Category: Parenting

Planning your first baby shower is an exciting time, an opportunity to be surrounded by your closest friends and family to celebrate one of the biggest events in your life. If you’re planning your first baby shower, then you may be wondering where to start. Do you first decide on the venue or do you prepare the baby to thank you cards for all the guests (in this case, SleepyMoon can be of great help!)? Take a look at our following guide to help you get an idea of what you will need to include for the day.

Choosing The Date And Time 

The first step is deciding the right date and time for your baby shower. There are a few things to consider when deciding this. The most important one is your expected due date. You don’t want to hold the baby shower too close to your expected due date in case you end up going into labor early and having to cancel all of your carefully thought-out plans. You’ll need to consider which days are convenient for most of your guests, which usually tends to be at the weekend. You can start the shower at whichever point of the day works best for you and your friends and family. If any of your guests have their own children, it may be better to hold the shower earlier in the day rather than later so that they can be home in time for bedtime, etc. If you’re heavily pregnant, you may also be starting to feel tired towards the end of the day too.

Choosing A Location 

When choosing the location to hold your shower, consider the number of people you plan to invite. You can hold a baby shower in your own home if you have the room and to help save some money. However, if you need to hire a venue, try and factor in the location and whether it works well for you and your guests. Try and book several months ahead, if possible, to make sure that you can secure the venue that you want to use. If you leave it too late, it could end up being fully booked.

Holding A Virtual Baby Shower 

There could be a number of reasons it may be difficult for you to hold a baby shower in person. For example, your guests could be dotted all over in different locations and may find it difficult to attend. Or you may be finding it difficult to socialize due to pregnancy symptoms. Many people have also had to cancel in-person plans due to the recent pandemic. Whatever your reason, holding a virtual baby shower can be a great and informal way of gathering together the people you care about to celebrate your pregnancy. You can still have fun with it and plan games and quizzes, and socialize through a meeting platform of your choice. Be sure to send out virtual baby shower invitations so that your guests know when it will be taking place and through which meeting platform. 

Food And Drink

You’ll want to provide some refreshments for your baby shower. You can create a meal or buffet yourself if you wish to, but if you’d rather save yourself the hassle, then you could hire a catering service to do it for you. Consider whether the food you choose meets the dietary requirements of all your guests, so everyone has something to enjoy. You could even ask around for people’s opinions. And, of course, make sure all the food and drink are safe for you to consume during pregnancy. Providing non-alcoholic options is a good choice for yourself and those who would rather not drink alcohol. 

Entertainment

To help keep all your guests having a good time, consider including some baby-themed party games or quizzes. For example, you could design a quiz about you and your new little one to see which of your guests knows you best. You can also find pre-made quizzes online to use. Some party game ideas include guessing the baby’s arrival date to win a prize, designing as many baby names as possible by combining the mum’s and dad’s names, and guessing the gender games if you haven’t already found out. Check these fun games to play at your next baby shower for more inspiration. 

Guests And Invitations

You’ve probably already got a good idea of who you want to attend your shower but be sure to go through a checklist to make sure you don’t miss anyone out. Once you’ve done this, you can start creating and sending out invitations. You can design your traditional invitations and post them to your guests or send out an email or text invitation. Whichever you choose to go with, make sure you include all the important details your guests need to know. For example, the location, date and time, and how guests should RSVP. Once you’ve got a clearer idea of how many people will be attending, you’ll have a better idea for planning things such as food and games. 

Most people view thumb sucking as a harmless habit, but if it is continued for too long it can quickly go from innocent to harmful. There are real consequences that can result from thumb sucking, including that of physical, emotional, and social. With a wide variety of impacts that sucking the thumb can have on the child, it is imperative to help your child stop thumb sucking. While it may not be easy—your child will likely resist—it’s necessary to avoid complications that can affect their life into the future. Below are the reasons that you should get your child to stop the habit and how you can get the job done.

Physical Consequences

On the surface, there are physical consequences of thumb sucking. An overbite or an open bite can be the result of the habit. This is called malocclusion. When a row or both rows of the teeth become misaligned when the child closes their mouth, this can result in malocclusion that may require professional orthodontic work. In addition to an open bite, which is when both rows of the teeth are directed outwards, there are physical consequences like skin irritation and speech issues.

