How To Keep Your Child Rested During Travel And Still Have Fun!

Spring is finally here! Some people are in the midst of travelling for spring vacation or trying to finalize a summer getaway with their family. As a mom, the concerns I have while travelling with my three favourite people – my husband, four year old and almost two year old – are much different than my non-parenting days. Things I think about today: do I have everything for the kids – diapers, snacks, colouring books and oh, snacks – lots... especially if you are going to be going on a plane! Once packing is covered, the next question that pops into my head is: where will the children sleep and can we still have fun and keep routines in check? Absolutely! This is one of the most common questions I get as a Sleep Consultant. So here are my top three tips to keep your child rested during travel so that you can still have a fun family holiday!

1.     Don’t over-schedule: Remember how I spoke about how preparing before vacation is different once you have children? This same rule applies once you arrive at your destination. You now have a child that needs sleep to be at their best during the day. Let’s face it, an overtired child who is exhausted (picture dreaded melt down!) is not what you had in mind when you planned your family holiday. So, try to honour your child’s needs and remember his or her limits. You know how much your child can handle.  Some ways that you can still be flexible: plan a fun and eventful morning, with a more restful afternoon and a dinner out. Skip a nap one day or have it on the go (i.e. stroller or car) but make sure that you are back for bedtime.

2.     Get help from the sun: Are you travelling to a new time zone? The best thing you can do once you arrive is get onto the new time as quickly as possible. Children will normally adjust more easily than adults do. Sunlight can help shift your child’s biological clock during daytime hours, so open the curtains or better yet, get outside for a family walk. As you’re approaching bedtime, do the opposite – dim the lights an hour before bed, use black out blinds or room darkening shades to promote melatonin (the sleepy hormone that the body naturally produces).

Remember, the years of making sure that you have enough fishy crackers and raisins on the plane don’t last forever! So enjoy planning and going on holidays with your family – have an amazing time!

Diane Dauphinais is a Certified Sleep Specialist and owner of Sound Of Sleep Consulting Services in Ottawa, ON. She has had the privilege of helping families in the Ottawa area achieve the rest they seek both for the child and the entire family. Diane is happily married with two wonderful children who love their sleep!

Website: www.soundofsleep.ca

Facebook: www.facebook.com/www.soundofsleep.ca

Winter yurt camping in Gatineau Park: Fun for all ages!

If the thought of camping in the winter sends shivers down your spine, don’t let it! This past winter was the first winter that my family and I ventured into to the great outdoors to camp, but thanks to the numerous yurts and four season tents available in Gatineau Park, our camping experience was unforgettably comfortable!

So much so, that we did it again this past weekend! We packed up our sleeping bags, camp pillows, marshmallows (and other, more nutritious food), clothes for the weather (which was cool, but not freezing), and hiked the 3.4 km to our yurt to settle in for a weekend of fun.

We were lucky because this time we invested in the luggage and water  transportation to our yurt (it’s available for an additional fee), but we didn’t when we went in December, and we managed just fine then too – thanks to my Hercules husband who managed to carry almost everything on his back. And yes, if you don’t pay for it you have to bring your own water – for cooking and drinking (if you’re lucky there will be plenty of snow, which lessens the amount of water you will need to bring).

Some of you may be wondering why we wanted to camp in the winter or early spring? There are many reasons to camp off season, including:

1)   Peace and quiet

With the exception of a few hard-core tent campers, other than the people in nearby yurts and four-season tents, there were not many people around, which meant that the only noise we heard were from trees blowing in the wind, a couple of coyotes and raccoons at night, a grey-horned owl (which was incredible to hear!) and our own breathing – it was glorious!

2)   Bright nights

Yes, you have to use an outhouse and sometimes children need to go in the middle of the night, but the bright snow makes walking in otherwise complete darkness a little brighter, and night in the middle of the woods in winter is a special kind of beautiful.

3)   No bugs

Isn’t that great? No need to carry bug spray of any kind, nor did we have to worry about nighttime creepy crawlies while going to the outhouse (not to mention because it is so cold, the outhouse never smells!)

4)   Winter fun and wildlife

To access the yurts and four season tents in Gatineau Park you can hike (if there isn’t a lot of snow), or cross country ski or snowshoe. Along your journey you may be honoured with the presence of deer, moose and other wildlife!

5)   The Wood Stove

I can tell you right now, even in the middle of winter you will not be cold at night. The wood-burning stove (the wood is included in the rental price and is available near your yurt or tent) will heat up your accommodations quickly. The first time we spent the night in a four-season tent we were so hot that we opened all of the windows and doors to let some cold winter air in (my recommendation is to always have a window open at least a crack, it helps regulate the inside temperature)! It's an efficient source of heat and it's what you will use to cook your meals - a unique and educational experience for everyone!

6) Memorable Experience

I guarantee your kids will be talking about their winter camping trip for months to come! My daughter loved hiking to the nearby lake and looking for animal tracks in the snow. She loved having to cook everything on a wood stove and she loved eating dinner by candlelight (there is no electricity after all!).

