I have a new episode for Bluey, it is called “Early Dinner”.
Need an early dinner to allow me to go back to my hotel and relax
The episode would go like this.
Chilli has a work getaway organised. Bandit would look after the kids, Bluey and Bingo. Chilli kisses everyone goodbye and starts her journey to the city. Chilli then has to decide; does she meet up with her workmates or does she stay and relax in her hotel room?
She decides to stay in her hotel room and relaxes with a warm bath, then watch her own tv while eating dinner from room service. The episode ends with Bandit being super busy with kids wanting to constantly play and Chilli falling asleep in the star position on her bed in her hotel room.
Now cut to actual real life and not a Bluey episode…
A few weeks back I met some of my teammates in the city for dinner and an early morning start for a HUGE strategy day at work. While deciding where to meet and the time I explained if it is not good for the others, I would be perfectly happy to get dinner on my own and spend the time in my hotel room doing my own thing.
Image from https://mr-heeler.tumblr.com/
I know this sounds very antisocial but as a busy mum to three kids, finally being on my own was wonderful. I did want to meet up with my colleagues but also would be very happy not to as well. I was conflicted.
Once I divulged this to some of the ladies I work with, one told me she totally relates. She then told me, if I wanted to just stay in my hotel and not meet up that was fine too.
One suggestion was to have an “Early Dinner” so that I can socialise and still have me time at the hotel.
Before kids, I would have never entertained an early dinner and now that is fine and a good idea. And yes, perfectly acceptable.
What a dilemma! Socialise or be antisocial? Or finally, have some me time and relax!
Have you been in this situation before? Spoiler alert: I ended up socialising and did really enjoy it as well as finally being on my own in my hotel room.
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In fact, they are just a pain in the bum. There is screaming, more screaming and the noise just gets so loud!
Not only is there a lot of yelling and screaming from the child who is having the night terror but there is also hitting, kicking and trying to do things that might hurt the terrorised child.
Being overtired can lead to night terrors. I do find that if my little boy hasn’t slept he does have a night terror.
My little boy has suffered from night terrors and they seem to happen every now and then. However, for the past week (starting from mid-week last week and to this week) he has had a few nearly every night.
He was not well and did have a fever for a few days so I put it down to the fact that he wasn’t well. I have even picked him up earlier from childcare to help with the lead up to bedtime and allow for quiet time. This plan didn’t work and therefore I was up again all night dealing with an upset kid.
I’ve had “NO” Screamed at me so loud I think that I have lost part of my hearing.
So what is a night terror?
A night terror is when a child wakes violently after a few hours of going to bed and is still asleep although appears to be awake.
Night terrors usually happen to preschool and primary school kids, and in time they grow out of it.
It is hard to calm the child when they are having a night terror due to the fact that they don’t know you are there and are dealing with something upsetting.
Night terrors are not nightmares. “Night terrors are part of a group of Non-REM sleep arousal disorders or parasomnias. Your child may remember being frightened, but without specific dream content and will not usually remember the night terror the next morning.” (https://www.schn.health.nsw.gov.au/fact-sheets/nightmares-and-night-terrors)
What are the signs of a night terror?
Seems awake but is still asleep, don’t try and wake the child. If you do the night terror will last longer.
Wakes screaming
Thrashes around, hits, kicks and tries to hurt you if you are there.
Throws things
Tries to hurt themselves
Yelling things that make no sense. My little boy just yells, NO!, and sometimes other things about what he doesn’t want to do or wants to do.
Sometimes the child having the terror has their eyes open but is not awake.
Sweaty and breathes heavy
One thing that was screamed at me while Alexander was having a terror was, “I WANT A T-REX!” I then said, of course, we can get you a T-Rex, and then he took a deep breath and rolled over and went back to sleep.
I must say that I am glad that he has no memory of me agreeing to get him a T-Rex. Honestly, we don’t have room for a T-Rex and currently struggle with the items we wish to keep.
Super glad my little boy has no memory of me saying he can have a T-Rex.
