Eat = Sleep??

From birth the schedule is pretty much, eat, poop, sleep... simple enough. If your baby is not sleeping through the night the main  concern is did they get enough to eat that day? And how can we change their schedule from eating in the middle of the night to getting their maximum nourishment throughout the day. I've  heard of jet lag babies who confuse night with day, sleep all day eat all night  etc. But what about a toddler. A child who is most likely sleep trained. Eats a well balanced meal most days, and can tell you when they are hungry. 

Even before we moved our almost 3 year to a bed, at the age of 2 1/2 when it came to bedtime he started to get smart about it, "Mummy, I'm hungry!!!" So, the first few nights we gave him extra dinner or a healthy snack and off to bed he went. Until after a few nights when he was aware that requesting for more dinner meant he could stay up later, it became a nightly occurrence. To the point that even once he ate he was "still hungry" once we put him to bed. Then he stopped eating dinner.  When it came to bedtime and he said he was hungry, "well of course you are, you didn't eat dinner!"
That's when I started the rule "if you don't eat by dinnertime then you go to bed  without dinner".
Which completely worked. Did my son wake up in middle of the starving for food ? Nope. Did my son  wake up running to the fridge in dire straights for a bite to eat? Nope.  Do toddlers need to have a full tummy in order to sleep well at night?

My second son at 18 months eats dinner daily at 3.30 and is ready for bed at 6.30 pm/7 pm. He mostly does not have an issue sleeping through the night. He does get some healthy snacks  between dinner and bedtime such as fruit and /or veggies. Which had me thinking if he can last that long AND is in the 90th percentile for weight, I know he is certainly not lacking nourishment.
So back to my elder child, who is also in the 90th percentile for weight and can eat pretty well.
Which brings me to my childhood where heavy meals after 7 pm were frowned upon. My mother said it was not healthy and that cheese before bed was a no no lest we get nightmares.
I realized that any nutritionist will tell you that its important to finish your last big meal at least 2 hours before bed. And that anyone on a healthy diet or regime will not eat past 8 pm or even 7 pm at night!
Having said all that, why don't we start this routine with our children. Yes they need nutrition but when the problem we are facing these day with childhood obesity on the rise, aside from developing healthy eating habits and teaching out children to go for the strawberries and not the chips, how about portion control?! And letting them know if they miss dinner at dinner time then there's no food after dark. When our metabolism  slows down at the end of the day and it is best to eat before 7 pm that should apply to our youngsters as well.

I have also read about studies that show children who finish their main meal 2 hours before bedtime sleep better.

How do you feel about the, "if you don't finish your dinner then there's no dinner at bedtime" rule?

And Then There Were Mum's

..... We all have it in us. That mothering instinct. As girls we played with dolls and dressed up barbies (well most of us) that need to care from the start. Even if, motherhood is not the path one might choose it doesn't take away that nature from within. I don't think anyone can imagine precisely what it might feel like to hold their baby for the first time. To cradle a tiny newborn, to nourish it, to love them unconditionally. 

There are definitely different types of Mum's, neither one better than the next (or there's just a bad mum in general but I won't get into that now). Just as there are different personalities, tastes and interest so is mothering your own little one. I have always been obsessed with babies. I remember as a young child, being the youngest of eight, my first niece being born when I was just four years old. Every time another niece or nephew was born I was so excited to seem him or her to cuddle and tickle and play! I still am that way, some people only have that special love for their own family, and other children don't necessarily mean as much. But not me. 

I started this blog as an outlet for all things "Mum". To possibly help, inspire and innovate others. And if all else fails to just to laugh. Because if theres one thing I've learnt on this journey as a Mum, laughter isnt just needed, its necessary.