[Loki]

Could you switch tea and bath around? Tea first, then bath? The relaxing effect of the bath probably wears off with the excitement of dinner etc.

[Shinrei]

My wife believes that a hot bath right after eating could make her nauseous.

And my daughter is just like my wife, baths wake her up, rather than make her sleepy. I'm the opposite, I want to sleep after my bath.

[Vengeance]

 Shinrei, on 16 November 2012 - 04:23 AM, said:

 Vengeance, on 12 November 2012 - 06:31 PM, said:

 Shinrei, on 11 November 2012 - 04:19 PM, said:

Routine: 5:30 bath. 6:00 food. Playtime. Read her books at about 8:00, sing her some songs and then off to bed, where it can take anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour to get her to settle down. So bedtime tends to be around 9:00. After that, between 12:00am and 1:00am she takes a bottle, and that seems to keep her 'fed' until breakfast. We haven't been able to eliminate that bottle - she's gonna wake up if she doesn't get it (she drinks it while half-asleep).

Sorry for the long post.

edited to add: she only uses the pacifier when she sleeps. When she's awake, she doesn't use it at all.

I suggest that you speed up her night time and get her in bed a lot earlier. We do bath then bottle and book and bed. E's bedtime routine is quite swift once he is out of the bath. Out of the bath to bed is probably 15 minutes now. When he was 10 months it was probably 20. You might want to try to slowly get rid of the binky. Take it away for one of the naps. Then away for both of the naps. Then away for bed time. That should cut down on that fussing. It will probably take a week to get rid of.

Around 5 or 6pm does she lay down on the floor and put her head in her hands. That is an indication that they are tired. If you miss the first signs then they will get a second wind and it will be a while before you can get them down.

Bath isnt until six because i get home about 530. She gets bath before her dinner, so between the tub and being fed she is then ready to play, not sleep.

Bath before dinner????

What about all of the food that ends up in the hair? When my kid eats he constantly reaches up and grabs his hair with his hands and then shoves the food in his mouth.


You need a hard and fast schedule and then don't deviate from it. If the bath then dinner thing works do it. If you want her to sleep in her own bed and not wake you guys up all night then she is going to have to cry a bit to get there. One of my old coworkers would have there kids sleep with them. They ended up having 3 girls. The youngest would sleep with the mother in one bedroom while the older two (3 and 1) would sleep with the father in another bedroom.

Also don't give her a hot bath. Give her a luck warm bath.

E usually trys to run around his room and then yells and screams when we put on his clothes and start to read his night time books. We give him kisses and his teddy put him in his crib and turn out the light. Walk away. See ya in the morning kido. He wakes up at 3am. Tough shit we aren't going in. He goes back to sleep a half hour later. Then fully wakes up at 6:30 - 7am.

[Shinrei]

 Vengeance, on 16 November 2012 - 01:48 PM, said:

Also don't give her a hot bath. Give her a luck warm bath.

E usually trys to run around his room and then yells and screams when we put on his clothes and start to read his night time books. We give him kisses and his teddy put him in his crib and turn out the light. Walk away. See ya in the morning kido. He wakes up at 3am. Tough shit we aren't going in. He goes back to sleep a half hour later. Then fully wakes up at 6:30 - 7am.

Heh, this is Japan. She gets into the same bath that everyone else uses, Japanese family style. 41degrees celcius to be exact - she loves it. Just like the co-sleeping, it's just how it's done here. My wife is on board with getting her into her own bed ASAP, but I would be speaking sacrilige to suggest a different bath....

[cerveza_fiesta]

So far Isabelle loathes bathtime. I've tried lukewarm-to-cold, lukewarm-to-hot and just plain lukewarm. Temp has nothing to do with it apparently - it's just not a fun experience.

but she's too little to like or dislike anything that doesn't involve eating or sleeping right now. I expect things will change, because if my recollection of childhood is anywhere near correct, bathtime is FUCKING AWESOME.

[McLovin]

When she can sit up unassisted and play with toys, bathtime will rock.

[Mrs Savagely Wishy Washy]

There's an article in The Times Magazine today about Dr Harvey Karp and his way of educating toddlers. I immediately thought of this thread- anybody heard of him and any opinions on his methods?

Here's the link to his website:
http://www.happiestb.../about-dr-karp/


and here's an excerpt of his best-selling book: Happiest Toddler on the Block:
http://abcnews.go.co...=1#.UKeSC-OTvko


Needless to say I love his ideas and I can tell you talking like this comes quite naturally to me.

Edit: .... it also works a treat on me....

This post has been edited by Miss Savage: 17 November 2012 - 01:42 PM

[McLovin]

We read Karp's books and even watched a video. It works, but don't expect your toddler to magically transform into a tantrum-free angel. That doesn't happen - it just helps with the coping when the inevitable tantrums hit.

[Gust Hubb]

Kind of like the randomness of everything else in our lives, our kid gets a bath every 1-2 (3,4,5,6?) weeks.

And right now, he is sitting next to me eating peanut butter slathered whole grain bread and a banana.

Does anyone else think there kid is a fruit bat? Ours just loves fruit (yesterday figured out how to open an orange on his own and there is the epic childhood story of him when he was around 11 months reaching out of his car seat, selecting a banana, and eating it without anyone knowing on the way home from a shopping trip).

[Shinrei]

Lol, that's awesome. My daughter is the same - can't get enough fruit (although she doesn't like Kiwi, too tart I think). Bananas in yogurt are like heaven on earth for her.