Things I have noticed that might mean a night terror could occur:
Overtired
Sick
Fever
Upset/Worried
Teething
Sleeping is what all tired little kids should be doing. Yes, I’m hoping that I get to have a goods nights sleep soon.
What can you do while your child is having a night terror?
Since your child will be not asleep or awake they will not understand you are there and could lash out. Stay in the room and make that your little one will not hurt themselves, for example falling out of bed, hitting their head on the corner or end of the bed or possibly tip items onto themselves.
If your child is talking try and talk to them, however, if they become more agitated and scream more loudly when you talk (this happens with my little boy) just sit and be quiet and say some calming things every now and then.
What I say to my child while he is screaming and having a night terror: It’s okay you are safe, you are in bed and all right, Mummy is here, calm down, it’s okay.
Once he calms down and the screaming, kicking, and hitting subsides I try and let him know I am there and sometimes he wakes up and other times he rolls over and goes back to bed.
If he does wake he gets some soothing cuddles with mummy and a drink and then goes back to bed.
Oh and if your little one is overheated that could bring on a terror too!
Make sure to not touch your child as this can agitate them and make the terror worse and last longer. If the child is going to hurt themselves or you need to move them this is fine as it is an emergency but might cause the child to freak out a bit. Once calmer you can touch and reassure the child.
Night time and crossing fingers and toes it is a night free of night terrors.
Things I am doing to trying to calm down before bedtime
Quiet time
Bath to relax my little boy
Time in his room reading books and just relaxing before he goes to bed
Cuddles
Stopping his TV shows and making sure we have some playtime with his LEGO or cars.
Sites that can help if your child is having night terrors too:
Do your kids have night terrors or if they are older did they suffer them too? Have they outgrown them? They are common in preschool and primary aged children but after primary many outgrow night terrors.
I hope my little boy outgrows them soon as they are exhausting for both mummy and my little boy.
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Will there ever be a time that I feel fully refreshed?
DID YOU KNOW?
“Adults should have between 7-9 hours of sleep each night, however 40% of Australian adults still get inadequate sleep.” Sleep Health Foundation.
I thought that I had a goods night last night.
I slept. I actually passed out.
Finally, the pillows felt comfortable and the sheets were soft and just right. Perfect really.
However, I do have an issue. When the baby wakes, I finally wake up and although super comfy I am awake, but yet still very tired.
Maybe my body was not in sync with my need to rest? My body decided that it was this time to make a visit to the bathroom. This could be the reason why I was more awake but still sleepy. I didn’t want to move but decided it was best to go to then allow me to go back to sleep.
I think from memory it was about 2 am.
I do try not to pay attention to the time as then my brain focuses on the time rather than getting back to sleep.
If I don’t know the time, I don’t worry about how much longer I have left to sleep.
Most of the time my sleep is interrupted by my little boy Alexander. He is either hungry, upset, or sick. Last week he wasn’t well and as you might have guessed I was up helping him feel better.
It is so nice when you can finally be in your room without having to get up every hour or more. To be able to rest and have a good nights sleep.
Why is it when you can finally sleep through your body wakes up and you struggle to get back to sleep?
Not fair at all!!!!!!
Is it due to your body being used to being up at odd hours for days on end? Maybe it is? I wish my body would get the message that this is not normal.
All this missed sleep and feeling like a zombie made me think…
“The good news is that, like all debt, with some work, sleep debt can be repaid—though it won’t happen in one extended snooze marathon. Tacking on an extra hour or two of sleep a night is the way to catch up. For the chronically sleep deprived, take it easy for a few months to get back into a natural sleep pattern, says Lawrence J. Epstein, medical director of the Harvard-affiliated Sleep HealthCenters.”
The 16th of March is World Sleep Day
Preserve your rhythms to enjoy life is the slogan for World Sleep Day.
Your rhythms are:
Daily patterns of alertness
Sleep-wake cycle
Mood
Hormones
Digestion
Heart rate
Body temperature
Performance
And also lung function
Changes to light and also to sleep-wake cycles have consequences to your sleep.