There is also a journal in each unit with stories from people who previously stayed in the yurt or tent. Their stories are funny, interesting and relatable – like the first time winter campers in our yurt who didn’t realize the walk was so far so they chose to leave behind a beautiful orange skillet for future yurt visitors to use, simply because it was too heavy for them to carry back out.

My only complaint is that the online booking system can be confusing, especially for first time users and there is a chance something can get double booked (it happened to us once, but they were kind and gave us our money back plus a voucher); but once your yurt or tent is booked you’re all set!

Tell me, have you camped in the winter? It’s our hopes to check out some of the amazing yurts and four season tents in Algonquin Park next year. I’ll make sure to let you know how it goes…

Get your kids to enjoy what’s in front of their screen, not behind it

Do you remember a time when you’d have your paper and crayons spread across the kitchen table and say “tell me something to draw, Mom!” After she answered, you’d feverishly draw the best rainbow, puppy dog or bunny you’ve ever drawn. You'd race over to the fridge, pass your Mom a magnet and ask for it to be displayed with the other 37 rainbows, puppy dogs and bunnies. Both my daughters are the same - our fridge is overflowing with drawings, and most of the time, our magnets are not strong enough to hold everything up!

Or maybe you remember Saturday morning art classes. I sure do! My mom would drop me off at the door, and I'd spend two quiet hours painting, drawing and doing pottery.

These days, many kids aren’t naturally drawn to traditional art mediums - unless a paintbrush or marker is their finger tip and their paper or canvas is a digital screen. The iPad is a marvelous invention, but can sometimes prohibit the development of artistic skills.
 
There are some pretty advanced artistic apps out there that can make a child feel like a Picasso! Parents of kids as young as two can believe they’re painting at an advanced level because the parameters of the app are set for them. You can go off the page and not make a mess, you can erase anything you don’t like, and you can change the colours of your work if you think purple fits best when you originally chose red.
 
But when I sit my girls down with paper and paint, I'm amazed at what comes out on the page. Getting our kids to explore the unpredictability of natural art is freeing. The permanence of a choice (e.g. "should I choose this red paint, or the blue?) makes kids stretch their thinking – they can build a piece that they’re committed to, not one that they can just “delete”.
 
There will always be a place for a digital footprint, and I encourage my daughter's to explore digital art mediums as well. But if I go back to my childhood and those Saturday morning art classes, I can remember where my creativity took shape – from my heart, my ideas, and my beliefs - and not from a device. 
 
If you’re looking for a way to encourage your child to get back to "creative grassroots", the Nepean Visual Arts Centre and Nepean Creative Arts Centre here in Ottawa offer a healthy variety of beginner through to advanced classes to help get you started. They also have some fantastic parent and child workshops, which I'm hoping to check out this spring! Request a copy of their programming guide when you visit them online!

Does your child attend art classes? 

What is this craziness called "two working parents?"

If you've been reading blog posts here for the past couple of years, you probably know a little bit about our family situation. If not, here's the short version: my husband left his full-time job in 2013 to pursue a different career, with the intention of staying at home with our kids until he found a new position. At the same time, I went back to work full-time after my maternity leave was over, and thus became our family's main source of income. It was a fun role reversal and neither of us minded the switch, knowing that it would lead to better things in the long run.

Little did we know HOW long that run would be. Two-and-a-half years after he called it quits, my husband was still looking for a permanent job, although he eventually became self-employed as an occasional handyman.

We adjusted to life. I got to used to handing over the parenting reigns (although I'll admit, I did struggle with the lack of control!) My hubby took over childcare, getting the oldest off to school, lunches, doctor/dentist appointments, cooking dinners and so much more. And although we sometimes dreamed of a day when we'd have disposable cash, we were certainly getting by with what we had.

Then, three weeks ago, the phone rang. There was a job! The catch? It started the following week.

Cue panic.

After lots of discussion and many phone calls, we managed to cobble together daycare (although don't ask me what's going to happen when school lets out in June!) One week into this new routine, and it's the day-to-day managing of LIFE that seems to be the biggest struggle.

I've reached out to friends who have given me so many great tips on managing the household - calendars, scheduling, lunch prep, meal prep etc. I know I'll eventually get the hang of it, although it will take some time and perhaps a few breakdowns along the way.

What seems harder to adjust to is the emotional side of this deal - the two of us spending five days a week away from home, away from the kids, and with barely thirty minutes of time together each night. 

It's not that I dislike this new situation (yet); heck, I've barely had enough time to believe that it's actually happened! My husband and I have celebrated this new step in life, and I'm really excited for him. Two "steady" jobs means way more income, good benefits, and two pensions. We will have money to take nice vacations, and put our kids in all the classes/camps they want! Maybe we'll finally be able to afford a comfortable bed, and replace the windows that get covered in ice every winter...and oh my god, I can buy new CLOTHES!! When I start imagining the possibilities, I'll admit, they sound good.

