A Healthy Little Note: Issue #28
We've all been there.
We're not feeling too well and wondering what could possibly be ailing us...so what do we do? We turn to Google and try to self-diagnose.
And what's the inevitable result of this move?
Misdiagnosis, misinformation and a heaping pile of anxiety and second guessing.
So if we KNOW this is a common internet experience, why would we ever go on online hoping to find easy answers during our most desperate of parenting times? I'm talking about when our babies are crying.
Let me be blunt. Google is not going to stop your baby from crying.
But guess, what? Crying is a perfectly normal expression for our little ones.
And you know all that guilt you have about it? Your ability to stop your baby's crying has NOTHING to do with your ability as a parent. You're a great mom. You're a great dad.
This week's newsletter starts off with some Google-free, accurate information on the different levels of crying, an article about creating some quality one-on-one time with your kiddos, a kid-friendly plan to celebrate New Year's Eve that doesn't include the super late night, an amazing app I want you to try, and finally, a new podcast recommendation from our friends over at Katie's Crib.
Wipe those tears and let's get started!
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1. BEWARE OF GOOGLE
Let me start by saying crying is completely normal for your baby. It's how they communicate. And I know you're going to do anything in your power to help soothe your little one.
When I had my first baby the amount of crying was definitely not what I expected. I had this complete romantic notion of rocking and nursing my little guy in our rocking chair and drifting off to sleep.
Don't get me wrong, there were definitely moments like this, but I imagined a much more consistently peaceful situation. Sometimes we can get caught up in the romantic ideas of motherhood and the reality is that wasn't the case the majority of the time.
You know what else doesn't help? The fact that crying is misunderstood and hyped up in the media.
And God forbid you Google it.
In this week's blog post I bring you the facts straight from The American Academy of Pediatrics on the different levels of crying, info on sleep deprivation and regulating stress.
Still have more Qs about your little one crying? Don't worry, I've got ya - go here to schedule a FREE 15-minute call with me and we can chat about it.
Or just reply to this email with any questions you have, and I'll bet happy to answer.
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2. HOW TO TAKE YOUR KIDS OUT ON A DATE
The simplest things in life are often the greatest.
Creating rituals with our kids and families help create memories that last a lifetime.
I cherish the memories of spending special one-on-one time with my parents. And when you have more than one kid, it's so special when you can get each of them one-on-one and really get to know them.
This fantastic article helps with some tips to get you started and how to do kid date night right.
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3. HOW TO CELEBRATE NEW YEARS WITH YOUR LITTLE ONES
With New Year's Eve around the corner, you might be wondering what you can do with your little ones to celebrate.
I'm in the same boat!
I do know one thing...my littles cannot stay up until midnight. (To be honest, it's more like I can't stay up until midnight.)
We've never really tried it, but it sounds daunting.
Still, we don't have to be New Year's Eve party poopers!
This fantastic article has some super smart kid-friendly party tips that I'm following this year. You can catch us watching the ball drop three hours early - thank goodness for time zones!
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4. ALEXA...WHEN WAS THE LAST DIAPER CHANGE?
Have you heard of "BabyConnect?"
It's an amazing app I used with both of my kids to track their feedings, diapers and sleep when they were born.
What's really cool about it is you can connect any and all caregivers, so everyone can log the information and you have it all in one place.
Even better guys...I just received an email last week that you can now connect it with Alexa, so you can say "Alexa, start nursing on the left side." Or "Alexa, log a poopy diaper at 3:30am today." Or "Alexa, record a bottle feeding of 3oz at 10am."
You can check out all of the commands here and download the BabyConnect app.
It sounds super cool...let me know how it works!
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5. TIMEOUTS AND TANTRUMS WITH KATIE'S CRIB
I love this talk from our friends over at Katie's Crib as I just finished my child behavior certification program.
To give you my two cents about tantrums...they happen when the world is not going our little one's way, and it's our job to guide them and give them the tools they need to get through it.
Check this out super informative podcast episode where Katie talks with a roundtable of experts about figuring out the approach to discipline that's right for you.
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That's it for this issue!
Hope you enjoyed it and I'd LOVE if you shared it with your friends on social media or spread the word on the local Mommy gossip circuit - thanks!
Susie
PS - You can send people here to subscribe to get the next Healthy Little Note!