“Maintaining stable circadian rhythms is key to good health: If we continually disrupt our rhythms, for example through shift work or burning the midnight oil, then we increase the risk of sleep disorders, mental health disorders and chronic health issues such as obesity, diabetes, and even some cancers, which can leave us struggling to enjoy life.”
There are 3 elements of good quality sleep:
Duration: The length of sleep should be sufficient for the sleeper to be rested and alert the following day.
Continuity: Sleep periods should be seamless without fragmentation.
Depth: Sleep should be deep enough to be restorative.
Getting up during the night for kids is not helpful for sleep.
I don’t function very well if I don’t get enough sleep and therefore need to catch up on my rest.
In fact, I’m a shit parent if I don’t enough sleep. Being sleep deprived, having to look after kids, do school drop off, after-school activities and play with everyone takes it out of you when you have had less than an hour or two of sleep.
No sleep also makes me make mistakes, and have accidents (By accidents, I mean bumping into furniture, dropping things, not thinking and being forgetful).
Me very tired and not wanting to get out of bed. It is so comfortable and I really don’t want to leave. Pity I had to take kids to school and other things.
I am not sure if I am able to do the 3 elements of good sleep on a regular basis but I’m getting there.
What about you? Do you get deep sleep that is not interrupted?
Lately, I have found that I just lie awake at some point and struggle to get back to sleep. Sometimes I find the bed super comfortable and drift off to the best sleep ever… I just wish I could do of this on a regular basis.
It could be just down to having kids and now I am on call at all times. Any noise means that I’m wide awake. I used to be such a deep sleeper.
If this is a biological thing that affects women I think it is just another annoyance that us women have to live with and try and manage.
No wonder I end up wide awake at different times during the night or early morning. Any cry from a baby makes my brain become immediately alert.
Alexnder seems to cry out a few times in the night and still be asleep. This has made me wake up and struggle to get back to sleep.
Not only are we faced with periods, childbirth, sleepless nights with young children, then not sleeping and then to top it off menopause. Cmon and let us have some rest, please!
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I know kids, life and work do this. Resting or downtime for me never seems enough. What about you?
I went to bed last night and had the most interesting thoughts.
A hotel dedicated to rest. A hotel dedicated to relaxation and downtime. This hotel would have restful rooms and it would be a quiet space.
This hotel would pamper mums. No kids allowed. Just mums.
This is the hotel that I dreamt about. A nice comfortable white bed, no one to wake me up, no alarms, no kids, nothing to do but just to rest and to relax.
In my dream the hotel had wall to wall beds. The beds were white, in fact everything was white. It was a quiet space that ensured all guests could sleep and sleep they did.
The sleep was a deep sleep and no one woke anyone. No kids were there. No alarms, no clocks. It was a space that allowed you to just be.
The hotel was a place that once you have slept enough you could then explore the facilities. There was a spa, yoga, a gym, swimming pool, healthy chef on call to create some extremely yummy food, great drinks and lounges so that you can sit back and read your favourite book, and last but not least the grounds were so amazing that you could explore and never be near another person – a fabulous place to meditate and be at one with nature.
My trip to this hotel was cut short. I woke up and had to get kids ready for school and the baby off to childcare.
I did not want to get out of bed. I was so comfortable and the bed felt like I was melting into it. It was perfect, but this perfection ended due to having to start the day.
Why can’t I stay in bed and pretend I was back at this hotel that is dedicated to sleep. I need to go back to this place so that I can relax and just be.
It is a real pity that this hotel is not real.
Maybe there are hotels and services out there that can do this, however I’m sure they would cost a lot of money for this experience. My dream was free.
Would you love to travel to this hotel too? I want to go back and I only just visited last night.
Let me know if you have dreamt of something similar?
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Do you wish to stay current with all the things that are happening on Mummy to Twins Plus One? Don’t miss a thing by signing up to my newsletter. This newsletter will list all giveaways and fabulous things that are happening.
