A:It's common for babies to wake earlier in the summer months due to the lighter mornings.Try putting up blackout blinds at your baby's windows,which will keep the room dark and encourage your baby to sleep longer.
Since he's already tired by breakfast,it may help to eat earlier so that you know he's not hungry when he wants to sleep.Aim to keep him up until he's eaten,so he'll have a good sleep with a full tummy.
Then look at your routine and check he's not getting too much daytime sleep.Is he sleeping more than three hours in total,for instance?Or is he sleeping late in the afternoon?If so,this may mean he won't need as much sleep at night and will therefore wake early the next morning.Ideally he shouldn't sleep past 4pm - this will ensure that he's tired for his nighttime sleep and will hopefully stop him waking you up at the crack of dawn.
Tuesday, 31 December 2013
Q:I'm finding it exhausting cooking three meals a day for my eight month old,but don't want to feed her from jars.Any tips on easy,nutritious meals?
A:Babies are as happy with a rice cake as they are with a roast,and food from a jar won't do any harm.Not compared with having a stressed-out,exhausted mum anyway.
You could batch-cook once a week,then freeze individual portions,so you're not cooking from scratch every day.Dishes like pasta bakes and one-pot stews let you cook for the whole family,making life easier.You can also freeze mashed vegetables for an instant 'side'.Freeze in an icecube tray,then pop out and store cubes in sealed bags.
There are some safety points about freezing.Don't use meat and fish that have already been frozen or defrosted.Don't reheat cooked rice,from the fridge or freezer,as it activates germs that cause food poisoning.
Another idea is to serve raw foods - items like baby tomatoes,carroy sticks,fruit and cubes of cheese make a quick but nutritious lunch.
You could batch-cook once a week,then freeze individual portions,so you're not cooking from scratch every day.Dishes like pasta bakes and one-pot stews let you cook for the whole family,making life easier.You can also freeze mashed vegetables for an instant 'side'.Freeze in an icecube tray,then pop out and store cubes in sealed bags.
There are some safety points about freezing.Don't use meat and fish that have already been frozen or defrosted.Don't reheat cooked rice,from the fridge or freezer,as it activates germs that cause food poisoning.
Another idea is to serve raw foods - items like baby tomatoes,carroy sticks,fruit and cubes of cheese make a quick but nutritious lunch.
Q:My one year old keeps taking her nappy off.Surely it's too early for me to start potty training her?
A:She's quite young for this at one.For potty training to succeed,a child needs to be physically and emotionally ready,as well as willing to cooperate.
Do respond to her behaviour,though.She's letting you know that she's learning about her body - how it feels with and without a nappy,wet or otherwise.Observe her to see if there are signs of recognition of different bodily functions,such as staying still while she wees or straining to poo.Talk to her about what she's doing - 'Does your nappy needs changing?' or even,'Do you need to use the potty?' You may find she's more comfy without a nappy - but be prepared for mess.
Another response is to try training pants - these absorb wees and poos but,unlike a nappy,your child will immediately feel wet.This allows you to introduce the next stage while still providing the security of a nappy.
Do respond to her behaviour,though.She's letting you know that she's learning about her body - how it feels with and without a nappy,wet or otherwise.Observe her to see if there are signs of recognition of different bodily functions,such as staying still while she wees or straining to poo.Talk to her about what she's doing - 'Does your nappy needs changing?' or even,'Do you need to use the potty?' You may find she's more comfy without a nappy - but be prepared for mess.
Another response is to try training pants - these absorb wees and poos but,unlike a nappy,your child will immediately feel wet.This allows you to introduce the next stage while still providing the security of a nappy.
Q:I've noticed my baby has a squint in a couple of her baby photos.Should I take her to the doctor?
A:A squint is where the eyes don't look in the same direction.A newborn baby's eyes move independently,so it may look as though she has a squint,but after a few weeks,this will settle.Her eyesight will mature and her eyes should become coordinated.
One in 20 babies has a squint that persists after three months,and at this stage it's important that you take your baby to a doctor,who can arrange for her to be assessed by an optometrist.Most commonly,one eye looks inwards,but it can also mean an eye looks out,up or down.The optometrist will probably suggest using patches to cover your baby's stronger eye for a short while each day.This will encourage her brain to concentrate on the messages from the squinting eye and improve the vision.
Patching won't correct the appearance of the squint,though.In severe cases,she may need an operation when she's older to straighten the eye.
One in 20 babies has a squint that persists after three months,and at this stage it's important that you take your baby to a doctor,who can arrange for her to be assessed by an optometrist.Most commonly,one eye looks inwards,but it can also mean an eye looks out,up or down.The optometrist will probably suggest using patches to cover your baby's stronger eye for a short while each day.This will encourage her brain to concentrate on the messages from the squinting eye and improve the vision.
Patching won't correct the appearance of the squint,though.In severe cases,she may need an operation when she's older to straighten the eye.
Q:My 10 month old refuses to nap in his bed and only drops off in the car or buggy.What can I do?
A:This is common at this age as your baby's amending his sleep pattern depending on his daytime activity - if he's had a busy morning,expect him to rest earlier.
Observe his sleep signals.As soon as your baby starts yawning,rubbing his eyes,being unsettled or staring into space,take him to his room.Miss these and he'll get overtired and be harder to settle.
Try keeping a record of when these sleep signals occour and his naps.Hopefully you'll notice recurring times when he's most likely to settle.Most babies find a vague routine reassuring and settling.Remember - putting him down when he's not tired will be ineffective,too.
Observe his sleep signals.As soon as your baby starts yawning,rubbing his eyes,being unsettled or staring into space,take him to his room.Miss these and he'll get overtired and be harder to settle.
Try keeping a record of when these sleep signals occour and his naps.Hopefully you'll notice recurring times when he's most likely to settle.Most babies find a vague routine reassuring and settling.Remember - putting him down when he's not tired will be ineffective,too.
Q:Our toddler has an active imagination and has become convinced there are monsters in the wardrobe.No amount of reassuring helps.What's our next step?
A:When children get anxious,they'll look to their parents for reassurance and guidance.It's a fine balance between reassuring and giving too much attention to the concern,and suggesting the worry is valid.In the case of monsters,if you actually check that there are no monsters,it may suggest to your little one that you weren't sure yourself!
Try changing your tactics.At bedtime when the question come,calmly and confidently state there are no monsters and leave it at that.Continue on your settling routine with no other discussion about it.Be consistent in this approach and the phase will pass.
Try changing your tactics.At bedtime when the question come,calmly and confidently state there are no monsters and leave it at that.Continue on your settling routine with no other discussion about it.Be consistent in this approach and the phase will pass.
Q:Our 3 year old sulks horribly,crying and whinging when he can't get his own way.It's driving us crazy!Any suggestions?
A:It's wearing when toddlers express frustration through whinging and can quickly become a habit.Deal with it by focusing on aspects of behaviour you would like more of.Look for times when he's co-operating and being delightful and comment positively on it,spending more time playing with him and giving cuddles.Encourage good behaviour and reduce recognition of negative behaviour.When you set a boundary and say 'No',do it calmly and stick to it.
Move away if you need to,try and distract him unless he's making too much fuss.If he is,let him get it out of his system,then distract him,when you think he will be able to listen.Keep your face and voice neutral,stay calm and be consistent.
Move away if you need to,try and distract him unless he's making too much fuss.If he is,let him get it out of his system,then distract him,when you think he will be able to listen.Keep your face and voice neutral,stay calm and be consistent.
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