MomsFirstVolume 2 Issue 2Winter 2013

New Beginnings

Page 1Top 10 Sleep Mistakes Parents Make

Pages 2Readers Corner Top 10 Sleep Mistakes (continued)

Pages 3Crying Babies Part IIMichael's CornerPartner Spotlight

Page 4 Partner Spotlight (continued)MomsFirst Holiday Photos

Table of Contents

Continued on page 2

Happy New Year Moms & Dads

Top 10 Sleep Mistakes Parents Make

1. Skipping the bedtime routineMost people need time to wind down before bed, and babies are no different. A bedtime routine will not only help your little one relax before being placed in their crib, but it can also serve as a wonderful bonding experience for both of you.

A bedtime routine is an easy strategy that makes a world of difference in how quickly your baby will settle to sleep and how much support they will need to fall asleep. One hour before you want your baby asleep (6 p.m. to 7 p.m. is an appropriate bedtime for your baby or toddler), begin your routine. Close the curtains, lower the lights in the room, have a story ready to read and prepare to feed your baby. A warm bath can help soothe your baby and when it's over, take them straight to their room and dress them in the darkened room with a lullaby CD. Read a story and then feed them in your arms. Once your baby is finished and in a sleepy state, put them to bed awake, but drowsy.

Readers Corner Reading to Your Baby

When you are reading out loud to your child they will hear you using different inflections (tones & pitches in your voice) and emotions. This helps promote emotional development and communication.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/814416

Quarterly Topics Updates

"The home is the child's first school, the parent is the child's first teacher, and reading is the child's first subject."

Barbara Bu!

Sleep Mistakes (continued)

2. Ignoring baby's sleep cues

Babies and toddlers send out signals and cues when they are getting tired and need to go to sleep. Some of those cues include eye rubbing, yawning, slowed activity, whining and fussing, and loss of interest in people and play.

Keep an eye on your little one throughout the day, and chances are you will see a pattern develop around the time they need to nap and to go to bed each night.

If you are in a situation with an overtired and overstimulated little one, remove them from the stimulation or excitement and take them to a quiet space and spend a little more time than you usually would in settling them into a drowsy state.

3. Creating sleep crutches

When it's 3:00 a.m. and you are exhausted, you will do pretty much anything to get your newborn back to sleep. This usually includes rocking, nursing, walking, swinging, singing, rubbing their back, etc. As your baby gets past three or four months, these simple habits become sleep crutches. These are not bad behaviors, but they become a problem--or a crutch--when they are so closely linked in the child's mind with sleep, that they cannot drift off to sleep without them.

This means that each and every time your baby wakes up; and we all wake up several times throughout the night, they will need you to rock, nurse, swing, or sing them back to sleep. You can use these activities, but do not let your child fall completely asleep while using them. The key is to put your child to bed drowsy, but awake so that they will learn to self-soothe and get themselves back to sleep each time they wake up.

To be continued in next issue.http://www.parents.com/baby/care/crying/calm-crying-baby/?page=3

Crying Babies Part 2 (Continued from the Fall 2012 issue)

6 Ways to Tame Tears

4. Get Moving. Babies have a hunger for motion. They are used to lots of motion

inside their mother's uterus and motion is a powerful stimulus for their development. The inner-ear stimulation your baby gets when you hold them on your shoulder and dance around the living room increases their alertness -- they will stop fussing to look around. Keep up a steady motion long enough, and the repetition will nudge your baby to sleep.

Soothing Strategies: Swings, vibrating bouncy seats, and strollers are all sanity savers, but your own baby dance can be even more

5. Give Baby Something to Suck On. In their first few days of life, your babies cry primarily when they

6. Be Empathetic. Why it works: It might seem impossible to feel calm when you are dealing with a screaming child. But when you are anxious, your child picks up on it, which makes it harder for them to settle down. When your baby is crying, gentle reassurances (saying: "I know you are hungry",

Even when they are not eager to eat, babies still have a natural need to suck. Sucking on a pacifier can reduce a baby's distress after an immunization.

Soothing strategies: Feeding your baby may help if they are hungry; if not, a pacifier might do the job. Even babies who refuse a pacifier, want to suck on something even after they have satisfied their hunger. To avoid overfeeding, offer your little one a teething toy.

Learning to relax and soothe yourself first, so your body is not sending out stress signals, is the first step in trying to help your baby feel at ease. If you give yourself this time to slow down, you are more likely to read your baby's signals correctly and to stay calm yourself.

Soothing strategies: If your baby' is crying and you feel like crying as well, step out of the room for a few minutes to regain control. When you return to your child, you will be able to soothe them more quickly. Also, there is nothing wrong with handing off your little one to someone else. And if you are flying solo, put your baby down in a safe spot, like their crib while you clear your head.

http://www.parents.com/baby/care/crying/calm-crying-baby/?page=3

Michael's Corner: Make Smart Financial Moves as a ParentTip Two: Be up front with your children. Have a honest discussion with them about the family’s financial picture — especially if you are suddenly a single parent. Children have the capacity to understand their changed circumstances and help the whole family curb spending once you arm them with the truth.

Tip three next issue.http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/20305089/ns/today-money/t/make-smart-financial-moves-single-parent/#.UHL5Bvl24zE

Partner SpotlightFACT ONE: Cardiovascular (Heart) Diseases (CVD) ranks as the No. 1 killer of African Americans, claiming the lives of 33.6 percent of the almost 290,000 African Americans who die each year. Cancer follows, killing 22.1 percent. All other causes of death account for about 44 percent.

Brenda Parks

The American Heart Association - 2011 Heart Facts

(Continued pg. 4)

1. Hold Your Baby.2. Recreate the Womb.3. Provide a Change of Scenary.

are hungry, so they quickly associate sucking with the pleasant sensation of a full belly. And because hunger is one of the main reasons babies cry, you stand a good chance of soothing your baby by feeding them.

or whispering "Mommy's here") can calm them down. Babies can read your stress by how rapidly you breathe and move, or how tight the muscles in your arms are when you hold them.

Emily Shurilla, LISW-S, CTC

Seasons GreetingsFrom Our Families To Yours

Partner SpotlightUrban Partnership Bank – Special Message: The Fair Credit Reporting Act entitles you to a free credit report, once every 12 months. You may request a single credit report or a report from all 3 agencies: Equifax, Experian or TransUnion. Do not contact individual agencies. Call 1-877-32-8228, go on line at annualcreditreport.com or write Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281. Forms are also available at your bank.

Roma Blunt

(Continued)

Providence House opened its expanded crisis nursery facility on December 13 – they can now care for up to 20 children and are able to consider children ages birth through 10 years old for placement.