Bath is everyday here, and she's loved them since the beginning.

Miss Savage, will read and comment.

[Acorn]

We have one book by Dr Karp "The Happiest Baby on the Block" and the girlfriend says she agrees with almost everything in the book (only disagrees with his promoting swaddling, which is linked to SIDS and is no longer recommended by any pediatrics foundation, as swaddling prevents the "startling reflex" in babies. Which is their reflex to keep them out of any sleep that is too deep, which can lead to SIDS... note I said CAN, not "ALWAYS LEADS TO")

However, even though this is not truly an opinion and is now proven science, I realize that it is also not a certainty, and will not be the case in all families that use swaddling.

As a side note, so far Ace only really likes apples and watered down orange juice, but as he's barely 7 months old and still only has his bottom 2 teeth, we haven't explored too many fruits yet,

Since his mother is a Vegetarian, and I love fruit, it's hopefully inevitable for him to love all times of fruit too!

I love to see kids munching on fruit, but also veggies... Carrots and such are so nice to see in a tiny little kid's hand! haha

I have a cousin who is grossly overweight, as is her husband and they have this tiny little beautiful girl... The picture perfect little girl, blue eyes, bright blonde hair, pink outfits and such... She sneaks all the carrots and broccoli she can when I've been around her - it's awesome to see that they aren't giving her bad habits that they possess!


Note, I'm not a health nut, in fact, Candy and sweets are one of my main food groups. And I drink more Diet Coke than anybody still alive should... But when it comes to babies and kids, I want better for them than I manage... Can't help it... So if I offend anybody with my information or stated opinion, I apologize for that... But I fear for the children of my country (USA) and hope that by stating facts or numbers or whatever information I have, that I might spark some ideas or change in the people I meet who may not realize some things... My studying focuses mostly on babies and pregnant women, but extends to younger children as well... So I am passionate. As is obvious!

[cerveza_fiesta]

I kind of use a hybrid swaddle. The daughter won't keep her hands in anyway, so I do a square-blanket-stle swaddle below the armpits. It keeps her warm without needing to bake the room in electric heat (canadian winter). It also reduces risks of loose blanket suffocation because the swaddle is big enough to go around her a couple times.

Plus her hands are still out and go "startle reflex" all the time while she's sleeping.

And she looks like a little caterpillar, which is very cute.

[cerveza_fiesta]

Man, this baby is weird.

While sleeping it constantly grunts, does leg-lifts, farts and half cries....then goes back to dead sleep, in about 5 minute cycles. I don't know how much longer I'm going to be able to do this "sleep in the same room as the baby" thing.

And the poopsplosion has become such a regular occurrence now that it isn't even news. Funny and shocking the first couple of times, but now it is par for the course. Baby-wipe bath each time and little Isabelle is right as rain!

And just to horrify everyone thoroughly........scooping. feces. out. of. a. baby. girl's. cookie.

not something I could have dreamed I would have to endure when I signed onto this "let's make a baby" deal 10 months ago. Not that it bothers me overmuch, I just get shocked with this whole parenting thing on daily basis. The first massive baby puke all over my leg was a bit of a holy shit moment too.

And don't worry that I'm getting complacent all ye seasoned veterans. I'm sure this won't be the worst or anywhere near the last of the "unique experiences" that go hand in hand with dadness.

[cerveza_fiesta]

Yeah, the "wipe toward the back" has been drilled into my head by every nurse in the hospital and basically every woman I've talked to since day one.

But it doesn't matter. Something about the construction of diapers (regardless of brand) seems to blast every possible ounce of poo toward the front or directly out the leg holes. Very rarely do I get any in the *back* of the diaper where it *should* be going....and if I do it's only because the front is already full.

Such is life.

I just wish bathtime wasn't such a hellish experience for everyone involved (including baby). It's nice to know she's been cleaned up properly to prevent infections and all that, but god damn does she ever hate getting wet.

[Shinrei]

That's really interesting that she hates baths. A lot of babies love them and feel comforted being warm and wet (perhaps a back-to-womb experience). My daughter loved them from the start.

Advice - once baby is mobile, baby proofing the place is more than just hiding small/sharp/dangerous objects out of reach. Now that she's trying to stand up, she uses just about anything to push herself up on, so previously considered "safe" things are now dangerous. For example, she'll try to use a plastic trash bin to hoist herself up, and of course that ends with a fall (that would shatter my hip)and a 5 minute cry for because she bonked her head (for the 3rd time that morning).

[Gust Hubb]

Our kid hated baths as well. Both my wife and I were very surprised. He has lately been more amenable to getting baths, but water over the head is a no-no. I think it is just a phase.

[Traveller]

My girl gets bath a 6, then drink and book, then bed at 7. If she's tired she gets a shorter, earlier bath, and sometimes she has a nice long bath, but she is always told it is bedtime soon, and when to expect it, which helps.

We used to find if she didn't go up when we said, and let her play a bit, she would wake right up and be impossible to settle. So now she gets told 5 more mins, then up she goes, same every night.

[Shinrei]

Maybe people think 9pm is a late bedtime for a 10 month old, but the few times she's gone to sleep earlier,she's up at 5am and wide awake.

[HiddenOne]

Any of you guys have a recommendation for an electronic learning toy like Mobigo or LeapPad? I want to get my little girl one for a present but have no clue which is superior. All the online info is typical, so I want some real evaluations

[McLovin]

My kids got LeapPads which are great. We limit their time with it to 20 min a day, a couple days a week.