Moisture from the mouth can cause irritation on the thumb and even lead to infection. While risking infection is one thing, on the other hand, thumb sucking results in peeling of the skin, cracking, bleeding, and ingrown nails. It isn’t good for the skin of the child and infection can even infect the mouth.

Finally, speech issues can arise from thumb sucking. This is when the child sucks their thumb so much that they develop a lisp or have trouble pronouncing certain sounds. When a child has a speech impediment, professional speech therapy may be required to alter their way of speaking. This can also lead to emotional and social issues.

Emotional Consequences

The emotional consequences of thumb sucking can’t be ignored. When the child sucks their thumbs for an extended period, it can be difficult for them to create new coping mechanisms and ways to deal with their emotions. Since thumb sucking is a comforting habit, the child may revert to it when they should be expressing themselves or dealing with their emotions in an introspective way. Kids must form healthy habits of coping emotionally and thumb sucking doesn’t help them do that. It will not just affect their emotions, but their social relationships as well.

Social Consequences

In addition to physical and emotional consequences, there are social results of thumb sucking. One example is that the child may be made fun of and ridiculed by their peers. It can make them feel inadequate. Furthermore, the speech issues that result from thumb sucking make it difficult for them to communicate themselves. With coping through thumb sucking, the child doesn’t develop the mechanisms to be able to freely and effectively communicate how they feel. All of these reasons are why you should help your child overcome this bad habit.

How to help them Stop

There are a few different methods to help your child stop the habit of thumb sucking. One is that you can use a thumb guard. This is a product that wraps around the child’s wrist and covers the thumb with a plastic guard, preventing them from sucking it. Another way to prevent thumb sucking is to use thumb sucking nail polish, which is a product that tastes bitter. Children hate the taste of bitterness so it will stop them from wanting to suck their thumbs. Furthermore, there are also thumbsies, which work a lot like thumb guards. They are the cloth alternative that makes it so the child doesn’t get the comfort or enjoyment from thumb sucking.

With so many consequences and ways to help your child stop sucking their thumbs, there is no excuse. It isn’t easy for any parent to get their child to stop, but it is absolutely necessary when it comes to helping them develop new habits and coping mechanisms. If you really can’t get your child to stop, take them to a professional who can determine if they are developing more slowly than they should be. Whatever the solution, helping them stop is imperative to cultivating healthy habits.

Nursing your baby is part of motherhood. However, we understand the challenge that breastfeeding can bring. More so if you have to do it in public.

For moms who haven’t done this before, it can seem like an intimidating thing to do. However, you don’t have to be afraid.

To make you feel more comfortable, here are six tips that will make it easier for you to nurse your baby in public.

Know and understand your rights

Breastfeeding is something that all moms should be able to do without issue if they can, but unfortunately, that is not the case. Therefore, it might be ideal to know and understand your rights as a breastfeeding mother. This includes what you can do should you nurse your kid in public.

All 50 states legally allow breastfeeding in public places. But there are other specificities with each state that you should look into first. If you’re a working mom, know that the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) does require your place of employment to have a separate nursing room for moms.

Know that you shouldn’t feel harassed, othered, or threatened because you are breastfeeding your child.

Practice at home

Before you start heading out and breastfeeding in public, you might want to try practicing it at home first. This step is significant for moms who feel scared or anxious about doing it in public for the first time.

Doing it in a place where you feel comfortable first can help you get a better idea of how you look, so do this in front of a mirror. You may discover that your baby will be covering your breast, which is why you’re not as exposed as you would think at first.

Once you get more comfortable, you can also try interacting with fellow breastfeeding moms at a cafe. Doing so can help reduce the anxiety you feel when breastfeeding in public.

Wear nursing-friendly clothes

Having nursing-friendly clothes is another excellent way to breastfeed in public with ease. Instead of raising a shirt or going through a lot of commotion to feed your baby, nursing-friendly clothes help make that step easier for you.

There are both tops and dresses that are nursing-friendly, so you can wear whatever you feel like wearing. There are all sorts of methods on how these clothes become nursing-friendly, so feel free to shop around first to see one you like.

