We had an interesting time checking out the playcentre – thanks to Teresa, the Richmond Playcentre supervisor, for giving us the rundown on how it all works and answering our questions. We hope to visit other playcentres as they are very friendly – LOVE looking at our new babies – and even make us tea & coffee! Welcome to Rachel & Ben joining Hips & Lips from our Baby & You class at the Parents’ Centre. It was also great to see Louise from swimming and her baby Matia – sorry to hear you will be leaving to live in Wellington!
We look forward to seeing some of you in Ruby Bay on Monday – don’t forget Brigid’s suggestion of a lovely bush walk – so if anyone has front packs for bubs, bring them along if you fancy a walk after coffee. Definitely not suitable for buggies but Brigid did it last week carrying Freya in the front pack and was fine – a bit steep and tricky in places so also bring good walking shoes. It’s only about a 20min walk.
Mum’s Group: Brigid’s Parents House
10am Monday 27 March
51 Brabant Drive, Ruby Bay
540.2239
Directions: Go along the road towards Mapua. Follow the coastal highway towards Motueka and through Ruby Bay, which is Stafford Drive, 70km zone. Once you reach the public loos and a car park (on the Right) you turn left and immediate Right up the hill – if you get to the 100km zone you’ve gone too far. There is a big sign saying ‘Pinehill Estate’. Drive up the hill, their house is on the left, a big, modern house, number 51. Park in drive or road.
Future meetings are at Nadine’s house in Brightwater on April 3rd – we need some volunteers to host for the rest of April – alternatively, you may have an interesting idea for an outing somewhere baby-friendly. You may check ahead on the schedule by selecting the “Schedule” button on the menu above. Volunteer to host by sending email to Adrienne.
March 21st, 2006
Our walk around Richmond ending with coffee at Oxford Cafe was an excellent alternative to meeting at someone’s house. Kath and Paula from the Richmond Resource Centre were great and offered to arrange a walk for us any time we like as they are funded by Sport Tasman for that purpose.
This coming Monday was going to be hosted by Nadine but unfortunately she has had to postpone. Instead we have been invited to attend the Richmond Playcentre’s open day (Adrienne’s neighbour Sarah is on their management team). Their open day is being held between 9.30am-2pm and there will be tea and coffee, sausage sizzle and a morning tea for the kids and parents. We plan to meet around 10am – breast/formula feeding friendly environment with lots of interesting things to explore for that time when our babies will be ready to PLAY!
Mum’s Group:
10am Monday 20 March
Richmond Playcentre Open Day
46 Waverly Street, Richmond
021.480.212
Here is a letter from the playcentre:
Dear Parent/Caregiver
Thank you for taking the time to visit our Playcentre. Here at Richmond Playcentre we provide a fun place for children aged birth to six years to explore, create, interact, experience, develop, learn and grow in a safe friendly supervised environment. You may leave your child at Playcentre when they reach 2 ½ and are well settled in the session without your presence. Sessions run from Monday to Thursday 9.30am until 12noon.
Your first three visits are free and this will give you the opportunity to come and see what we are all about. Richmond Playcentre is a great place for your child to experience free play while still interacting with other children, yourself, staff and other parents/caregivers.
During your first few weeks you will be given a full and comprehensive introduction by one of our Supervisors which will outline the way our Playcentre operates. Our Supervision team, welcome any questions you may have on the way in which the sessions are run.
Playcentre is a parent co-operative where parents/caregivers can gain confidence, learn parenting skills and build social support networks. Parents/caregivers are also encouraged to be an integral part of how the Playcentre is run and to contribute to the monthly meetings.
We rely on parent/caregiver input and every parent/caregiver shares in the decision making process. We have a great parent’s room where you can have a cup of tea or coffee and chill out for a few minutes while your child is having a great time in one of our 16 areas of play.
Thank you once again for taking the time to come in and visit us and we look forward to you joining Richmond Playcentre.