But they sound good in a materialistic kind of way...in a way that satisfies a fleeting desire for money, status and pretty things. And I guess I'm not that kind of gal. I'm currently wearing shoes that are falling apart at the soles - not because we're THAT poor, but because I just don't give a crap about shoes. Most of the clothes I own are circa 1999. We already take nice vacations; they may not be at an exotic beach somewhere, or jetting off on a European cruise, but they're still special to our family. And the pension? Let's just hope I live long enough to use it!

A friend once joked that her well-paid job was what she called the "golden handcuffs." There's a lot to gain from those jobs, but the lack of freedom is scary.

I know we'll stumble along, get into a new routine, and probably enjoy ourselves in the process. My kids are excited for their Daddy, and they get to see parents who work hard and take pleasure in their careers. 

But a niggling doubt remains - I do wonder how long I can do this without self destructing. How many lunches? How many drop-offs with screaming kids in the car? How many days looking at the sorry state of my bathrooms, floors, carpets and kitchen? How many Sundays spent "meal prepping" instead of being outside in the garden?

How many days before I start to search for the key to a shiny pair of golden handcuffs?

5 Things Your Childbirth Educator Wants You to Know About Birth

According to BORN Ontario, only 1 in 4 women report taking a prenatal class as preparation for childbirth.

Although this statistic varies by demographic group, it's still a sad state of affairs that so few women and partners take classes - especially for us childbirth educators. We are passionate about what we teach, and truly believe that more information is better.

Can you give birth without taking a prenatal class? Of course! 

But will you have a better experience if you DO take a prenatal class? Most certainly! As Tabitha Bernard, one of my fellow teachers at the Ottawa Childbirth Education Association, says: "The more you know in advance, the better able you are to process information and events as they unfold. You can enjoy your baby's birthday more thoroughly if you're not learning about everything as it's happening.

I can't speak for every prenatal class out there, but the vast majority of participants who take our classes report that they leave feeling empowered and prepared. The experience is far from boring, and we work hard to present relevant content to our participants.

Here are five key things your Childbirth Educator wants you to know about birth - you need to take the class to find out more ;)

1) Birth plans are not a ticket to a cesarean

I'm sure you've heard the joke about the couple who showed up at the hospital with a 3-page birth plan (which included a short guide to lotus birth,) or maybe you read this hilarious article on McSweeney's. But jokes aside, we still want you to write a birth plan. Make it short, make it sweet and make it FLEXIBLE. When it comes to birth, nothing is set in stone. So highlight your main wishes, and make sure to include important information like allergies or specific fears.

2) Poop will happen

The other day my three year-old got off the toilet, looked in the toilet bowl, and exclaimed "now that's a log for a frog!!" A story only fellow parents can truly appreciate.

So here's the good news ladies - you will not be pooping a log for a frog. Early labour will help to clean you out (like enemas used to do back in the day,) and any poop that does come out during pushing will be very minimal. Maybe slightly bigger than a rabbit turd. But definitely not a log. And your kind nurse or midwife will quickly wipe it away before anyone notices a thing!

3) Birth is not a horror movie

OK, yes, so there's blood, urine, sweat, tears, poop and maybe even some guts. But if you are well-loved and well cared for during your birth, I promise you, it doesn't have to be a nightmare. Choose your care provider wisely, and consider hiring a birth doula. Bring relaxing music, light candles (or buy those fake LED ones so that you don't burn anything down) and let yourself be pampered. Birth is often messy, but it doesn't have to be scary.

4) Staying at the head of the bed will not stop the show

I often hear partners say that they want to stay at the head of the bed so that they don't see anything. That is perfectly acceptable, and if you are squeamish, it may be necessary. But the head of the bed is not a magical land where the vagina disappears. A woman can be pushing in a certain position that will make everything visible, despite where you try to position yourself. If you are squeamish, I highly suggest you watch a good birth video BEFORE the labour, so that you are well prepared for the sights and sounds. And you may surprise yourself by getting intimate with the whole process - I can't count how many times I've heard a partner peek down and say "That's a head!!? COOL!!!" 

5) "There are no dumb questions, just missed opportunities to ask them"

A great quote from OCEA teacher Colette Gignac! There are no dumb questions in class, and there are certainly no dumb questions during birth either. In fact, the more questions you ask, the better you will feel about decisions related to your care. When in doubt, remember to use your BRAIN - ask about benefits, risks, alternatives, and whether an intervention needs to happen NOW (or can you take a wait and see approach?) Finally, trust your Instincts - what is your gut telling you to do?

Misty Pratt is the Community Manager for Kids in the Capital. For the past five years she has enjoyed a part-time career as a birth doula and childbirth educator with the Ottawa Childbirth Education Association. In her full-time life she is a mother, health researcher and budding yogi.