Avoid Sleepless Nights with these Baby Sleeping Tips

If hours of sleepless nights looking after your active infant have been bothering you of late; you must look for ways to induce a good nap. Even though newborns need midnight and 3 a.m. feeds, you can set a pattern that allows you to get the baby down for a good five hours. Read about baby snoozing tips that can help you catch up on some much needed slumber.

1. Keep an Eye Out for the Slightest Sign of Drowsiness

Even infants who don’t yet use words can exhibit some tell-tale signals that let you know their readiness for bedtime. You may observe a slight presence of boredom in the child or even an outright yawn. Heading off to bed at this moment can save you hours of rocking an irritable toddler to sleep. Kids who are taken to bed well after they first feel worn-out, tend to get exhausted as they wait for bedtime.

At such a point the newborn can be quite irritable making him or her that much more difficult to tuck in.

2. Consume Only Decaf During Breastfeeding

The last thing you want is to know that your infant is on a caffeine high because of you. While breastfeeding or pumping out milk, it is best to consume decaf so that the milk is untainted. Even slight amounts of caffeine can stop your kid from snoozing peacefully. Often mothers sip coffee to stay up and see to their active toddlers. However, the very same drink many be keeping your newborn awake too.

3. Practice Rocking your Little One

Rocking a child who is already weary is a great way to make him or her drowsy. Whether you use a cradle or your arms is up to you, but gently moving your child in a steady manner can induce naptime. You can practice these baby sleeping tips for day naps as well, so that it becomes a ritual for when it time for a snooze.

If you find that your baby is wide awake at any point, a short feed or a cosy snuggle can work wonders. You can even harmonize your snoozing cycles to get some good shut-eye.

How to Administer Tough Love as a Babysitter

There is a lot more to babysitting than feeding children, ensuring they do their homework and having them trot off to bed. You can often come across confrontational situations that you are ill-equipped to deal with. At such a time it is important that you keep your cool and make a level headed decision because you are the adult in the scenario. Here are some pointers that can help you at your next babysitting gig.

• Dealing with Confrontation

Being a sitter is not always pleasant and you may have a confrontation with a misbehaving kid or screaming toddler. Whether it is kids, who wish to order pizza, scream at you incessantly or refuse to turn in; remember that it is best not to force your authority on the teen for it may instigate further rebellion. Try to calmly explain the situation as to why he must complete homework before television time or why she can’t have friends over at the moment.

You can try heading out to the garden for a breath of fresh air and think things through if you are too rattled. If this does not seem to work, you can call the parents and ask for advice to best deal with the situation.

• Handling Sibling Fights

In case you happen to be sitting for a couple of young kids or a house with more than one kid, you may have to deal with a fight or argument. Twins fighting can be a nasty thing to witness at times and can make you want to run out the front door. If there is smashed crockery or swear words uttered by the older child, make sure you comfort the little one and ensure that both the children are safe. Once you have ensured this, you can think up a way to punish troublemaker.

Babysitting tips suggest sticking with a mild but effective form of punishment such as no television time or sending the teen up to bed rather than scolding, admonishing them or having them do chores.

It can also help to talk to their parents beforehand and talk about punishment methods to avoid conflicting views.

Diapering Your New Born Baby

No matter whether you have changed a baby’s diaper before or not, there are certain basics that you must be aware of when it comes to diapering a baby. So, follow these steps to diaper a baby in the right manner!

Get the essentials handy: Before beginning with the task, collect all the essential items and keep them handy. Have a clean diaper or two, along with baby wipes, and new clothes if required. You can even have a baby cream that can help to avoid nappy rashes.

Be cautious: First, wash your hands properly and place your baby on a flat surface, preferably on the bed. Then, keep one hand on the baby, to prevent them from tumbling or falling down. Make sure that you do not leave your child unattended at any cost. Now, remove the dirty diaper by pulling it out gently and holding your baby’s leg with one hand.

Wipe properly: Wipe your baby appropriately to avoid them getting infected with a urinary tract infection. Wipe from front to the back and do it in a proper manner, while avoiding being too harsh. Once done, then pat your baby’s bottom dry.

Change the diaper: If you didn’t know how to change diaper, then gently lift your baby’s legs, and put the clean diaper under the legs. Tie it at the belly button by removing the adhesive tape.

Check the comfort level: Make sure that the diaper is not too tight or too loose. Check the comfort level, before dressing your little one. Once checked, you can then dress up your baby.

Flush the poop: Well, if after figuring out how to diaper a baby, if you are thinking what to do with the old diaper, then we will tell you! Just take the old diaper and put the solid waste or poop into the toilet by shaking the diaper a little. Then, take the empty dirty diaper and wrap it into a disposable paper or bag and throw it into the trash.

Follow these easy steps and change your baby’s diaper with utmost ease and comfort.