Kind regards
Richmond Playcentre Team
March 14th, 2006
From Jamie Berke, Your Guide to Deafness / Hard of Hearing.
Is there anything cuter than seeing a little baby using sign language? It is more than just cute though — researchers have found that the use of sign language with babies does help to improve their language learning and IQs. So more and more parents are using sign language with their infants, whether they are hearing or deaf. It has long been known by parents of deaf children and deaf parents of hearing children, that young babies can learn to sign and communicate in basic ways before they learn to talk. What is new is the type of sign language often being promoted to hearing parents of hearing babies – it is not the true American Sign Language (ASL). Objections to this have been expressed by some people in the deaf community.
Baby Signing Does Not Hurt Speech Development
One of the best things about this trend being embraced by parents of nondeaf children, is that the research has clearly demonstrated that the use of sign language does not mean that a child will not learn to talk. For years, the deaf community’s advocates of ASL had to face the argument that if parents used sign language with their deaf children, the children would not learn to talk. Even today, some parents of deaf children with cochlear implants are told not to use sign language so that their children will maximize the use of sound for communication.
Baby Signing Does Have Educational Benefits
Several articles have been published on the use of sign language with babies. For example, a USA Today (July 5, 2000) article reported on the work of two researchers who had done a study involving two groups of children, one group that was taught baby signing and another group that was not. The researchers found that eight-year-olds who had learned a simple form of baby sign language using invented signs, did better on IQ tests than comparable children who had not learned baby sign language.
Babies Can Use Real American Sign Language
While anything that encourages the acceptance of sign language for communication is welcome, there is no need for parents to rely on a different form of sign language when there is plenty of video and book material available for learning American Sign Language.
Baby Sign Language Online
www.BabyHandsProductions.com has a 200-plus word video dictionary of the words it feels are most important for babies and toddlers, on its site.
www.SigningTime.com, has videos are for all ages (and the website offers video samples).
www.ASLPro.com has an ASL for Babies dictionary online, with video clips of adults signing.
Plus, there are online sign language dictionaries available for quick and easy reference. These dictionaries have either video/animation clips or clear illustrations, so that there is no misunderstanding about how to make a sign.
Baby Sign Language Companies and Classes
There has been explosive growth in the number of companies promoting baby sign language. Most of the companies offer video, print, and online resources for baby signing. For example, the promoters of signing to your baby using a form of sign language based on ASL, have a web site. The http://www.sign2me.com/ web site includes streaming video, an online store, and other promotional material. The FAQ states that the program is based on American Sign Language, and that it can provide a foundation for further learning of ASL.
A sampling of baby sign language companies and their offerings (disclaimer: Inclusion in this listing is not an endorsement):
www.SignBabies.com offers illustrated flash cards. Another set of flashcards is the Signing Smart series.
www.BabySigns.com has instructors offering classes nationally. The company also sells products such as a puppet, and a video series covering bedtime, mealtime, bathtime, and pets.
www.Signing4Babies.com sells an e-book on baby sign.
www.Kindersigns.com offers classes, a newsletter, and professional certification.
Baby sign language classes are increasingly popular. They are offered by private certified instructors, colleges, resource centers for deaf and hard of hearing people, recreation departments, and other community resources.
Baby Sign Language Community Websites
Baby signing community websites like http://www.signingbaby.com/offer FAQs, articles, message boards, and discussion lists.
NEW ZEALAND SIGNING SITE
www.baby-talk.co.nz
March 8th, 2006
How can I help my baby sleep through the night?
In the early months, sleeping through the night for babies is considered to be only six straight hours. By the end of the first year, most babies will sleep 10 — 12 hours at night. You can start by regulating your baby’s sleep patterns and teaching him good sleep habits early on. Unfortunately, in the early, newborn days, you really can’t do anything to control a baby’s sleep patterns — he’ll sleep when and where he wants: If he’s tired, nothing will keep him up, and if he’s not, well, he’ll be awake. But from day one you can:
• Give your child a “transitional object”. Chances are this security object — such as a blanket or stuffed animal — will become a much-cherished possession that helps soothe your child to sleep. One great way to make a blanket or teddy bear a favourite is to keep it near you for a while so it becomes “mum-scented”. Babies have a strong sense of smell, and when they startle awake, which they do often during the night, the smell of their mothers nearby can be very reassuring and help them go back to sleep.
