One thing that’s universal in parenting, especially in the earliest days, is the need to keep an eye on your little one. Whether you’re trying to squeeze in some me-time (or a snooze yourself!) while the baby is napping or need to keep a watchful eye on an adventurous toddler trying to climb out of their crib, a baby monitor is essential for being able to look in on the kids without disturbing them.

Parent-favorite baby monitor brand, Infant Optics, has a new model that is up for the challenge of growing with your kids and your needs as a parent. The new DXR-8 PRO from Infant Optics has upgrades from the previous DXR-8 model fueled by feedback from parents.

One of the most prominent feature upgrades, and a first for baby monitors, is their new Active Noise Reduction (or ANR) technology which, when enabled, reduces background noises like fans and air conditioners so your child can be heard more clearly.

It is also a non-WiFi, closed-loop system, providing a sense of security and privacy for parents. There’s aren’t any apps to download and the system is expandable to use up to four cameras paired with the display.

The DXR-8 PRO includes a large 5-inch display (up from 3.5-inches on the previous model) with 720P HD video resolution. The unit also comes with a zoom lens included which is interchangeable with a wide-angle lens (sold separately) giving parents the ability to use a lens that best fits their viewing needs in a particular space. This can be especially useful when traveling or using in different rooms for optimal viewing when paired with the pan, tilt and zoom features of the camera.

The video monitor is available at Target, Amazon & BuyBuy Baby for $199

––Jen Watro

All photos: Courtesy of Infant Optics

 

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As a parent, the idea of getting more sleep sounds about as possible as your toddler never throwing another tantrum. Sleep is like the Holy Grail of motherhood, and while finding it won’t reward you with eternal life, it will undoubtedly give you a renewed spirit.

You might think sleep is a luxury you can’t afford, but truth be told, it’s an investment in being the best mom you can be. No wonder there’s a whole week devoted to getting more shut-eye! Yep, that’s right—we’re now in National Sleep Awareness Week, which runs from Mar. 14 through Mar. 20 this year.‍

Of course, we get it, you want to sleep, but your kids wake you up at all hours (insert reason 1,098,097 here). Or, your kids finally sleep through the night, but you can’t shut your brain off long enough to settle into a restful slumber. Well, don’t worry. In honor of National Sleep Awareness Week, here are a few tips for snagging the sleep you need to be a more mindful mom.

1. Know When to Say Goodnight
Does this sound familiar? The kids are finally asleep, and you decide now it’s the perfect time to finish up that last-minute project, wash the dishes, or simply binge-watch Netflix. The only problem is, you’re also exhausted. The next thing you know, it’s at least 11 p.m., and you’re finally crawling into bed, only to have your kids bouncing on top of you by 6 a.m. or even earlier.

Start training yourself to go to bed earlier so you can face the next day with a more refreshed outlook. It won’t be an easy habit to start, but you can do it with patience and consistency. Each evening, after the kids are in bed, allow yourself to take a few minutes to finish up a small task (accomplishing small goals is a great confidence boost), but only do something that will take you about 20 minutes or less. Then, it’s time to unwind and get ready for bed. If you usually get in bed around 11 p.m., then the first night, shoot for 10:45, the next 10:30, and so on, until you can get in bed by about 9 or 9:30.

2. Snag Some Mini-Snoozes during the Day
Yes, napping is like a dirty secret that no mom wants anyone to know about, but it’s a perfect way to recharge during the day. If your baby is sleeping, then you sleep. If your kids are at school, close your eyes for about 5-to-10 minutes a couple of times throughout the day. It might not sound like much, but you would be amazed at how much these frequent mini-naps can do for your overall sense of well-being and patience.

3. Have a Bedtime Routine (for You)
You probably have a set bedtime routine for your kids; maybe it’s getting a bath, brushing teeth, reading a book, then saying goodnight. You need a routine too. As you’re working on bumping your bedtime to an earlier time, start building your routine. Do something that helps you relax, like a cup of chamomile tea, a crossword puzzle, read a book.

