SLEEP FAIRY AND PARENT RESCUE

IS THREE THE MAGIC NUMBER TO GET YOUR BABY TO SLEEP THROUGH THE NIGHT?

 

 

First time parenting is a challenge and the pressure can really get to you. As you have a second, and third, life can become even trickier with more little people to please.

 

Oxfordshire based Dee Booth, known locally as The Sleep Fairy, is a parent and sleep expert with a track record of settling babies and young children, often in just 3 nights. Her success is based on getting them into a manageable routine, and teaching parents to allow their children to learn to sleep alone.  She uses her 15 years experience as a mother, nanny and parent coach to look at the problems and struggles parents are having with sleep and behaviour and how best to resolve it.

 

Dee said: “The most important thing to consider with babies and sleep is that every child is different and will sleep through the night, peacefully, when they have been allowed to develop the skills to settle themselves throughout the night.

 

A one-size-fits-all approach not only doesn’t work, but also overwhelms new parents, and often creates an unnecessary feeling of failure. This is impacted by an overload of parenting and sleep books and websites that aren’t written just for ‘your child’, whereas my one-to-one advice is all about your family, and if you follow my advice, it works.

 

I visit each family in the comfort of their own home, and observe the household, and their current routines and discuss the methods being used. I then work alongside them to find a solution that is right for them. Improvements happen fast and remain in place long after my assistance is over. Sometimes just having an outside perspective and making a few small tweaks is all that is needed”.

 

Dee’s top 5 sleep tips for parents who have tried everything else and still can’t get their baby to settle and sleep, are:

 

  1. Establish a good feeding routine during the day – allow a minimum of four hours between feeds / meals
  2. Ensure you set-up a consistent, calm, relaxed bath and bedtime routine for your baby and use this every night
  3. Ensure both parents, and other carers, use the same confident, consistent, firm behaviour not only at bedtimes but also during the day

I do believe that with many sleep issues, simply following my advice means a new routine and pattern of behaviour will be in place after 3 nights”.

 

Sarah from Surrey:

“Sleep Fairy, and Guardian Angel, she saved my life and my sanity! I was at my wits end when I sought help. My 10 month old wouldn’t sleep at night or during the day, but with the Sleep Fairy’s support, guidance and understanding, Ava is now the perfect sleeper. Thank you Sleep Fairy from all of us!!”

 

Natalie from Buckinghamshire:

“My second son was difficult to get into a routine and Dee was a TOTAL lifesaver. I didn’t think her 3 night rule would work, but it did! He is now sleeping from 7pm to 7am or later with a 2 hour nap after lunch. The best call I ever made was to Dee!”

 

Dee also offers phone sessions across the UK and guidance with:

  • Feeding issues
  • Tantrums
  • Toilet training
  • “the terrible twos”
  • Colic
  • Early rising

 

For more information go to www.sleepfairyparentrescue.co.uk or call 07977 462252 for an informal chat.

Nanny Interview Tips: What to Ask

When you interview for a nanny job, it’s not just you going under scrutiny.  The interview is an opportunity for both nanny and employer to figure out if they are a good fit for one another.

 

During your interview, there will be a time that your prospective employer asks you if you have any questions for them.  So what kind of questions should you be asking?

 

Parenting Style

It is very important that you and your employer are in agreement with how the children should be raised.  You need to feel comfortable employing the same or similar discipline methods as the parents would use.  It would not be fair for your employer to expect you to use, for example, time-outs, if that is not something you are comfortable with – instead, they should find a nanny whose childcare philosophy meshes with their own.  Similarly, the parents need to know that their own efforts to discipline their children are not going to be undermined when they are in the care of their nanny.  Be sure that you are both on the same page.  It is worth bringing a written list of specific questions relating to common situations – for example, what would the parents do if an older sibling hit a younger one, or if a sibling is repeatedly snatching from another.

 

Holidays

By law, nannies are entitled to 5.6 weeks of holiday per year, which includes 4 working weeks of standard leave and 8 bank holidays as paid days off.  Some nannies will be offered more holiday than this, but this is the statutory amount that, by law, you are entitled to.  When interviewing for a new nanny job, it is worth discussing how the timings of your holidays will be arranged. Unlike most other jobs, it generally isn’t possible to take time off whenever you feel like you need a break, because the parents will need to find additional childcare for that time which can be difficult to do.  What many nannies agree with their employers is that they will choose when to take two of their weeks, and the employers will choose the other two weeks – they may choose the time to coincide with when they will be taking a family holiday, or when the parents themselves have time off work.  Finding out where each of you stand when it comes to holiday now will save having to deal with aggravation later down the line.

 

Other Duties

It is essential to find out at an early stage if you will be required to complete any other duties on top of your childcare duties.  Housekeeping arrangements can be somewhat of a bugbear if not dealt with early on. Obviously, you will need to do a basic amount of housekeeping in order to keep the home running smoothly whilst you are in charge, but it is worth finding out if your employer expects you to do anything on top of the required amount of laundry, cooking and picking up after yourself and the children.  Nannies are generally not housekeepers too, but some will happily take on extra housekeeping duties – find out what your employer expects.

