Do you dread Mondays mornings, is it a manic rush to get everyone out the house on time with children having slipped out of routine, refusing to put on coats and shoes, lost book bags and a baby clinging to your legs, that’s all before the work day has started? The switch from weekend and relaxed play with your children can turn you into an ogre at the slightest set back or refusal to co-operate with you. Family life can feel a little crazy at times and you may thrive in the office environment enjoying the peace and tranquillity of adult conversations and scheduled meetings. Relish the chance ..read more

For the love of sleep, how was last week or your child’s half term? Did you manage to have a break or was life full-on even if you went away to a beautiful place for a holiday. We imagine holidays to be wonderful, relaxing, fun, and a great time to connect with your children especially if you work long hours and don’t get to see as much of them as you would like to. As soon as you stop work for a holiday you want to switch off and catch up on sleep, the problem is the kids won’t let you. They want you to play, get up early, take them to the playground, run around in the garden or park, it’s n ..read more

Last week I noticed an array of spring flowers crocuses and daffodil’s already in bloom, it seems out of character rather like a change in your child’s behaviour. It’s only mid-February, growing up in the countryside daffodils didn’t appear in our garden until March, we had a whole corner filled with them near the willow tree. Everything is changing, children seem to be growing up faster than ever, particularly with the advent of technology but this is coupled with changes in their sleep patterns and behaviour, more often than not, in a negative way. When things go well parents love to brag a ..read more

Sleep Deprived To Dream Sleep   Are you at your wit’s end with your child’s sleep and wondering where your happy family life and fun has gone? Exhaustion can be switched from sleepless nights to elation with no waking- in as little as a week! Family life is a whole lot easier when you are a proactive parent who’s tuned in to your child’s demands and fast able to figure out what he/she wants, well 80-90% of the time! (None of us are perfect) The constant juggle of work and bringing up babies and small children invariably takes its toll on your mental health and leaves you more frustrated w ..read more

Family means everything. Family members are our ‘go to’ for safety and security especially important in the early years. Parents help nurture and develop our sense of self, they keep you going when things are tough, they help out when life gets out of hand, they cheer you up when you are down, they guide and support when needed (sometimes when not asked too!). Your children are the reason you work so hard and fill you with joy. That’s the plan, the dream you have for yourself, your reason for living. Life with babies and young children ebbs and flows and is full of ups and downs, often filled ..read more

As a parent you want you holiday to go as smoothly as possible and for yourself to have some down time and lots of fun together, but flying with children to a new time zone can really leave you and your baby sleep routines completely out of sync. Going abroad is exciting however if you have small children the journey can be a stressful event and something you worry about even before you leave so what can you do to minimize disrupted sleep patterns when you fly to a new time zone?  Here are my 10 top tips to keep you sane and your child settled when you arrive at your new destination. C ..read more

Children love to be around people and anyone who will take and interest in them and that’s where grandparents and older people can be a huge benefit to your kids. The in-laws may not be your favourite people but they can make great babysitters (if you’re lucky and they live close by), they’re teachers and often a fountain of knowledge, patiently sharing new idea’s or ways to do things. This time and knowledge is invaluable and when children don’t get to see their relatives it doesn’t teach them about the older generation. Grandparents have lots of stories to tell and if you have one who loves ..read more

Everyone looks happy in the sun and it’s exciting to watch children grow and play in the sea and sand with squeals of delight. Learning to swim is a good lesson for anyone, it starts off with you putting your toe in the water to see what it feels like and going deeper when you are ready. It may be cold, it may be warm and if there are waves will require more skill and caution, it can be more exciting or perhaps scary depending on how big they are, parenting a child with a different personality or one who seems braver, more adventurous than you can leave you feeling like a fish out of water. A ..read more

Have you ever thought you were bad with interior design, you couldn’t paint or imagine a new colour on your walls? You know exactly how you want a room to look and feel but you can’t quite achieve it on your own, despite all the interior magazines you’ve poured over for months. You feel unable to make that important decision or worse still get the same agreement from your partner. It’s Eggzhauusting!! If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. The time you spend on this indecision and looking at another option is all-consuming and wastes another hour or w/e, one that could have been spending ..read more

Post-Natal Depression-It’s Mental Health Awareness week and an important subject. I thought I’d share some symptoms of Post-Natal Depression as many people are not even aware they have it until they are out the other side or on reflection, many years later. There is still much shame and taboo around the subject, this needs addressing if we are to improve well-being and early parent/child relationships. Many of my sleep clients say their health visitor believes they have post-natal depression, it’s because they are not getting the sleep they need and their baby is waking frequently at night ..read more