I thought I was done with the whole “where does your baby sleep” debate.  I purchased a crib for my oldest, which I believe made a nice decoration for the nursery, although it was never used.  From day one, she slept in bed with us.  With my other two children, we never even bothered to get it out.  And then, just six months ago, we decided that our family was as large as it was going to get and so we donated or sold every single piece of baby equipment and clothing that we had. 

Big Mistake!

Now, here I am four months pregnant with our fourth child, and I’m starting to get “those looks” again when people make offers of cribs or tell us where they saw a good one that we should buy.  I politely say “well, thank you, but we’ve never used a crib and we don’t plan to with this baby either.”

My pediatrition at the time preferred the crib method, but was supportive of my decision to co-sleep.  She truly believed that, in general,  moms know what is best for their kids and was willing to let me co-sleep without a single lecture or “helpful suggestion.”

So recently, when I was looing in to the debate once again, I was pleased to read Dr. Sears’ research and information in this area:

“If the incidence of SIDS is dramatically higher in crib versus a parent’s bed, and because the cases of accidental smothering and entrapment are only 1.5% of the total SIDS cases, then sleeping with a baby in your bed would be far safer than putting baby in a crib.

The answer is not to tell parents they shouldn’t sleep with their baby, but rather to educate them on how to sleep with their infants safely.” (From AskDrSears.Com)

And I couldn’t agree more.  Where I put mychild to sleep, whether in a crib or in my bed shouldn’t matter to anyone else as long as I take the appropriate precautions to protect my child. 

Protecting Your Baby If You Co-Sleep

This time around, since we have 3 potential “middle of the night” visitors from the baby’s siblings, we are going to invest in one of those baby co-sleepers  just to help define the baby’s space and keep stray blankets and pillows away.  But I’m glad that there is finally some scientific research and  support for my position – the last thing I need with four young children is controversy about how we sleep.  I’m just lucky if I can get in any sleep at all!

So did you co-sleep with your baby?  What steps did you take to ensure your baby’s safety?

Since winter will be at least three months long, longer in some locations of the country, you may want to plan at least two winter movie nights per month.  Perhaps you can let the children choose one night, Mom choose the movies another, and then Dad choose some for another night.  Whether you allow each child to make all of the movie choices is up to you.  It may help keep bickering over which movie to get down to a minimum.

Movie night can become a monthly tradition.  Either order pizza to be delivered or find something easy to fix for dinner.  Plan on having a warm drink such as hot chocolate, cider, or tea to drink to warm you up.  Have blankets at the ready to snuggle under.

Does your family love popcorn, like most movie goers?  Get the microwave ready or purchase a hot air popper.  Season the popcorn in a way that everyone will enjoy it.  Plan on having one bowl per two people in your family to ensure everyone gets some.

You may want to head out to your favorite movie rental store to see which new releases everyone is interested in.  Or, if you have a good collection of movies at home, you may want to re-watch some of those.

What type of movies does your family enjoy most?  The males in the family probably would prefer movies with guns, explosions, and action galore.  Women are known for preferring “chick flicks” and romantic comedies.  Regardless of the movies you choose, it’s important that your family spends the time together.

Find some older movies that you enjoyed when you were a child or young teen.  Most likely you’ll still think the movies are funny and your children may very well have fun with them, too.  Mary Poppins, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and many of the early Disney movies are some choices the children may like to watch.

It would be great if Mom and Dad could try to get a babysitter for the children every once in a while so you can have a movie night for just the adults in the family.  Mom and Dad can choose movies that may be a little more mature than would be appropriate for young children.

Cooler weather means spending more time indoors.  Warm up this winter by enjoying some movies, snuggling up with your loved ones, and relaxing for the evening.  You may find that you enjoy movie nights so much that you carry them through the remainder of the year.

Despite the long waits at the airport to get through luggage checks, Americans choose to fly when they have to travel long distances during the holidays.  This may be partially due to the fact they may not have much time, but often travelers like the convenience of not having to drive to get somewhere.

Flying with your children over the holidays may be a new experience for you.  If it is, be prepared for long lines, unfriendly people, and possible delays.  Here are some ideas that may help make the trip more enjoyable for everyone in the family.

• Make your reservations way ahead of time if you can.  This will help you get the cheaper fares.  Remember to tell them if any of your children are under two and will be in a car seat during the ride.  In most cases they will give you a discounted fare for children under two.  Be sure to pay for the seat for the young child rather than holding them in your lap to get a free ticket for them.  They’ll be much safer strapped into a car seat on the plane than in your lap.

• Pack as light as you can but include some of everyone’s clothes in each suitcase.  This way if one of the bags is lost during your travels, everyone will have some clothes to wear, at least for a few days.