• Separate sleep from being merely sleepy. During infancy, your baby may move quickly between states of sleepiness and alertness. Take your baby’s cues and use them: If he falls asleep while eating or being carried, lay him down in a designated sleeping place, such as his cot or pushchair. If he’s awake, encourage that wakefulness, and socialize with him. By distinguishing between asleep and wakeful periods, you’ll help him associate sleep with a proper sleeping place.
• Separate day from night. Though babies will eventually sleep longest at night, many newborns mix up day and night. To help your baby learn to use nighttime hours for longer sleep periods, distinguish between naps and bedtime. At night, start to create bedtime routines –playing quietly, reading, taking a warm bath, changing into pyjamas, singing, rocking, swaddling, and darkening the room.
• Treat night-time meals differently than daytime ones. Since your newborn needs to eat around the clock he’ll awake several times during your sleeping hours. So to keep those night-time feedings functional and less disruptive, Dr Penelope Leach, in Your Baby and Child, suggests that parents make night-time feedings quiet and daytime ones social. In other words, when your baby starts to fuss and whimper in the middle of the night, go to him immediately and feed him before he really has a chance to wake up. If your baby sleeps with you, this will be even easier. Don’t talk or turn on the light, but simply keep the quiet, sleepy atmosphere you’ve set so that baby understands it isn’t playtime. During the day, do the opposite: Treat mealtimes as opportunities to coo, sing, talk to, and interact with your baby.
• Encourage an older baby to fall asleep on his own. At first, your baby will undoubtedly fall asleep in your arms while feeding or being rocked. He may sleep if you carry him in a sling, where the natural rhythms of your walk and your warmth lull him. But eventually, you want your baby to get used to the idea of going to sleep on his own.
Introduce the notion gradually: When your baby is drowsy, but not yet asleep, lay him down. By putting him down when he’s awake — but still feeling loved and cosy — he may associate falling asleep himself with such feelings. This may be easier said than done, however. But do continue to try to put your baby down sleepy, but awake, and soon he’ll get the hang of it.
What does it mean to let a baby “cry it out”?
For decades, parents have been told that the best way to train a baby who no longer needs nighttime feedings to sleep through the night is to let him “cry it out”. In other words, put the baby in his cot, shut the door, and let him bawl. Though there are variations on this technique, the general idea is the same: After about a week of unheeded crying, a baby will learn to fall asleep on his own. Without a rewarding response to his cries, the theory goes, a baby learns that it’s not worth the trouble to cry so hard.
Dr Richard Ferber, author of Solve Your Child’s Sleep Problems, advocates the most widely-used approach to this seemingly heartless approach, which shouldn’t be used with children under six months of age. Ferber recommends that parents not leave their baby cold turkey, but that they periodically comfort him without picking him up. Make sure he’s not twisted up in his blankets or without his favourite stuffed animal, then pat him gently, tell him you love him but it’s bedtime, and leave the room. Don’t turn on the lights, linger, or hold him. The first night you might wait five minutes before your cribside appearance, the second night 10 minutes, and so on. Eventually, your baby will learn to fall asleep on his own. But Dr Ferber does caution that no one approach works for every baby.
Should we let our baby cry it out?
Among new parents, this question is hotly debated. Is there an easier, less heartless way than so called “Ferberising?” Perhaps. Here’s what some childcare experts say about crying it out.
• Dr Penelope Leach, author of Your Baby and Child, and many other books on babies
Approach: “Compassionate Crying It Out” If you leave your baby crying, he’ll feel abandoned and fear that your departure at bedtime — and any other time — isn’t safe.
