Comparing seems to be part of human nature. We compare ourselves to others. We compare our children to each other and to other children.
Comparing seems to be part of human nature. We compare ourselves to others. We compare our children to each other and to other children. |
Later, when we were listening to Christmas music as we were putting up the tree, I didn't even try to make up a story about how decorating was going to go. I just experienced it as it happened and that was enjoyable. |
Underestimating the amount of mess that can be made with two cans of shaving cream was a grave error in judgment on my part. |
Warm relationships with other adults sustain us when we're struggling or feeling isolated. These "villages" are our connected communities of caring adults who support us in nurturing our relationships with our children. |
Parents spend a significant amount of time talking to kids. |
What an exciting time of the year! The wish lists are getting longer. My evening walks have been so pleasant as neighbors are putting up twinkling lights that add such cheer to an otherwise gloomy night. |
Making time to share time and interests with your child refills your love-tank and lets you bounce back after struggles. Small moments in every day, every week, keep us connected. |
Why regularly share the evening meal as a family? How does this routine activity serve us beyond nourishment? It has been said that the table is the heart of the home. At the table, we rejoin the pack in a timeless ritual. |
"Anyone who’s cared for a young child will recognise the signs. |
Coming December 6! |
Child sleep problems are based more on culturally-influenced parental perceptions than actual biological reasons, and nighttime sleep issues tended to be perceived more problematic than daytime naps. |
More research is needed to identify normal sleep patterns in breastfed versus bottle-fed infants, in toddlers, on weekdays versus weekends, and as related to gender and ethnic differences. What is known is that children sleep longer at night and experience fewer night-wakings and daytime naps as they develop. |
Exclusively breastfed infants had less colic and fussiness, and slept longer. Melatonin, which promotes sleep, available only in breastmilk, showed a clear relationship to infant sleep patterns. |
More research is needed to identify what is normal when it comes to child sleep. Some of what is known is that children need longer nighttime sleep until about 9 years old. By school age, most children sleep through the night, but children up to 3 1/2 years old continue to wake at least once. Low birth-weight and pre-term infants sleep more. Infants of younger mother sleep more. All infants sleep longer at night, wake multiple times at night, and sleep longer daytime naps than young children who mostly stop taking naps by 5 years old. Girls sleep longer than boys. Children with siblings sleep less. |
As infants grew older, mothers provided less nurturing touch, patting and stroking but more tickling and static touch. |
Touch is needed for social-emotional and physical development and well-being. In addition, there are therapeutic benefits of massage. |
While maternal touch predicts mother-infant reciprocity, which is linked to positive child cognitive, language, and social-emotional development, the incidence of all forms of nurturing touch decrease through the infant’s first year, especially after six months. |
Oxytocin levels rise in both mothers and fathers who provide high levels of affectionate touch but not in parents who provide less nurturing touch. |
Skin-to-skin contact lessened the mother’s stress and postpartum depression symptoms within the first month after childbirth. |
While low-income, ethnic-minority families displayed less sensitivity overall to their children, positive father involvement and close mother-father relationships were especially beneficial in the case of maternal risk. |