Use a nursing cover

A nursing or breastfeeding cover helps give a lot of moms the privacy they need when they’re out and about and feed their babies. However, it’s not necessary at all as a part of your gear when it comes to raising your baby. It’s all a matter of personal preference.

You can even use multi-use nursing covers that will help give you a sense of privacy whenever you need it. When you don’t, it can be anything from a scarf to a shopping cart cover, and so on.

Find a comfortable nursing position

Your nursing position also has a lot to do with how comfortable you’re going to be when nursing your baby in public. Before you settle down and nurse your child, look for a place that has a backrest. That way, you can be relatively relaxed while still breastfeeding your baby.

Be confident and smile!

You have to be confident and self-assured on the outside when nursing your baby. Stand your ground because you have every right to feed your baby the nourishment they need. What you’re doing is perfectly normal, so you don’t have to worry so much about it.

Over to You

The quick and easy tips listed above should ease you into feeling comfortable nursing in public. The key is to know your rights, get some practice in, and invest in some nursing accessories to make everything seamless.

Next time, try these things out before you go in public with your baby so that you’ll become more and more comfortable about it.

Being a parent is a massive job of always just wanting what’s best for your child.  We want them to be happy, healthy, and well educated- sometimes that means a move.  If you’ve scoured for real estate for sale in Whistler and sought out the best moving companies and dates- it’s time to start helping your kids through the process, as well.  Whether it’s down the street or across the country, a move is a significant life change that can leave kids feeling lost or confused.  Instead of letting them sit in those negative feelings- here are the top ways to help kids adjust to a move.

Tell Them Sooner

Please don’t hold off on telling your kids about a move to try and spare their feelings.  Talk to your children early, and be clear about what’s happening.  If you’re still looking for a house, let them know that and help them see how this move will improve their lives.  Some people wait until they can’t anymore try and avoid conflict, but giving your child ample time to accept the news and prepare for the move could be all they need.

Let Them Be A Part of It

If you haven’t chosen a home yet, ask your child to help you!  Pick a couple of options that you like, and ask them to go to the open houses with you.  They’ll get to tour possible homes, and getting to have a say in it may help them feel more attached to the decision you make in the end.  Regardless of age, this allows your kids to feel like a respected member of the family, and it lets them know that their opinion matters to you.  This plan is a fantastic way to build trust and respect.

Ask For Their Help

Moving is a huge undertaking!  Ask your kids if they’ll help you pack, unpack, or pick out new furniture.  How much they can do depends on their age, of course, but it also relies on their maturity level.  Buy some of their favorite food, and have a packing party in the living room or dining room.  You can make this a fun and exciting moment instead of a tumultuous one!

Say Proper Goodbyes

Give your kids the chance to say goodbye to those they won’t see for a while, or maybe ever again.  Thankfully, due to the magic of the internet, a move isn’t as permanent of goodbye as it used to be, but it’s still good for your kids to be able to say some last words to the people who made living there worth it.

Don’t Rush The Home Feeling.

Although we may often feel like we should show our kids how to think by expressing ourselves, this isn’t always the best option.  Forcing an ingenuine emotion on your child could leave them feeling even more confused and frustrated.  Instead, help them see why the house and move itself are right.  Eventually, your kid will come to see this new building and city as their home, but they’ll have to work through that at their own pace.

Ask virtually any group of adults about common teenager problems, and the chances are good that the list will come back with the standard litany: how to get your teen to clean their room, be more responsible, handling the rebellious, defiant, out of control behavior, aggressiveness, and more. Unfortunately, not much is said about problems from the teenager’s perspective.

Looked at from a teenager’s perspective, problems abound. You can help teens with relationships, help your teen lose weight, get better grades in school, and more. Here is a guide to six common problems teenagers face and the solutions to each.

Body Issues. Teenage bodies are rife with issues as they adjust to new shapes and sizes. What was once a cherubic child has morphed into a kid who is all at once, gangly, gawky, hairy, zitty, and uncoordinated.

Fixing this problem is a matter of making teenagers aware that many of the body problems they face can be fixed with diet and exercise and an acceptance of who they are.

