Can't Fall Asleep

Here's the scenario:

8 o'clock comes so we start our bedtime routine.  We change into jammies and a pullup, brush our teeth, say prayers and read a story.  Usually all of this takes about a half hour and my husband and I are out of Lucas' bedroom by 8:30.  We head to the living room to hang out and spend some time together before we go to bed.  However, 9 o'clock rolls around and Lucas is still awake talking to himself, no big deal.  9:30 comes and Lucas is still awake, 10:00 and he is still awake; sometimes this can go on until 11 o'clock at night or later!

This doesn't happen every night, but it happens a couple of times a week.  So, I tried to cut out his afternoon nap thinking that would help, it didn't.  We were still have two to three nights a week where he was awake very late and then he was just grumpy to boot for not getting his nap.  During the summer I wasn't too concerned with one or two nights of this happening, but now it is school time.  I don't want him staying up really late because there are at least two days a week where he won't be able to take an afternoon nap due to preschool.  However, I'm at a lost as to what to do.  I've tried several more things besides doing away with the nap and nothing has worked.

What do you do for your kids when they can't seem to fall asleep?

-Megan-

To Share a Room, Or Not Share a Room...

That's the big question at my house this month.  Reasons for room sharing are vast, but most center largely on two factors, (a) necessity, there just aren't enough rooms in the house and (b) the parents want siblings co-exist in the same room to build better relationships.  Which is better? Well, it depends.  Here are some pros and cons to consider.

THE UP SIDE

The most obvious benefit is that kids learn to live with someone else.  They learn to negotiate decorating a room together and cleaning when one child is messier than the other (ehem, good practice for marriage, perhaps).  Good behavior can also rub off on the other child, like seeing a sibling reading, or drawing, or investigating sciency-stuff in their room.  And finally, parents of room-sharing kids often say that the biggest plus is that at night time, when dark shadows and overactive imaginations bring out worry in some kids and they don't like to be alone, having another sibling close by quells some of the night time fear.

THE DOWNSIDE

On the other hand, I shared a room with my sister growing up, and I can attest that with regards to room maintenance, bad behavior rubbed off more than good.  You would think that one of us would be cleaner than the other, but we seemed to augment each other's hurricane of clothes, books, toys, and trinkets on the floor until seeing the carpet was nigh near impossible.  My dad would have to threaten to throw all our stuff in the dumpster to jump start our bi-monthly room cleaning extravaganza.

Other parents complain of children waking and keeping each other up during the night.  Some kids spur competition, ("I want a drink."  "Me too!"  "I need to go potty."  "ME TOO!") making bed time practically impossible.   This not-so-good bed time behavior is clearly not constructive or helpful in relieving bed time headaches.

As kids get older, the biggest drawback may be privacy.  If y'all remember growing up, having an ALONE space to go to was sometimes very necessary.

SO, WHAT TO DO

None of the downsides have to keep your kids from sharing a room.  If space is limited...well, there's not much logical reasoning that can do anything about that.  Room sharing will have to happen, but bringing all the variables into the decision may change subtle nuiances of how you go about doing it..  Experts do advise though with older children, if room-sharing and single rooms are both an option, to bring the kids in on the decision making process.  Kids know best whether or not their sibling friendship can stand the test of sharing a room.  You might want to try a weekend sleepover to see if it works!

MY REAL-LIFE SITUATION

My kids are NOT in the rational, "older" kids category to have a discussion with.  My boy is two.  My baby's 3 months.  We don't have room for them NOT to share a room, and I want my baby out of my room.  Neither of us is getting good sleep with things as they are.  My kids will have to share a room.
 I'm just not sure how to get things rolling.

So, what are your thoughts?  What do you remember (pros and cons) of sharing a room with your sibling?  For those of you with kids, what kept you from putting them in the same room?  At the same time, for parents who have kids sharing a room, how did you do it?  I need help.  I don't see how it'll work.  My toddler will SO wake my baby up any chance he gets.  Not good.  I really appreciate your comments.  Thanks much!

-Alyssa

what to do, what to do!

I found out I was pregnant with my first baby one month after I was hired for my first teaching position. I taught half-time that first year, then switched to full time. I have taught full time for two years now, including during the pregnancy and seven months of my second's life.

To sum up, the entire time I've been a mom, I have been a working mom. I'm quitting my job in about a month when we move. I will be a stay-at-home mom from that point on.

My question to all of the other stay-at-home moms out there:

What do you do all day?

You may laugh at this question as you think of all the things that manage to fill your day, but I'd like to know.

Beyond the normal household chores, what activities or hobbies do you occupy your time with?

How do you maximize the time with your kids without, to put it bluntly, getting tired of each other?

When I was home on maternity leave and during the summers, I struggled with the boredom of having the same routine day after day...how do you avoid that?

Any other tips on successfully staying home?

What time is it?

