MyParentingSource Learning Hub: Sleep

Tips

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Transition to Middle School Can Be Tough! (Read more...)

Transition to Middle School Can Be Tough!

The onset of difficulty sleeping or sudden school avoidance happens.

Reassure your pre-teen about his/her competencies and keep them in school.

Pre-teens with learning or behavioral difficulties often need extra support from family and school personnel to make this transition.

Dawn Nebrig, MSW, LISW, Ages And Stages: Pre-Teens, 2000 Cincinnati For the Love of Kids® Parenting Conference.

Keep bedtime and wake-up time as consistent as possible to help your child sleep better and fall into a routine which will reduce bedtime struggles. (Read more...)

Keep bedtime and wake-up time as consistent as possible to help your child sleep better and fall into a routine which will reduce bedtime struggles.

Getting the sleep she needs will help her to function better throughout each day.

Help your child to develop healthy sleep habits with a consistent bedtime routine. (Read more...)

Help your child to develop healthy sleep habits with a consistent bedtime routine.

Your child will transition more easily to wind-down time with a consistent routine. Routines are especially helpful when they allow time for you and your child to connect and for your child to process what has gone on during the day.

Create a cozy sleep environment. (Read more...)

Create a cozy sleep environment.

Having a few favorite soft toys, a special quilt or a nightlight can help your child develop a more positive attitude towards bedtime and naptime.

Articles

Sleep

Resources: Websites, Tools & Books

Websites

Tools

Great Successes. Teach your children to recognize their own successes. Daily life holds lots of challenges -- from asking another child to play at recess to finishing a project on time. A task that is easy for one child can present a significant hurdle for another. By appreciating children's efforts to surmount their personal hurdles, parents demonstrate respect and acceptance -- and that's how children learn to accept and respect themselves!

HINT: Success and perfection are not the same thing! Part of building resilience and self esteem is teaching children to feel pride in progress toward a goal rather than withholding celebration until perfection is achieved.
My Action Plan. My Action Plan shows your child how to set a goal and make a plan to achieve it. Use this tool together with My Goal Tracker, a tool to help your child follow through on her Action Steps so that she can reach her goal.

Moving from vision to accomplishment requires a set of skills that parents can teach. Use My Action Plan to show your child how to put a goal into words and how to think through the Action Steps he’ll have to take in order to reach that goal. Guide the process by being curious. Ask questions like, “What do you think you’ll have to do to make that happen?” and “How often (or how many times) do you think you’ll need to do that?”

HINT: Start small! Use this tool with early elementary age children on goals that they can achieve quickly. They’ll gain a strong feeling of competence and of their ability to decide what they want – and go after it.
My Goal Tracker. Self-esteem is directly connected to achievement. That’s great news, because you can teach your children the skills to name their goals and reach them. My Goal Tracker is designed to allow children to monitor their own progress on the Actions Steps that lead to achieving their goals.

HINT: Celebrate success! Consider going shopping for the stickers of your child’s choice to use on the Goal Tracker. (Try the scrapbooking section of your favorite crafts store.) Make sure to share the pride and delight you feel as your child takes steps towards reaching a goal. Having their efforts recognized and genuinely appreciated is a reward in itself.

Bookshelf

General

The No-Cry Sleep Solution: Gentle Ways to Help Your Baby Sleep through the Night, Elizabeth Pantley.

The No-Cry Sleep Solution for Toddlers and Preschoolers, Elizabeth Pantley.

Elizabeth Pantley describes her approach as “gentle ways to stop bedtime battles and improve your child’s sleep.” Here are some tips from her book:
- Maintain a consistent bedtime and waking time seven days a week;
- Encourage regular daily naps;
- Set your child’s biological clock;
- Develop a consistent bedtime routine;
- Create a cozy sleep environment;
- Provide the right nutrition to improve sleep;
- Help your child be healthy and fit;
- Teach your child how to relax and fall asleep.
The Happiest Baby on the Block: The New Way to Calm Crying and Help Your Baby Sleep Longer, Harvey Karp, M.D.

Dr. Karptouts the 5 “S’s” to help your baby sleep. They include: Swaddling, Side or Stomach, Shhh, Swinging, and Sucking. Karp is a pediatrician with 25 years of experience.
The Baby Whisperer Solves All Your Problems: Sleeping, Feeding, and Behavior--Beyond the Basics from Infancy Through Toddlerhood, Tracy Hogg and Melinda Blau.

Hogg has been referred to as “The Baby Whisperer” because of her ability to calm and connect with infants. Her approach is to attain a regular and routine approach to infant care, described by her acronym EASY- Eat, Activity, Sleep, You [parent]-time. Hogg also helps you recognize signals that your child is ready to fall asleep.
Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems: New, Revised, and Expanded Edition, Richard Ferber, M.D.

Dr. Ferber approach has been called “The Ferber Method” due to his experience and the length of time he’s advocated his approach. This book contains some good information in it regarding sleep cycles and helpful patterns even if you choose not to use his method.
Nighttime Parenting: How to Get Your Baby and Child to Sleep, William Sears, M.D.

Dr. Sears has a few books available including The Discipline Book and Nighttime Parenting that highlight his approach to parenting and to sleep. These books are most useful for parents who wish to co-sleep with their children and place a high priority on bonding and attachment.

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