Sign up for my newsletter
Stay current with all the things that are happening on Mummy to Twins Plus One? Don’t miss a thing by signing up for my newsletter. This newsletter will list all giveaways and fabulous things that are happening.
Sick and want to just rest! Curl up and go to bed! Image from Found on themetapicture.com
Do you have a miracle tonic to rid you of germs and to make your cold go away? I NEED IT NOW! SEND URGENTLY!
I now have filled my repeat for my antibiotics and have started them today. I feel terrible but I am trying to solider on.
Have you had periods like this? You feel like the walking dead. You aim to get things done but nothing happens. Well this is me, house is a mess, I am tired and still a lot to do.
Thank god I am not having guests over for dinner or to stay, then I would be rather panicked and of course madly cleaning.
I suppose for now I can do things when I can. I have tidied the kitchen and done nearly most of the laundry. However I have a load of clothes in the washing machine and we are due for another HUGE thunderstorm now, or as soon as I leave to pick the kids up from school the heavens will open up and crash down with heavy rain. It is predicted that today will be much worse than yesterday. Not looking forward to that.
How do you manage to do everything for you, the house and family when you are sick?
Do you fit in a much needed sleep when kids are at school or if you have time off from work? I managed to get some rest last week and think that helped. However I now feel like it is either getting worse or not going away! Would more sleep help????
I have taken my vitamins, especially vitamin c as this helps. However too much vitamin c can be bad as it can prove a disaster when you need to go to the bathroom. Yes not a good subject to discuss but if you have too much it is not good either.
I am taking yoghurt with all the good bacteria and Probiotics that put the good bacteria back into me. I know that having antiobiotics can zap this good bacteria out of you.
According to Wikipedia: “Gut flora have a continuous and dynamic effect on the host’s gut and systemic immune systems. The bacteria are key in promoting the early development of the gut’s mucosal immune system both in terms of its physical components and function and continue to play a role later in life in its operation. The bacteria stimulate the lymphoid tissue associated with the gut mucosa to produce antibodies to pathogens. The immune system recognizes and fights harmful bacteria, but leaves the helpful species alone, a tolerance developed in infancy”
Hate being not well! Image courtesy of marin at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
I make sure to give the twins their yoghurts and Probiotics to help them keep well and stay healthy. I also added this to their meals when they were babies.
I make sure to have a shower to wake me up and start the day. Nothing is worse than being in clothes for too long. It makes you feel terrible. However if you are sick and really need to be in bed it might not be bad as long as you have a shower that night or the next day. It does help make you feel more alive and awake, but not for long.
A little bit of exercise or fresh air if you are well enough helps me a bit. I went for a brief walk today and it made me feel a little better.
Getting to bed earlier I think is helpful and I am trying to do this. It is easier when you are not well as you want to be in bed nearly all the time. I found it hard to get out of bed. If I did not have kids I might still be there.
I have been having LemSip hot drinks and also alternating with cold and flu tabs from the chemist. Not sure if they are working and it seems nothing is at the moment.
I have no got a shortage of hankies. Yes I still use a hanky and think they are great, but not when you cannot find a clean one. I do have clean washing to sort through so maybe there are some in there that are available to be used.
I have given you some tips of what I am doing to try and stay well, shorten this illness and annoyance that has affected me. Do you have things that help you? Do you just have nice chicken noodle soup or honey in your tea?
Send in your cures now so that I can regain my energy and stop using the hankies like they are going out of fashion. Send in your miracle tonics to the blog or comment on the this blog post.
Note: This is post is promoting “The Gift of Sleep Program“, I feel that it would be of benefit to all with kids who are not sleeping well. And of course to all the sleep deprived parents who desperately want to have a child/children go to bed and not get up till morning. Preferably wake up after 9am would be nice, thanks!
Sleep and my Twins
Before I had the twins everyone told me I was in for a rough ride. Prepare for no sleep they all told me. Well part of that was true but it was mostly due to them being newborns and needing to be fed every 3 or so hours. On the whole they were very good babies.