Keep a journal next to your bed and take a few minutes before hitting your pillow to write down anything that’s on your mind, whether it’s things you have to do the next day or something troubling you. This gets all of these thoughts out of your brain so you can focus on sleep. Then, right before you go to bed, check out a MamaZen Mindpower Session to help you drift off to dreamland.

4. Dealing with Interruptions to Your Sleep
Of course, these tips are great for prioritizing your sleep, but children love to throw monkey wrenches into plans! So what happens when you’re finally sleeping deep, and your kids start crying or tugging on your covers at 3 a.m.? Well, it’s going to happen, so take a breath, put the kiddos back in bed (try not to put them in yours), then focus on your breathing as you fall back asleep. It also helps to keep everything as dark as possible as you put your children back to sleep, and do so as quickly and calmly as you can. Making a big deal about it will only prolong the situation.

A well-rested mom is a happier and healthier mom. For more ways to draft off to a better sleep, check out the MamaZen app and audio sessions that will help you start making sleep a priority in your life.

 

This post originally appeared on MamaZen Blog.

Jake Y. Rubin, M.A, is a Board Certified Hypnotherapist, a former university professor of psychology, and a recognized expert in hypnosis and hypnotherapy with degrees in Psychology from UCLA and the California School of Professional Psychology at Alliant International University. He is the founder of the MamaZen app.

 

National Napping Day is Mar. 9––yep, it’s a thing. In honor of the one universal truth for all parents that we will never sleep the same again, we’ve rounded up six ways we imagine life would be different if we got enough sleep. We don’t actually know, though, because we haven’t slept in seven years. Still, we can dream, right?

1. Exercise

Fantasy: After eight hours of rest, you’re ready to take on the world. Perhaps, a marathon!

runner-888016_1920
photo: skeeze via pixabay 

Reality: 5 hours of sleep and 4 cups of coffee. Let’s do this!

running-498257_1920
photo: Ryan McGuire via pixabay

2. Vacation

Fantasy: A languid afternoon floating uninterrupted in tranquil waters.

summer-842140_1920
photo: jill 111 via pixabay 

Reality: Just trying to get some zzzzs. Any zzzzs will do. Anywhere.

sleeping woman

3. Sleeping Through the Night

Fantasy: In her own bed until morning. Not kicking you!

child asleep in bed
photo: Alon Banks via flickr

Reality: Just gotta get through to morning. (Awwwww!) But also: kicking you.

baby child feet and parent mom feet
photo: niekverlaan via pixabay

4. Work

Fantasy: You are alert and productive, full of snappy ideas and witty retort. And you look amazing (i.e. your clothing doesn’t have stains and you brushed your hair). Because you are well-rested.

photo: digital marketing agency via pixabay

Reality: Just five minutes. Please.

5. Dinner

Fantasy: Nutritious, balanced meals with a beautifully set table, candles and actual place settings. Because you are full of energy!

photo: Burst by Shopify

Reality: The bright side is, at least she’s cleaning up her own spill.

photo: mintchipdesigns via pixabay

6. Housework

Fantasy: You’ll tidy up here and there, and “stay on top” of the chaos. In other words, you will have a beautiful clean house.

photo: kimlimkin via pixabay

Reality: Oh, look what happened while you were napping (by napping we mean answering work emails, vacuuming the living room and making a snack). See, that’s why you can’t nap. 

 

—Amber Guetebier

 

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Photo: pexels

All I wanted was to walk on the treadmill for maybe…20 minutes. Is that too much to ask?

I had a great plan–I would hop on the treadmill in the basement while my son (age 2 at the time) played with the plethora of toys down there. Easy peasy.

Minute 5 rolled around and the whining began.

“Car on track…ahh.” My son couldn’t get the little Matchbox car onto the track the right way.

“I’ll help you in just a few minutes,” I said hoping he would calm down on his own. “Do it myself…urrgh, it won’t go,” my son continued. I could see the tension building but I decided the push on. really needed some exercise.

Then I heard it–a loud “clunk.” My toddler had thrown the car across the room and it had hit the wall. Crying and fussing ensued. Oops, I had missed the point of no return. We were in full-on tantrum mode.