• Take along books or games for your children to enjoy while you’re waiting for the flight and during the flight.  Try to do your best to keep them occupied so they don’t bother other passengers.  You may also want to bring along some sugarless snacks your child can eat if they begin feeling hungry.

• Don’t let what others think keep you from flying with your children over the holidays.  Do your best to keep your children happy and quiet during the trip, but don’t worry too much if they aren’t.  It’s unlikely you’ll ever see the other passengers again, so don’t stress out too much about noise.

• Try to use smaller, regional airports instead of the larger, international airports.  The number of people flying out of the smaller airports is greatly reduced.  Because there are fewer people, the people who work for the airlines will be less stressed and friendlier, as well.  If you choose this route, be prepared to have to drive a little to your final destination.  It’s unlikely you’ll get a direct flight to larger cities from regional airports.

• Book your flight so that it’s a direct flight, if you can.  If you can’t, try to have a minimum of an hour layover between flights.  This will allow you to get something to eat, use the restroom, and get from one gate to the other before your next flight.

Flying with your children over the holidays doesn’t have to be traumatic or stressful, for you or anyone else in your traveling party.   Use these ideas to help make your trip more enjoyable for everyone.

When I was growing up, every Friday was Family Night. We would make pizza, go rent a movie, and hang out and eat pizza, popcorn and soda all night (or at least until about 10 o’clock which seemed like all night to a 3rd grader!)

So of course, I started Family Night with my own kids. However, I quickly realized that by the time I got all three kids bundled up, in the car, and drove to the video store, battled them over what to pick, hoped they weren’t watching the previews of shows I would rather them not know about, and convince them that we really don’t need to spend $5 on a giant gummy snake, that I was pretty much too exhausted to enjoy family night!

Then, high tech came to the rescue! Enter “download a movie” websites! Woo Hoo! Now I can order pizza, sit at the computer, select some appropriate “choices” for my kids, and order the movie – to be downloaded to my PC all without the fights, distractions, r-rated trailers, or excessive candy temptations! And best of all – it doesn’t matter if the weather is cold, rainy, or whatever!

So, why not start a family night at your house, and try out one of these “download a movie” services! Order a pizza, sit back, and relax!

Get Net Movies

The Movie Downloads

• Before teaching your children anything about working in a kitchen, teach them about cleanliness above all else.  Basic safety rules like washing your hands before you begin, not licking your fingers while preparing food, and keeping raw and cooked foods separate will go a long way toward keeping family members healthy.  Teaching them to cook foods to the proper temperature is also important.

• Read the entire recipe before you start so you’ll be sure that you understand the directions and know which utensils and ingredients you’ll need.  Gather everything together.  If you can, measure out the ingredients ahead of time.  This will make the actual preparation go smoother.  Follow the directions exactly to get the best results from your efforts.

• Explain to them what each appliance is, how it works, and what it’s used for.  If you have hand appliances, explain those as well.  You don’t have to give them the theories behind electricity, but you do want them to know how to handle each appliance in a safe manner.

• Always use hot pads to remove items from the stove, microwave, or oven.  Don’t lick hot spoons or handle food while it is still hot.  Doing so could result in a serious burn.  Teach your child the proper way to remove hot items, what to do if they do burn themselves, and where the first aid is kept in the kitchen.

• Sharp knives work better than dull ones, so keep your kitchen knives sharp.  Teach your child the proper way to hold a knife, how to slice food without cutting themselves, and how to care for and store knives.  Never put knives into soapy water; that way no one gets cut.

• Don’t throw water onto a kitchen fire.  It could make matters worse.  Teach your child to call an adult immediately to see if they can extinguish the fire.  If it gets out of control, make sure everyone leaves the house, go to your nearest neighbors, and call 911.

• As much as you’re tempted, don’t taste food that hasn’t been cooked.  While your parents may have been able to eat raw cookie dough, it isn’t recommended today.  If you must taste food that is cooking, use a clean spoon and allow it to cool first. Refrain from using the same spoon to taste and cook; by doing so you’ll be less likely to contaminate the food.

• Instead of leaving dishes until you’re finished, clean while you cook.  Put ingredients away when you’re done with them.  Run a sink of hot, soapy water and place dishes and utensils (except sharp knives) in the sink until you can get to them to wash them.  Wipe up any spills you may have made.  Turn off and unplug any hand appliances.

Allow your children to watch you cook from an early age, and then begin allowing them to help.  When you feel confident that they understand the rules for your kitchen and can handle things on their own, let them do just that.  You may be surprised to find that you have a little chef in the making.