NEVER leave children in the car alone for any length of time.

  • Never warm up a car in an enclosed space such as your garage due to carbon monoxide poisoning.

  • Before warming up your car, check to ensure that the tailpipe is not clogged letting carbon monoxide leak in.

  • Before backing up, be sure your rearview cameras are clear, and double check to make sure children are not behind you.

  • If you have a keyless ignition, be sure to check that the vehicle is turned off so that it does not continue to run with the potential of exposing your home to carbon monoxide.

  • Teach your children to never play in or around a vehicle.

  • Ensure that your vehicle is locked so children can’t play inside.

  • Keep a “winter safety package” in your car: ice scraper, blankets, extra gloves and hats, flashlight, water, snacks, supplies for your child, and a first aid kit.

Additional Resources:

Quality Child Care for Children with Special Needs

Find Quality Child Care for Children with Special Needs

When it comes to finding child care, every parent wants and needs the absolute best care for their child when they can’t be there themselves. This means that parents are looking for a caregiver or program that is nurturing, safe, responsive, engaging, challenging, and is a positive learning environment with a good child to teacher ratio.

Parents of children with special needs are not alone when it comes to finding the highest-quality child care for their child. In Georgia, parents can contact Quality Rated at (1-877-255-4254) for resources and referrals. Additionally, you can contact your local school district and early intervention program for resources and help as well as ask other parents for assistance.

These are some basic indicators of quality that every parent should see and listen for when visiting potential child care programs, and more can be found in the “More Information” links below:

  • Is the program licensed and Quality Rated?

  • Are the children happy and being comforted by staff?

  • Are staff trained in early childhood education and receive ongoing training?

  • Is there a developmental focus to the activities going on?

  • Does the space look clean, bright and well cared for with lots of books and creative play areas?

However, for parents of children with developmental delays or disabilities, finding a school that fits your needs best requires a few more questions and indicators to ensure that your child is in the right program:

  • What are the guidelines and procedures for including children with special needs?

  • Are there special accommodations you will need to make at your program to include my child?

  • How will my child be introduced to the adults and other children?

  • What do you consider “special needs?”

  • How will my child be included in special activities and field trips?

  • Are therapeutic services such as occupational therapy (OT), physical therapy (PT) and speech therapy provided on site, if possible?

  • Is the facility physically accessible for my child and accommodates adaptive equipment?

  • Do you have anyone on staff that hay special training, skills or experience with children with special needs?

More Information:

Changing Unwanted Behavior

How Do You Change Unwanted Behavior?

Do you feel like some days you just can’t get it right no matter what you do? She cries if you don’t pick her up then she cries if you do. She wants a toy at the store and throws a tantrum when you say “no.” At home you put her down for a nap, but she won’t stay in her room even though she is cranky and yawning and so badly needs to rest. She wants oatmeal, her favorite breakfast, but when she gets it she flings it across the room and then cries because she is hungry.

Where did your sweet and gentle child go? What is happening? And how can you make it stop?

First of all, parents, be gentle with yourselves. This too is all part of your child’s development, and you can expect plenty of tantrums and meltdowns around the age of two. Even so, unwanted behaviors are hard to understand, predict, prevent, and respond to effectivel in the moment.

The best thing to do is try to be patient and look for patterns in your young child’s behavior: Does she have a crying spell before lunch or nap every day? If so, consider changing her routine by feeding her or putting her down for her nap 15 to 30 minutes earlier than usual.

It’s also important to understand that your child isn’t intentionally having an emotional outburst. When young children have tantrums it’s because they usually can’t communicate their frustration or their feelings. For instance, a baby knows that when she cries, you will respond by picking her up, cuddling her or just checking in to make sure she is okay. But crying alone may not tell you her tummy hurts. Since she can’t talk, this is the way she communicates. Behavior is communication and is not random.

Expert Suggestions for Changing Your Child’s Behavior:

  • Try distracting your child by changing the room, the activity, or whatever it is that you were doing.

  • Reduce the room noise as it may have over-stimulated your child or she may have some sensory issues not yet identified.

  • Model the behaviors you want to teach your child: Teach sharing by inviting her to do an activity such as a puzzle, reading or painting with you and sharing all of the materials.