“Remain calm,” I told myself. “He’s just frustrated.”

I try to calm him but to no avail. He pushed me away. He had to get it out. I told him to take some breaths but that just made him more upset. So I just stood by him and he eventually calmed down but it took a long time.

My “20 minutes on the treadmill” had turned into a half-hour fiasco.

This is Him

I look back at this incident now and I see–this is what it means to be a toddler. He was trying so hard to assert his independence and he is very independent by nature. “I do it myself” is a constant refrain, even now at almost-4 years old.

But…

This is Him Learning

Toddlers are often testing limits, but they do it because they are learning. They are learning new skills, new ideas and how they fit in their world.

Combine a strive for independence and limited self-regulation, you have a recipe for potential high-stress situations. As parents, it’s tough to keep a calm attitude.

Well, a recent piece of research should give you a little hope.

Researchers at the Oregon Social Learning Center recently published an article showing that parents who can keep their “cool” when their youngsters test their patience have a better chance of their kids not having behavior problems in the future.

The primary finding showed that children whose parents who have a tendency to over-react and/or are quick to get angry with them, are more likely to have more tantrums and negative behavior at age 2. Is important to note that most children increase in their tantrum-type behavior during this toddler period, but this study clearly showed that children whose parents over-reacted increased in this negative behavior more than average.

Being the Model I Want Him to See

The good news for parents is that if you can maintain your “cool” while still setting firm boundaries, you are helping your child learn emotion regulation by your example. When a child misbehaves it is tempting to react out of emotion and not think about the consequences. It is a struggle to keep your emotions contained, but if you can keep your composure and discipline the child with less intense negative emotion, the child will slowly learn how to regulate their own emotions as well. So take heart parents, we can survive those toddler years without losing our sanity.

Diffuse the Situation

Knowing my toddler was not intentionally trying to derail my workout was the first step in keeping a calm mindset. Most of the time, these little ones are not trying to “push your buttons” or make you upset on purpose.

Knowledge is power: if you understand what is typical for toddler behavior, it makes it easier to take it in stride (at least most of the time). If we know that they act irrationally and have little self-control, that helps us remain in control.

The “golden rule” still applies to grownups: it may sound simplistic but the old rule of “treat others how you would like to be treated” still applies to toddler-parent interactions (at least to some degree). We are modeling behavior for our kids with every action. If I yell at my toddler (which we all do from time to time), then we are modeling anger. However, if the other 90% of the time, we model compassion, patience, and self-regulation, they will eventually learn this.

Ultimately, we are teaching our kids how to treat us. It takes years modeling, growth, and maturity, but they will get the hang of it eventually.

In the meantime, hang on for a wild ride, and maybe get that walk on the treadmill while he’s napping.

Amy is a scholar turned stay-at-home mom of two young boys. When she's not stepping on Legos, she writes at The Thoughtful Parent. With this blog she brings child development research into the lives of parents in the trenches of child-rearing.

SpongeBob fans rejoice! The beloved Nick character is making his way to the big screen in an all-new theatrical release—and the trailer is here!

The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge On the Run, which is written and directed by Tim Hill, features a new CGI look for the fan fave and his friends.

So what can you expect from the big screen narrative? Reportedly, the film focuses on the story of Gary the snail’s kidnapping (or rather, snail-napping) and SpongeBob and Patrick’s quest to find him.

Along with a cast that includes the voices of Awkwafina, Tom Kenny, Rodger Bumpass, Bill Fagerbakke, Carolyn Lawrence, Douglas Lawrence and Reggie Watts, Keanu Reeves makes a cameo as a tumbleweed.

Even though you can watch the trailer right now, The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge On the Run won’t make its theatrical debut until May 22, 2020.

—Erica Loop

Featured photo: Paramount Pictures International via YouTube

 

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Photo: istock

 

With summer quickly approaching (though to be honest, here in Arizona, we’ve been sweating for weeks already) many parents are worried about weekend travel, late sunsets, and frequent BBQs totally derailing the wonderful sleep routine they’ve spent all winter working on. This fear is completely well-founded—sleep during the summer is hard. Between the travel, the excitement of not being in school, increased outside play, and late bedtimes, it’s easy to for schedules and routines to fall by the wayside (be that intentionally or unintentionally).