Need for Acceptance and Community Involvement. The world can be a big and scary place. This is especially true for a teenager who is still trying to determine their place in it.

Teenagers who feel they don’t belong can end up having their whole lives being affected. Teens should be given guidance to find groups who provide them with love and acceptance for who they are.

Managing Time. Teenagers today are under constant stress from numerous external sources. These include school demands, social pressures, media, and much more.

Teenagers need to be made aware that doing everything simply isn’t possible. Further, they probably need help prioritizing the things they want to do. This provides the added benefit of eliminating things that might be bad influences.

Appropriate Heroes. It’s often the biggest bullies, most spoiled brats, music icons, and sports celebrities who become a teen’s heroes. Unfortunately, many of these are inappropriate for a variety of reasons.

Teenagers need to be familiar with heroes of more character-building pursuits.

Drugs and Alcohol. More than a third of American teenagers report using alcohol in any given month. Further, more than 40 percent of American youth have reported using some sort of illicit drug in the past year.

Drugs and alcohol can severely damage a teenager’s brain. It’s essential for parents to make their teenagers aware of the dangers of drugs and alcohol and to find out what is happening in their children’s lives that might affect the chances that they will become involved in the use of these substances.

Screen Time. As beneficial as screen time can be, too much and that which is unhealthy by its content needs to be limited. Going online can expose teenagers to violence, porn, mean people, and harmful images.

As beneficial as technology can be, there is no way to protect a teen entirely from online influences. Parents must be aware of what their teenagers are doing online and how to interact safely with the internet. If nothing else, teach them to read more.

Teenagers today often find themselves living on a very superficial level. They find themselves on the edge of their society with virtually no acceptance and very little positive affirmation. With no place left to turn, they turn to negative influences on the internet, television, and elsewhere.

Parents can make up for this by teaching by example and living for personal excellence. This will teach a teenager more than anything for a lifetime.

There are a couple of rites of passages for children who follow the catholic faith. One of the them is the first holy communion.  It’s basically the first among the three sacraments of the Catholic Church. The other two are baptism and confirmation. I would also like to add that the believers in this church consider this occasion very special. This is because it’s a time when their children are officially initiated into the Catholic Church.

This event is usually more overwhelming mainly because it’s deeply religious. The first thing to check off your list is the holy communion invitation. The invitations have to be sent to the potential guests early enough so that they can clear their schedules and avail themselves on the day of the event.

Here is a guide to help you through the process:

People to invite to your child’s first communion

Unlike birthday parties, this particular event is an intimate one. This means that you cannot just invite everybody. Your guests should mainly include close relatives and friends. It may be difficult to create a guest list at this point. The best way to go about it is to invite the people you think have impacted in one way or the other to your child’s religious growth. That should inform your decisions.

Inviting non-Catholics

The truth is not every close family member or friend is a catholic. This might leave you wondering whether it’s wise to invite them to the first communion ceremony. There is nothing wrong with inviting non-Catholics to the ceremony.  The only thing you have to do is confer with them on mass etiquette and other rules applicable.

Choosing a first communion invitation design

This is a religious event and there is a lot that goes into designing the holy communion invitation. Determine whether you want to go with a religious theme or focus on other things such as the usual season when the ceremony takes place. In this case, first Holy Communion is normally held during the spring season.

You can opt to go for a design that reflects your child’s style. For daughters, check this out for girl baptism invitations.  When picking out a specific design make sure it’s a thoughtful one and heavily portrays the gravity of this occasion. Some of the motifs to choose include doves, crosses and watercolors among others.

Details to include in the invitation

The next step after picking a suitable holy communion invitation design is to ensure all the important information is included in it. The vital details that should not miss on the invitation cards include the name and address of that particular parish, the date of the ceremony, the time it starts and the time the after party will begin if you decide to have one.

Many people plan for a party after the first communion is over. It’s not a must but will definitely be the perfect way to celebrate your child’s transition. Furthermore, the memories you create will last forever. Don’t forget to include an RSVP as well as a date when you want confirmation for your guest attendance.

The best thing to do is send the Holy Communion invitations at least 4 weeks before the actual ceremony. Lastly, if you don’t require people to come with gifts, simply say so in the invites.