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Practical Research Parenting – Best of 2014
Thank you for joining me on my parenting adventure in 2014. Here is 2014 in review. Top 5 Practical Research Parenting Posts from 2014 My 5 most popular posts were: Feed your baby to sleep - The possums sleep intervention new recommendations The possums sleep...
Help your baby to sleep, guilt free
Does this sound familiar? With Alex, after a calming bed routine I'd put him down, he would cry. I'd rock him until calm, put him down - he'd cry. Take him for a walk - put him down - he'd cry. After an hour or two, I'd "give in" and feed him to sleep, crying about my...
Response to “Self Settling – What really happens”
Sarah Ockwell-Smith wrote a deep, well researched article on self settling here. I agree with a lot, but not all that she says. Here are my thoughts: "Babies are no more capable of self settling than they are of riding a bike. Self soothing is...
Dream Baby Guide Summary
I had a lot of success using the techniques outlined in the "Dream Baby Guide" by Sheyne Rowley. When Alex was 6 months old, using one week of preparation as detailed in the book, then implementing a new routine, Alex went from waking and feeding 3 times a night to...
Sleep-training technique: Gradual withdrawal
Another sleep-training technique is gradual withdrawal (1), which is similar to the camp out method, but allows more interaction when Baby is distressed. Gradual withdrawal involves 3 steps: Distinguish needs (e.g. Nappy change), from wants (e.g. Comfort sucking)....
How to toilet train
Most toilet training intervention studies use toilet training packages (multiple tactics at once). Making it hard to assess each tactic. However, I will try to assess each tactic based on relevant data and theory. 1. Underwear rather than nappies (diapers) A couple of...
Teaching Emotion Management: Interpreting Emotions
"My baby cries when placed in her cot. How can I ever put her down calm, sleepy, but awake." (Said by many mothers, myself included). This is the first of a series on emotion management and sleep. Babies need to develop a range of skills to learn to fall asleep by...
Teaching emotion management: Helicopter parenting and sleep
How parents respond to emotional displays like tantrums, kicking, hitting, smashing, and yelling is important for building children's ability to control their emotions. Controlling emotions, and particularly the ability to calm down, is important for sleep. The first...
Feed your baby to sleep – The possums sleep intervention new recommendations
Don’t feed or rock your baby to sleep is common advice. A new take on the same theory suggests that this advice is flawed. As detailed here, the dominant theory is that feeding or rocking can become associated with sleep. The concern is that the parent is then...
Bedtime routine modeling
"Don't worry that children never listen to you; worry that they are always watching you." Robert Fulghum (according to BrainyQuote.com) For an audio version of this post, and a video demonstration of modelling see...
Hi, I’m Nicky
Hi, I'm Nicky,
A PhD/Masters registered Psychologist, researcher, coach, and Mum. I am using my skills in research to better understand this new, exciting, and sometimes baffling adventure of parenthood. I hope to gain insight, skills, and company along the way.
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