But even though it’s summer, babies and young children still need to be sleeping well. If you’re committed to maintaining some healthy sleep habits this summer (while also living your best life), it’s totally possible. With some strategic planning and firm boundaries, here’s how you can keep sleep on track this summer. 

Make the Bedrooms Cool and Dark

Since the production of melatonin—our sleepy hormone—is impacted by light, having a super dark bedroom will make it easier for your child to fall asleep (and stay asleep) even with the extra hours of sunlight. It should be as dark during the day for naps as it is at night. You may have to get a little creative here. If you don’t already have blackout curtains, I recommend adding them to your Amazon cart STAT. But sometimes, even that isn’t enough. I’ve worked with families who have used tinfoil to block the window, tacks, and tape to bolster the sides, and towels to keep light, from under the door, out.

It is also important to make sure that your child’s bedroom is cool. In the hot summer months, it doesn’t take much for the room to warm up during the day. The optimal temperature for sleep is between 68°-72°F. If you cannot keep it that cool in the house, consider using a fan, light-weight pajamas, and fewer blankets (where appropriate).

Maintain a Good Bedtime Routine

Just because it’s summer, doesn’t mean you can’t continue your bedtime routine as normal. Sure, you may have a late night here and there and your little one will fall asleep in the car on the way home, but when possible, giving your child the predictability of a routine to fall back on will greatly help sleep stay on track. Bonus: It will also help ease the transition when school starts up again in the fall!

Schedule Downtime

One of the biggest mistakes parents make during the summer is over-scheduling themselves and their children. While it is definitely important to be outside, enjoying the sunshine and plethora of summer activities, it is also important to prioritize rest. Babies and young children can become overstimulated very easily so it’s important to honor naps and quiet time. If your child is still napping, having at least 30 minutes of downtime before trying for a nap or going down for bed can drastically help your child fall asleep. Giving your child’s body the chance to slow down is important. If you told me right after I walked out of the gym that I was supposed to lay down and fall asleep right away, I’d struggle too! And even if your child is no longer napping, quiet time is still helpful. Plan for at least 30-60 minutes during the day where everyone can take some time to recharge their batteries. This may not happen every day, but if you can make it a habit 80% of the time, you’ll all be better for it.

Stay Consistent When Traveling

It’s easy to bend to limitations and pressures around sleep during summertime travels. Maybe you’re sharing a room with your kiddos in a hotel or you’re staying with family members who are light sleepers. If you begin to relax your boundaries and let your little one into bed with you or begin feeding them all night long to keep them from crying out, you can see how easily a slip can turn into a slide. Older toddlers may test your boundaries around this: Are the rules at Grandma’s house the same as the rules at home? Maintain structure and hold firm to your priorities as much as possible and sleep should stay on track when you’re back home.

Honor Sleep

While summertime often means more travel, more activities, and a busier time in general, you can still make sleep a priority. Each child is different in how they react to changes in their schedule and how well they will sleep on the go. Especially if your child is a bit more sensitive, giving them the best environment to sleep in as often as possible can make a world of difference in keeping sleep on track. If your child is on multiple naps, prioritize having the first one at home if you can. It will make for a more pleasant child as you go about your fun summer activities!

While it is true that the best-laid plans often go awry, that doesn’t mean that you cannot strive for keeping sleep on track this summer. Be honest with yourself about what your priorities are and do not be afraid to voice them to friends and family. Enjoy the sunshine, travel, and quality time, but enjoy that sleep too!

This post originally appeared on Oh Baby Consulting.

Jamie is a Certified Pediatric Sleep Consultant and offers personalized sleep solutions to exhausted families nationwide. With a background in child development and infant mental health, she keeps up to date on the latest evolutions in the field which allows her to blend technical knowledge with empathy and compassion to tailor her support.

It’s always refreshing when a celeb who seemingly has it all together gets candid about the challenges of motherhood. New mom Gabrielle Union recently opened up to Parents Magazine for a cover story and we can all relate.