I had them in a great routine. If one needed to be fed I woke the other so they both fed together. This might sound cruel but if I let one baby sleep to then feed the other, I would be feeding around the clock and never leave the house! I did it to make sure that kids were eating and sleeping at the same time. When they were little they fed early morning, mid morning, lunch time and afternoon and then dinner time. The babies went for naps about 3 times per day. Early morning, then morning after playing for a bit and then in the afternoon and then after dinner. So maybe about 4 times. Remember they were just little and new to the world.
I must say that we did have our fair share of trying to get the girls to sleep but nothing like I expected. They did not take to dummies, so that was good as no need to wean them off one. I put them in their own cot since birth, in their own room and I did not bring them into my bed unless it was an emergency or needed. I did not want the babies making a habit of being in mummy’s bed and then not wanting to go back.
When they were younger I did sit up with one or both, when they were teething but I think on the whole we had it better than other parents. I have heard stories that their little ones have screamed the place down, gotten ill due to teething and just not slept at all.
Our new issue with getting the twins to bed!
Now the twins are five and they are making their way to our bed more often than not. The claim is that they have had a bad dream. Sometimes it is due to them being ill and wanting cuddles with mummy. When the child is sick and needs more cuddle time I take them and sit in the living room to have them fall asleep so that I can take them back to their bed in their room.
This of course does not always work out and I end up rolling over to a kid next to me and no room for me! How can a little person squeeze you out of a king sized bed! My cat used to do the same things and he was smaller than the girls.
I am now facing a new problem of kids that don’t want to go to bed even though they are super tired, and sharing a room to make sleep occur does not help at all. We are in a situation where there is not much choice of where the kids are and hope that we can make a change soon to fit the demand of them growing and needing to purchase new beds.
The problem with the current situation is that since the girls have given up their day nap years back (try three years ago) the routine has gone sideways. I was fine once this was happening. I could organise, get things done and the girls seemed to function better. However, since there is no day sleep or rest time it is go go go! And I can clearly see that the child needs to rest. Eyes get heavy, they start bumping into things and furniture and getting narky to me and to her sister. Not a great time and it is hell to get a sleepy child to do anything let alone SLEEP!
So what can you do to make sure your child sleeps?
The Gift of Sleep program is a tried and tested method that will have your little one sleeping through the night. Yes soon you and your baby will be much happier and feeling much better after getting a good night’s rest. The program can teach your baby to sleep and self settle after three nights! How magical would it be to have a nights rest without getting up at all? Actually if you get up during the night it should be called rest.
“Adults and babies are the same. Everyone is happier after a decent sleep.”
If you are walking around like a zombie and not remembering if you have done something, repeating yourself, hallucinating due to the exhaustion no sleep creates, then this program is for you! What you can do is sign up for the program, purchase the videos, e-book and get the materials. Once you try the tried and tested methods you will be a different person. Your baby/child will be a different person. Everyone is happier and functions better with a decent nights sleep. Why not read from other parents who have tried “The Gift of Sleep Program”, their testimonials will show how fabulous this program can be and the outcomes of happy families are the best sign of success.
You don’t want the only way your kid can sleep is on you! NO WAY! Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
So what makes “The Gift of Sleep Program” so special?
Elizabeth Sloane has been called the “Baby Whisperer”, “A life saver”, and “A Sleep Magician” from very happy parents. Elizabeth has 20 years experience working with babies, toddlers and older children to help get them to sleep better and self settle to allow them to fall asleep on their own. As Elizabeth points out she does not force newborns to sleep throughout the night and she states that she helps babies over the age of six months to have the gift of sleep.
“And when a child is able to wake up and self-settle back to sleep – it is a gift.”
Elizabeth studied Infant and Maternal Care. She learnt lactation, caring for the babies and the new mums, plus settling techniques. She saw her patients after they left the maternal care and they looked tired and extremely exhausted. She found that the babies were waking more than before and their sleep patterns were all over the place. Elizabeth was on a mission to study and researching sleep cycles, sleep patterns for babies and sleep behaviour. Elizabeth was on a mission to find an answer to why babies over 6 months are waking at all hours of the night and making them and everyone lose precious sleep.