  • Help your child have more control over her environment by offering her choices. Stick with only two as too many are overwhelming.

  • Try ignoring behavior that is not aggressive or hurtful such as whining, arguing or bargaining. You are not being a bad parent. This method simply does not provide attention to the child when doing a negative behavior.

  • On the other hand, praise the positive behavior when it occurs. This lets your child understand that you are paying attention and respect her.

  • Children love routines. Be consistent with your child’s routine so he knows what to expect and follow through on what you say.

  • Try to avoid changes or disruptions to his schedule. Prepare your child ahead of time so that he has time to get used to the idea.

More Information:

learning to share

Learning to Share Can be Hard for Young Children

Just because you tell your child to share or “play nice” doesn’t mean they know how to do so . . . yet. But with time and help learning what it means to take turns, to play cooperatively, and to share, you just might hear a lot less of “mine, mine, mine” or “I had it first!” Also, keep in mind that most children do not develop this skill until they are between three and four years old.

First, teach your young child what it means to share. Toddlers may not warm up to it right away but by introducing them to sharing with you, it will help when it is time to share with others. For instance, if you have an apple, you can let your child have half the apple with you. Let her help cut it then show her how you give her one slice and you take one slice until all the slices are gone, and let her know that you are sharing.

Next, explain why you are sharing and how it is important. For example, “I really like it when grandma visits and I want to share my book with her because I know she will like this story.”

Here are some simple ways to help your children become better sharers:

  • Set the example: Be an avid sharer with family and friends.

  • Help your child use toys like balls, blocks, puzzles, jump ropes that make sharing easier and more fun.

  • Praise your child when they share on their own.

  • Thank your child for sharing. Yes, it’s praising but also a way to show your respect for their actions.

  • Teach your child how to use a visual or auditory cue for sharing, such as a sand timer or a song, that indicates that each child receives a turn for an allotted amount of time.

  • If children are having a hard time sharing, help them come up with other solutions and ask theirs, and their peers, for other options.

  • Don’t punish your child for not sharing. Just keep trying.

Is it ever okay not to share?

Sure, it is. If your child has some toys or books that are meaningful to her, let her know it is okay to put those toys away while friends are over but that she can’t play with them either until her friends leave.

Additionally, say your child is on the swing but not ready to give up her turn. She should not just jump off the swing immediately when another child is ready to swing. Instead, use this time as an example of modeling the behavior you want to see in your child. For example, say to the other child: “You are being so patient waiting for your turn on the swing. When Violet is through in a few minutes, I know you will have fun.” This allows your child to finish her turn and also places expectations for her to share.

More Information

cooking with your little ones

Don’t Be Scared to Cook with Your Kids

No matter your child’s age, you can include him in your kitchen time even if it just reading the recipe aloud and showing pictures when he is a baby. As they get older, it will get messier but also more satisfying. There are many reasons why you should start cooking with your children when they are young and teaching a life skill that everyone should be taught is only one of them. Here’s a few more...

Social-Emotional Development:

  • Hands-on cooking with mom or dad instills confidence and pride in their abilities within them.

  • Learning how to follow a recipe or mom’s instructions helps reinforce following directions as well as problem solving.

  • Letting them take the lead on a recipe fosters independence and self-direction.

  • Strengthens the bond between the child and the parent.

  • Teaches cooperation and sharing.

Education:

  • Math skills such as counting, fractions, measuring and sequencing are introduced.

  • Talking about where different foods are grown and why helps teach geography and science.

  • Cooking increases their vocabulary and understanding of the words.

  • Sharing stories about how food was eaten in the past, how it has changed and about how people eat it in different parts of the world teaches history and cultural lessons.

Nutrition:

  • Preparing the food encourages them to become a more adventurous eater.

  • Helps them understand how to eat healthy by creating a well-balanced meal and portion control.

  • By cooking with seasonal vegetables and fruits, it teaches them where their food is grown and about farming.

Fine Motor Skills Development:

  • Give a child a whisk and let them go! Same with a spoon for stirring. Both helps to strengthen little hands.

  • Kneading bread is a great activity for the fingers and allover hands.

  • Teach them how to peel vegetables and fruits to increase range of motion and control.

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