Union and husband Dwyane Wade welcomed their baby girl, Kaavia, via surrogate in November after years of struggling with infertility. The couple has already been very open about their struggle to become parents—and now that they’ve finally welcomed their daughter, Union isn’t holding back on the challenges of parenthood either.

“I suck at swaddling,” she admitted to Parents. “I don’t know whether to use glass or plastic bottles. I never knew there were so many types of nipples. And installing a car seat is like taking the SATs! I don’t have all the answers, which feels terrifying.”

Finding time for herself hasn’t been easy either, as all new moms can relate. “Kaavia went through a phase of not napping,” she said. “I was like, ‘When do I shower or pee or live?’ So I had to get a little comfortable with her crying, which I had not been. And then I took the quickest shower of all time!”

Of course, in the end all of the hardship from the IVF treatments to the sleepless nights and missed showers is worth it. Union is happy to share her family’s journey with others. “Kaavia really is the personification of hope for a lot of people like us, who maybe didn’t have a lot to be hopeful about,” she said. “She represents that maybe there is a light at the end. And when you take people on the low points of your journey, it’s cool to let them be part of the joy.”

—Shahrzad Warkentin

Featured photo: Gabrielle Union via Instagram

 

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The One Goal I Set That Changed My Entire Life

Photo: Pixabay

My name is Natasha Nurse and the goal that changed my life was choosing to be happy. This seems like an obvious goal that everyone should have, but sadly, it is not the case. So many people are unhappy in the United States (especially in New York).

It was December 2015, and I was told I was losing my job. When this happens to most people, the first thing they want to do is panic. For me, I saw an opportunity to live my life in a whole new way. I decided to live by the following six principles:

  1. Commit to my life motto: meet someone new and learn something new every day

  2. Be happy every single day

  3. Be daring and fearless, no matter what

  4. Accept there is no such thing as failure — only teachable lessons

  5. Live without regret (life is too short to live with regrets)

  6. Accept there is no such thing as no — only maybe not now or maybe with someone else

These principles helped keep me sane, focused and happy as I began my journey as an entrepreneur. This was the journey that not only gave me immense joy, but has led to opportunities in modeling, media, podcasting, radio broadcasting and journalism that I couldn’t have even imagined for myself.

The goal of being happy turned out to be the most important goal that I could have ever set for myself. Now, since living this way, I couldn’t imagine living any other way.

Now that you know my one goal that changed my life, I think it is important to focus on the practical steps I took to apply and stay committed to this goal. Here are my seven steps to success.

1. Get clear on your intention.

My one goal was happiness, because I was a person who focused on accomplishing many things in my life (starting at a very young age) but no one told me that I needed to make sure I was happy. Happiness was like an afterthought or completely irrelevant. I was groomed to be productive and accomplished. However, I soon realized accomplishments without a sense of happiness or joy was completely pointless, so I needed to make a change. I knew that if I shifted how I defined what success meant, then my entire life would change.

2. Create an action plan.

Goals are great. But if there isn’t an action plan in place, how likely are you to achieve that goal? Zero to None. For me to be happy, I needed to be very clear on identifying what made me happy. Luckily, I am fairly low maintenance, so the things on my happiness list include:

  • Reading everyday

  • Napping (when I really need it)

  • Dancing

  • Singing

  • Shopping (mostly on Vudu or Amazon)

  • Prioritizing my needs

  • Being creative (i.e. drawing, coloring, sketching, painting)

  • Creating and developing ideas with the hubby

  • Relaxing with the pets

  • Watching movies and television shows (no matter how many times I have watched them)

  • Working on my business (i.e. coaching, consulting, speaking at events, creating online content, etc.)

What was my action plan for happiness? It was simple. If I do at least one activity on this happiness list a day, then I was successful for the day. If I accomplish more than one activity, then I am a super star.