Due to her many years of research Elizabeth Sloane has a great program that works, as you have seen from the testimonials from parents it works. Mia Freedman the founder of Mamamia.com.au has used Elizabeth’s services and has been amazed and awed at the results. Harmony was restored, sleep was had and everyone was much happier for it.
I for one will be making sure to look through all the videos, e-books and worksheets as I need help with our latest issue. Kids deciding that mummy’s bed is better. I will use one of the techniques which is never lie down in your bed with the child, always put them back in their bed. I think the days ahead are going to be interesting. Keen to see if all these tools will help.
The e-book has great suggestions on what to do, there are examples of routines, worksheets, case studies and more. The videos show you visually how to implement a technique and you can re-watch it again and again. These are great tools. Why not give them a go and see if they work for you.
On the right hand side of the website I will have a link to the resources and you can learn more from there and purchase if you are interested, you go to The Gift of Sleep Program now to learn more. I’m now off to bed, and crossing fingers and toes that one or both kids don’t magically appear in my bed. If they do I am putting it in practice tonight!
Some great tips from the program, make sure that your baby does not get over tired, make sure you have your baby on a feeding schedule, make sure to have a bed time, and don’t confuse day and night.
This is what you want to see. A sleeping baby! Image courtesy of tungphoto at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Have you had issues with your little one sleeping? Did it get better or worse? What did you try? Has it worked? Have you tried this program? Send in your comments.
My bed is so comfy.Image courtesy of David Castillo Dominici at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Why is it that mummy and daddy’s bed allows the kid to sleep without problem, whereas their bed makes them cry and get upset. Maybe my bed is magical? Maybe it is just the fact that they can cuddle mummy or daddy?
Lately I have had a body wake at midnight or at the exact time I am choosing to go to bed and then I am usually up all night dealing with the upset and sick child. Yes poor little bums they are. I think this is the cause of my sore neck, sleeping in an odd position due to accommodating an extra body.
I was hoping that I might have a sleep without the extra person joining our bed, but that was not to be. One of the girls is still a bit out of sorts although feeling better than before, but being in mummies bed seems to make her stop coughing and sleep so soundly.
What other magical properties does my bed hold? Bigger so more room to stretch out and make no room for mummy! Cuddles and love from either parent, yes that is nice but hard to cuddle snoring child all night.
Do you have a magical bed? Do your kids wiggle their way into your bed at night? Send in your comments.
My bed is so comfy.Image courtesy of David Castillo Dominici at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Why is it that mummy and daddy’s bed allows the kid to sleep without problem, whereas their bed makes them cry and get upset. Maybe my bed is magical? Maybe it is just the fact that they can cuddle mummy or daddy?
Lately I have had a body wake at midnight or at the exact time I am choosing to go to bed and then I am usually up all night dealing with the upset and sick child. Yes poor little bums they are. I think this is the cause of my sore neck, sleeping in an odd position due to accommodating an extra body.
I was hoping that I might have a sleep without the extra person joining our bed, but that was not to be. One of the girls is still a bit out of sorts although feeling better than before, but being in mummies bed seems to make her stop coughing and sleep so soundly.
What other magical properties does my bed hold? Bigger so more room to stretch out and make no room for mummy! Cuddles and love from either parent, yes that is nice but hard to cuddle snoring child all night.
Do you have a magical bed? Do your kids wiggle their way into your bed at night? Send in your comments.
Starting the day right with a healthy breakfast. Image courtesy of marin at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
When you become a parent something happens. Your time that you previously invested in yourself now is invested in your children instead. While to a certain extent this is a good thing, it can also cause you to neglect your health and weight maintenance, causing you to gain weight and lose muscle. But how can you maintain a healthy weight when you are a parent? Here are some quick tips to help you out:
Move Deliberately – As a parent you are always moving, but try to make your movements deliberate. Make use of every opportunity to fit fitness into your life. A walk to the park with the kids can turn into a vigorous jog with them riding alongside on their bikes. A trip to the pool or beach can turn into racing laps and showing your kids how to do the backstroke. Even having races in the knee deep water along the sea shore can be a fun and active way for you and your kids to stay fit.