How to Choose a Childminder

Choosing a childminder for your children can be a difficult task.  Finding a childminder who you and your child click with, and who can provide childcare at the times you need it, isn’t always easy.

 

It can also be difficult to know which questions to ask when meeting a prospective childminder.  Following is a list of tips that you may find useful.

 

The First Visit

When you visit, take your child.  Allow the childminder to interact with your child and observe how your child reacts to them.  It may take your child a while to warm up to them, but the childminder should be open, friendly and non-pressuring.  Talk to the childminder before the meeting to arrange a time when you will be able to stay for a decent amount of time – 1 to 2 hours – as this will give your child a chance to get acquainted and for you to get a better idea of whether they will be a good fit for each other.

 

What to Ask

Don’t be afraid to ask as many questions as you wish – a good childminder will be happy to answer any you may have and to help you feel at ease when making your choice.  You may wish to ask questions such as –

  • Will they provide food for your child, and if so, what kind? Do they provide cooked meals, or simple snacks and sandwiches?
  • What kind of discipline methods do they use, and how they would deal with certain behaviours (such as snatching, hitting and other normal behaviours for young children)?
  • How much time do they generally spend out and about with the children? Do they visit the park/play in the garden/go on outings to local places of interest?
  • Do they drive?
  • How many children will they generally have in their care when they will have your child?

 

You will also wish to enquire about costs.  Childminders generally charge around £3-£4 an hour.  Some will make additional charges for food and drink, whereas others will include a certain number of meals and snacks in their costs.  The childminder will have a sheet or two that you will be able to take home which will have detailed information about costs, notice periods, what will happen in the event of sickness and what you will be expected to provide (spare clothing, sunblock, etc).

 

And, of course, you will need to find out whether or not your chosen childminder will be able to look after your children at the times you need.  Good childminders are often well-booked, and have waiting lists, so it is important that you start to seek a childminder with plenty of time to spare if you are returning to work, for example, after maternity leave.

 

Avoiding Problems

As with any professional relationship, being upfront and honest from the beginning is the best way to avoid problems later down the line.  If you have any doubts about a childminder, don’t feel pressure to hire her because you gave her the impression you would when you met.  A good childminder will fully understand the importance of your decision and will certainly have no hard feelings if you choose to go with somebody else – after all, your child’s well-being is the most important thing.

Childminding: Rainy Day Ideas

Childminding can bring some challenging times, especially on those days when evacuating to the garden or local park is not an option.  Childminders will often be responsible for children of different age groups, so it is vital to have some ideas up your sleeve to help keep them occupied (and to avoid going stir crazy!).

On that note, here are a few suggestions of activities do engage the children in whilst childminding that can be easily adapted to different age groups.

 

Play Dough

Home made play dough is quick and easy to make, completely non-toxic and a joy to play with.  I challenge you to think of one child (or indeed, an adult) you’ve met who doesn’t enjoy a good dough squishing session!

 

There are many different recipes you can use to make play dough for use while childminding, with varying levels of success.  The following recipe is pretty reliable and makes a large amount of dough. You could even split the mixture and make two different colours!

 

You will need:

  • 3 cups water
  • 3 cups flour
  • 1.5 cups salt
  • 6 teaspoons cream of tartar
  • 3 tablespoons oil (any cooking oil will do)
  • Food colouring (you’ll need more than you think to get a vivid shade)

 

Simply combine the dry ingredients (sieving the flour first), before adding plenty of food colouring to the water & oil mixture.  Add the liquid mixture to the dry ingredients gradually, stirring throughout.  Transfer the mixture to a saucepan and stir over a low heat until the mixture leaves the sides of the pan and takes on a nice doughy texture.

 

This play dough will keep for a long time if stored in an airtight tub in the fridge. Try adding rice or lentils for an interesting texture for little ones, or even throw in some glitter!  Older children will enjoy making the dough with you, or you can easily make it the night before for ease’s sake.

 

Finger Painting

Everybody loves finger painting.  Very young ones adore the feel of the paint on their hands, and older ones can get creative and make beautiful pictures to take home with them. Finger painting is messy, though, so it may be a good idea for childminders to pre-warn parents that they plan to do it, so they can provide old clothes for the children to change into for the activity.  Putting newspaper down is a very good idea, too.  Messy play can be a bit of a challenge for the adult in charge, but it’s well worth it for the learning experience that the children will get.

 

Indoor Picnic

You’d be hard pushed to find a child who doesn’t love picnicking.  Picnics in the garden are lovely, but if the weather isn’t accommodating, bring the picnic inside!  Make a finger-food lunch together with the older children – sandwiches, breadsticks, houmous with vegetable dippers, crisps, cut up apples and cupcakes are all good choices – and take the plates of food to a blanket on the floor.  The children will love helping themselves to their lunch, and the novelty of eating on the ground can be enough to convince even the fussiest of eaters to dig in.  For extra fun, make a canopy with a sheet laid over the back of some chairs.