Masochistic Mommy

Around the world, some parents are high-fiving baby sleep 'trainers' for giving them some much-needed shut-eye. Typical newspaper headlines include: ‘ Sleep trainer cured my baby's insomnia - and saved my sanity ’ - The Telegraph. ‘ When Lullabies Aren't Enough ’ - The New York Times. ‘ Letting babies cry rather than rushing to comfort them is secret to longer sleep (for infants AND parents) ’ - The Daily Fail. ‘ Study highlights controlled crying benefits ’ - ABC News. Yes, without a doubt, controlled crying has benefits – for parents. Yes, controlled crying ‘works’. The baby does indeed shut his ass up and communicates less at night. However - and it's a big HOW-EVER - at best, this is because he has been trained not to do so, rather than understanding that it is night-time and therefore he must be tired and should sleep. Physician and legend  Dr Sears coined the phrase ‘shutdown syndrome’ to describe what may potentially be happening in this scenario. Shall I ex...

All children suffer from illness at some stage. As a parent, I understand the anxiety and fear that you can feel when your child is unwell. When you are left with a child and a range of life-threatening illnesses your mind can start to play tricks. Also, during the early years in particular, the same symptoms can mean different things. Vomiting is a good example of this. To give you a better idea of what to look out for, I have created this comprehensive timeline detailing the most common illnesses throughout the entire span of childhood, from birth to teens. Fully referenced with up-to-date research, it aims to dispel some of the anxieties you may have, describes symptoms and explain when best to seek medical advice. Jump to age... Newborn 1 Week 2 Weeks 1 Month 2 Months 3 Months 4 Months 5 Months 6 Months 7 Months 9 Months 10 Months 12 Months 14 Months 16 Months 18 Months 2 Years 3 Years 4 Years ...