No Wasted Time – Even television or play time can become an excuse to work out. Help your kids to play active games like relay races, freeze tag, and soccer. They love to have their parents playing alongside! While watching a movie or show get up during the commercials and do activities like jumping jacks, sit-ups, or push-ups. See how many you can do before the show comes back on, or set up a competition to think of a new activity for every commercial. Not only does this help you stay fit but it helps the kids from becoming couch potatoes too!
Healthy on the Go Snacks – In the car and hustling from school to activity you tend to be harried and rushed. That does not mean you have to stop at a fast food place to pick up an unhealthy snack. Instead make up grab and go snacks for you and your kids. Homemade trail mixes, dry cereal, dried fruit and more can be great tasty snacks that keep you fuller longer than French fries. Plus you can tailor make the snack to you and your child’s tastes. Don’t like apples? Leave them out! Love almonds? Throw them in! Mix it up for tasty snacks that can go anywhere anytime you need them.
Balanced Mealtimes –Dinner time comes around again and you are stuck out. Do not order a pizza; instead whip up a tasty and healthy meal in moments. There are many ways to make meal time healthy without a lot of work. Plan your meals ahead of time so that you have the ingredients on hand. You can even chop or prepare them on the weekend and have them ready to go. Slow cookers are a great way to have a hot meal waiting for you when you get home. Or whip up a double batch one day and freeze half so that you have a meal you can pop in the oven at a moment’s notice. Be sure to be aware of portion sizes so that you and your child get the nutrition you need without any extra calories. For dessert trade cakes and cookies for fruit and berries and feel better!
Get Some Sleep – For both kids and adults, sleep is vital to a healthy lifestyle. People who do not get enough sleep eat more, are less active and gain more weight. Instead, set up a schedule where your family has plenty of time to get the recommended amount of sleep for their ages. Remember that children need even more sleep than adults. You can also stay healthy by maintain the same sleep schedule even over the weekend or on vacation. The human body likes to go to sleep and get up at the same time every day. Even during the summer you can still maintain your sleep schedule and feel more active and fit during your day.
These are just a few of the ways you and your kids can maintain a healthy weight together. As a parent you are responsible for the health of your children. Give them a good example to look up to and help them to grow up with healthy habits that will serve them for a lifetime. Remember they will do what you do, so stay active and fit for your kids’ sake!
Author Bio:
This post is contributed by Christine Maddox. Currently she is pursuing her Master’s degree from University of Texas as well as blogging for www.4nannies.com. She loves to write anything related to parenting, kids, nanny care etc. Send Christine an email
My brain is active with things that I want to achieve, however I am just so tired and exhausted. The reason I feel like this is I am currently getting over a bad cold/flu, not sure what it was actually. Probably was the flu as I had fevers and cold sweats, I know too much info. Now I am fine but still tired and find that I am not thinking 100% clearly, so still must be getting over the germs. Another reason for being tired is two very active three year olds to look after and to entertain.
Sometimes I think it might be the lack of sleep I have had since the girls were born. People say it is hard to catch up on sleep and if you are constantly interrupted or do not sleep well this can not help. Maybe this is one of the other reasons, I am still sleep deprived due to having kids and looking after them. I don’t see this changing any time soon, I think I might have another 14 years of this if they leave home at 18. With the world the way it is and expectations of children to walk into a dream job without working from the bottom up, my kids might be back to live with us after moving out of home. So maybe my sleeping days will be numbered after they are 18 as well?
Some sites that might help if you struggle with losing sleep and being tired:
According to Scientific Amercian’s article, “Can You Catch Up on Lost Sleep?” states that if you miss sleep you acquire a sleep debt, to repay this debt and to feel less tired and better, you need to go to bed when tired, try and add extra hours each night and in months this might help.