Did anyone else have a hard time getting up on time this Sunday? I love having extra sunlight with daylight savings, but losing that hour sure makes it hard to wake up!

My family spent a few days at my parents' house, then took a day out of our week for wedding festivities. It's been almost a week now, and my two-year-old still hasn't gotten back to taking a regular nap and getting to bed at her usual bedtime.

We all have adventures, whether long or short, that take us away from the regular daily routine. Children always seem to have an especially hard time with this. After a weekend at Grandma's house or a day trip out of town, it takes twice as long to get everything settled back to normal, no matter how hard we may try to keep the same times while away from home.

So...

How do you help your children deal with changes in the routine?
How do you get back on schedule as quickly and smoothly as possible?

Balancing Different Schedules

I know that we have talked some about having two or more children, but I am hoping that this will help answer some specific questions I have in regards to juggling kids' schedules. I am due with baby #2 in 5 weeks and for some reason this has been on my mind a lot lately. I have been wondering how moms keep two kids who seem to be on totally different schedules happy and content. Do they schedule their day around their infant assuming that they are young enough to "go with the flow" or do they schedule their day around their older child because they are more flexible? Make sense?? For example, my toddler (almost 2) takes one nap in the afternoon from about noon-3. I remember when she was taking 2 naps a day that she slept from about 10-12 and then again form about 3-5. So I found myself wondering--does a mom with two kids who nap at those times just not go out during the day? That doesn't seem feasible since we all have our to-do lists to accomplish as well as getting out of the house to have fun. So how do you balance it all? I know that each child is different and that different scenarios work for different families, but please share what has worked for you and maybe that will help get some ideas flowing!

Nap Time

Lately, my one year old has decided to change his nap schedule, on a daily basis, it seems. He has been on the schedule of two naps a day, but that doesn't always happen. While I was in school, it was harder to get that morning nap. He saw different babysitters depending on the day, and they couldn't always get him to take a nap or their kids were on the schedule of taking a nap at that time. Since school has ended, we have tried to get back on our nap schedule.

It seems like the last couple of weeks have been really hit and miss when it comes to morning naps. So, I tried switching him to one nap a day, and that wasn't working either. We went back to two naps a day and some days that just doesn't work. I don't know if he is really ready to switch to one nap a day or if it's me pushing it so he will take a longer nap and I can get more done around the house. Either way it is a little frustrating for me because I am never sure how my day is going to go.

SO, how did you know your toddler was ready to switch from two naps to one?
How did you decide your toddler was ready for no nap, or did they decide for you?
How do you get your toddler to take their nap or naps?

Please leave us a comment, we love to hear from the readers of our blog and the more who comment, the better the blog is! Check out our side bar for different topics we have discussed in the past and if you have a suggestion for a topic, email us! Our address is thevillageformoms@gmail.com.

Rub a dub dub...

Bath time is a part of our daily bed time routine. We don't use soap and full out wash our little girl down every single night, but we do get in the tub every day. For us, it has really helped to have a set routine at night and our daughter goes to bed easily. Luckily, our little miss really enjoys her bath time. She loves it. However, in talking to moms/reading books I hear that many toddlers go through a phase where they don't like baths (even if they usually do) so I thought it might be beneficial to discuss.

I've heard that some toddlers don't like baths because they are afraid of being sucked down the drain or they are afraid of having their hair washed. If you think this could be the case at your house you could try getting your toddler out before draining the water. To make washing hair easier, try using a shower visor or goggles when washing your toddler's hair. Another thing that might work is using a detachable shower head if you have one or a damp cloth instead of running water. One mom I know solved her bath time troubles by allowing her toddler to take showers. Another thing to consider. Since our daughter was little, she has taken showers with us once in while and I think that has gotten her used to getting some water splashed in her face which may have helped.

We also have some fun bath toys that entertain our little girl. She likes her sponge letters and numbers, bath books, bubbles, rubber bath toys, and cups she can fill with water and dump out. The other day at the grocery store I saw tub markers which could be fun since many toddlers love to draw. They also had bath fizz that changed the water color (you could probably even use a drop of food coloring?). I've also seen washcloth puppets, bath mirrors, wind up bath toys, and boats.

Another concern with bathing a little one is keeping bath time safe. Some moms I know use rubber bath mats and/or have a cushioned spout to protect their kids from hitting their head. I've also heard it is important to teach your toddler not to stand in the tub. For some this is definitely easier said than done. For us, when our daughter stands up it usually means she is ready to get out of the tub. If not, we just redirect her to a toy and tell her she needs to sit down. My nephew loves to stand in the tub and my SIL is fine with it as long as she is right there to watch him.

So...
What do you do to help make bath time fun and safe?
Does your toddler like to stand in the tub? What do you do about it?
How do you make washing your child's hair successful or do they not seem to mind it?
How often do you bathe your children?
What types of bath products do you use? What kinds of soap, shampoo, toys, etc?