When: Starting at around nine months — babies can’t really learn that night-time is for sleeping until then.
What to do: Since the goal, Leach points out, is to help your baby feel that bedtime is safe and happy and that he can go to sleep on his own, don’t abandon him outright. Instead, keep to your enjoyable bedtime rituals and when your baby cries go into his room, reassure him, and leave as often as you need to. Leach writes, “You may have to repeat this over and over again, but it is the only sure way eventually to convince him both that you will come and that you will not get him up.”
• Dr T. Berry Brazelton, author of Touchpoints and many other books on babies and children
Approach: “Nurturing but Crying It Out” Before you begin any kind of program like this, make sure that both partners are in complete agreement.
When: Depends on the child — you could do this at six months or two years. Brazelton urges parents to examine their own motivations and their child before they begin this programme.
What to do: Be sure you’ve eliminated late afternoon naps (after 3pm), keep a relaxing, loving bedtime ritual, and don’t breastfeed or rock your baby to sleep. Instead, put him down awake and stay with him, reassuring him that you’re there but that he can fall asleep by himself. If you like, you can wake him up before your bedtime for a feeding, so that you won’t worry that he’s hungry later. Finally, be prepared for wakings every four hours or so. When he does cry out, go to him quietly and try not to stimulate him. Don’t pick him up or rock him, but do soothe him and quietly reassure him. After you feel comfortable with this, don’t go to him, but call out to him and reassure him, suggesting he snuggle with his teddy bear or other security object. Again, when you’re comfortable, wait 15 minutes before responding to his cries and then repeat the above step.
• Dr Benjamin Spock, author of Baby and Child Care
Approach: “Cry It Out”
When: Three months
What to do: Say goodnight and don’t look back. Usually, after three nights of unchecked crying, your baby will start going to sleep by himself. Spock says that most babies will cry for up to 30 minutes on the first night, realise they’re not getting anywhere, and fall asleep. He writes: “I’m convinced that they are only crying from anger at this age…[Checking on her] only enrages her and keeps her crying much longer.”
• Dr. William Sears, author of The Baby Book and others
Approach: Sleeping with baby or other responsive tactics. He writes, “The result of [crying it out] is usually the same: A strung-out mother and an angry baby, who will eventually exhaust himself to sleep — but at what price. We wish to put the cry-it-out approach to sleep — forever.”
When: From infancy until the child is ready for his own bed
What to do: Consider sharing your bed with your baby for the first few months or more of his life. According to Sears, mother and baby sleep better and longer side-by-side, baby gets warmth, nurturing and a readily available breast if he’s breastfeeding, and babies thrive when they sleep near their parents. Plus, if the mother has returned to work, sleeping with her baby may help restore and build connections that can be frayed during the workday.
If you don’t want to sleep with your baby, you can still use Sears’ other suggestions for helping a baby learn to sleep through the night:
• Consider why your baby is waking and crying at night. Try to listen to his cries and reassure him.
• Share the comforting duties. Often a breastfeeding baby wants Mum at night, even if he no longer needs night-time feedings. But if Dad can be part of the night-time plan, the baby may learn to be comforted by him, and then to stop needing anyone when there’s no food coming!
• Offer your baby a comforting stuffed animal or blanket. Help him make sleep associations with it.
How do Hips & Lips Mums get our babies off to sleep?
I’ve learned she is a tummy sleeper so I put her to bed on her tummy and then flip her to her side or back after she’s sound asleep – usually 15 minutes.
I have put a thick winter blanket under the mattress in the cot at the head end to raise it up. This helps with any wind and makes it easier for a quick settling sleep.
At my evening feed I only give him half and then change nappy and swaddle and give him more milk but in the dark and in the nursery – then it’s a quick tuck into bed with no noise or talking.
Parent’s Centre sleeping page: http://www.parentscentre.org.nz/parenting_baby/sleeping.asp
March 2nd, 2006