3. Eliminate distractors or deterrence.

Eliminating naysayers, haters and toxic people was a huge step for me to take to succeed. Why? Those individuals are drowning in their own misery so much, they can’t help but attempt to bring you down as well. For me, cutting these people out of my life was the only way  to have the freedom of time and mental capacity to focus on me, my business, and what I want to accomplish in this world. If you are determined to accomplish your goal, you will find yourself in the same boat (hint: this will be hard at first, but you will thank yourself repeatedly).

4. Hold yourself accountable.

When achieving a new goal, do you think it is important to have benchmarks along the way? Well, it is. In order to achieve a goal, you have to have tasks and steps along the way. You should attach deadlines to these to ensure your goal gets accomplished. As an overachiever, my goal is really a lifetime goal, so I needed to create a plan that required me to be accountable each day (aka Happiness Checklist). If you are working towards accomplishing a goal, how will you hold yourself accountable?

5. Be kind to yourself.

We can be our number one advocate or our very worst enemy. When we stumble or sometimes fall flat on our faces, it might seem natural to get down on ourselves. But I am here to tell you to stop it! This is neither helpful nor necessary for accomplishing your goal. Sometimes you are not going to hit the ball out of the park. Sometimes you will strike out. That is not only okay, it is a good thing. Stumbling or “failures” are a teachable moment where you can learn. Life is all about learning more about yourself and the world you live in.

If there are days where I don’t get to check something off my happiness list, I don’t tell myself that I failed. Instead, I accept that I didn’t take care of myself for the day. I identify what stood in the way of prioritizing my happiness, then make an action plan so that the next day I am back on target. Most of all, I am kind and understanding to myself. That is the only way to make sure I can start the next day with the best mindset and attitude possible.

6. Acknowledge every victory.

No victory is too small or too large to celebrate. By celebrating every victory, you are giving yourself motivation and confidence to keep pushing towards your goal. You can’t expect anyone to do this for you. Your goal will never be as important to anyone else as it is to you. So, smile and appreciate every victory along the way.

7. Document the process.

If you document your process (the good, the bad, and everything in between), then the following will happen:

  • You will have a record of the journey to look back and reflect on

  • You will see just how much blood, sweat, and tears went into achieving your goal

  • You will inspire others to pursue their dreams and to share their journey as well

  • You will publicly hold yourself accountable for what you are looking to achieve

It might not be easy to document the journey. When you achieve your goal however, you will be happy you took the time to document how you made your dream a reality!

—Natasha Nurse, for Fairygodboss
This post originally appeared on Fairygodboss.
Fairygodboss Georgene Huang & Romy Newman, Founders
Tinybeans Voices Contributor

As the largest career community for women, Fairygodboss provides millions of women with career connections, community advice and the hard-to-find intel about how companies treat women.

Add another celeb to the list of soon-to-be mommies, because actress Danielle Fishel is pregnant. You may still think of Fishel as Cory Matthews’ girlfriend Topanga from Boy Meets World. But now the actress who played Topanga is all grown up, married and is about to become a mama for the first time!

The star recently announced her baby news in a super sweet Instagram post:

In her IG announcement, Fishel posted a pic of three pairs of shoes on IG: one for daddy, one for mommy and one teeny tiny pair of sneakers for baby. Along with the aww-dorable photo, Fishel added the caption, “I’m eating for two. I’m napping with wild abandon. Baby shoes. Baby clothes. (I’m shopping). I’m nesting. I’m reading books. I’m madly in love with my husband. I cry at commercials. I’m a walking cliché. I’ve got baby apps. I’m confident. I feel inadequate. I’m showing one day and the next I’m not. I’m nervous. I’m excited. He’s due in July. We can’t wait.”

Fishel is expecting her first child, a boy, with husband Jensen Karp, an executive producer in Hollywood. The pair tied the knot in early November 2018.

Fishel isn’t the only one who is super-excited about her pregnancy. Karp shared their happy baby news in his own ‘Gram, writing “GUYS. We’re having a baby boy. Couldn’t be more excited to raise a sweet little dumpling with @daniellefishel.”

Congrats to the Boy Meets World star—and we know the world can’t wait to meet your boy!

—Erica Loop

Featured Photo: Danielle Fishel via Instagram 

 

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