Great articles about sleep and helping to get to sleep by sleepwriter.com
As I write this my eyes are heavy and I am thinking of bed. I am now off to dream sweat dreams in my comfy bed and to hopefully catch up from my sleep debt.
Do you have issues with being tired all the time? Has kids made it hard to grab a break or a nap to help this issue? When night time comes are you just wanting to curl up and go to sleep? I know I do. Sounds so anti social but that is so exciting for me at the moment, going to bed and being allowed to sleep in. Send in your comments.
Today was a miracle it was sunny and hot. What a change from nonstop rain, although the idea of rain was still around with dark clouds forming and threatening that it will stop this joyful moment of some summer sun.
Today we all went off to see and experience the Rydal Show, which of course is located in Rydal. It is a nice town near Lithgow, NSW. The girls got to moo with cows, pat a goat, snort with pigs (very influenced by Peppa Pig, a television show that the girls watch), touched wool, saw sheep, Lillian had her face painted as a purple pussy cat as per usual and the surprise was that Julia had no interest in getting her face painted. Julia is normally a fair doctor (for those that don’t know, a fairy doctor is a doctor to fairies and others in need as well) when she has her face painted. Lately I have been told that she is going to be a fairy doctor when she grows up, so she does not want her face painted as one now. I said maybe she wanted to be something different, for example, a cat, a butterfly or a puppy dog. The answer I received was “Yuck, NO!” Oh well, just one child had their face painted.
Daddy, Mummy, Julia and Lillian all went on the tea cup ride. Lillian was not sure about it but really liked it. Julia liked it a lot and really did not want to get out. Then we were off to the bouncing castle, which for some strange reason the girls referred to as the “bounce a seum” , it was like they were saying bounce with museum on the end, which was a cute way to describe it. I am trying to think where the kids got this from, maybe it was from one of the shows they watched or they are just creative.
Lately the girls are saying “No, Yuck, or Yuck, NO!!!” to a lot of things. It could either be an activity, something I have asked them to do, or today a very nice lady from Rydal show was trying to see if the girls wanted something and the response was, “No, Yuck!!”. The lady was very nice and polite. I used this example to show that this was not appropriate behaviour but not sure if that has sunk in. I keep on trying and making sure that they realise that they cannot speak to people that way. I suppose that I just have to solider on and keep on with this issue. If I give up, they will think that they can get away with it. I do think it is a phase and the girls trying to test them and me.
It does get rather exhausting, especially when I thought I would take the opportunity to take a nap while they supposedly rested. Rest time now consists of the girls going to their bedroom and playing, creating a mess, hurting each other or just yelling and giggling. This time they were just terrible to each other. I had to go in twice to see who was hurt and make sure they realised that if it happened again that I would separate one of them. They did not want that, and then it died down to a whisper of giggles and games.
The girls and daddy came in to wake me up and Lillian especially was very naughty, jumping on me, poking and that type of thing. She thought it was very funny. We are trying very hard to make her see that when people yell no, or stop that she needs to stop and it is not funny.
Today Julia is calling herself Fiona, Princess Fiona from Shrek to be precise. Lillian talks to Julia and addresses her as Fiona and sometimes as Tinkerbell. All very odd, especially to daddy when he came home Friday night and in their room he was told he was talking with Fiona and Lillian. He told me it was a directive that came from the cheeky monkeys. In the car today and at the show, Lillian kept on asking Fiona what she wanted and did she want to go and see the cows, or the horses. The girls definitely have a vivid imagination.
I don’t know what happened today, maybe it was the change in the weather, but both girls were hyper, they had no sugar, sweets or anything that I can pinpoint. They were all over the place. Glad that they are in bed and I will be there soon. Crossing fingers that the girls are a bit more relaxed tomorrow.
Do your kids get obsessed with shows that they change their names at home? What have you done as soon as you get a sunny day, aside from washing? I managed to get one load done and hopefully more tomorrow.
