Search Results for: blog book review of mealtime and sleep solutions

Dinnertime as a Sacrament

I really enjoy cooking and trying new recipes. I have several cookbooks and I go through them regularly, looking for tasty tidbits I have overlooked. I feel a sense of satisfaction when I hit on something that is unique, tasty, and easy to prepare. Then I set it on the table, and receive a four-part chorus of groans. “What is this?” “I don’t know, but it looks like dog food.” “Yeah, it smells like it too.” “I’m not eating this.” My husband, thankfully, isn’t that picky and will clean up the leftovers, of which there are plenty, because the children … Continue reading →

Sleep Issues In Adopted Children, Part Two

In Part One of this blog, I talked about sleep issues in adopted children. This blog will focus on the ways parents try to manage sleep issues, and why some of these approaches may be either more or less appropriate for an adopted child. First of all, keep expectations realistic. It takes time to adjust to new schedules and new time zones. If you are a new parent, read up on how much babies typically sleep. There is a lot of variation, and many books consider a five-hour sleep stretch to be “sleeping through the night” for a young infant. … Continue reading →

Sleep Issues in Adopted Children, Part One

Adopted children can have all the sleep issues other do and then some. Parents use various methods to try to get their kids to sleep. Some of these methods may not be appropriate for adopted children depending on the circumstances. First let’s talk about sleep issues that apply to all children. Some children just seem to need less sleep (judge by how they are acting in the daytime, not whether they want to go to sleep!), some seem temperamentally more sensitive to separation from parents, some prefer to be swaddled and some dislike it, and many more normal differences. In … Continue reading →

Alvie Eats Soup – Ross Collins

“Alvie Eats Soup” is a whimsical tale about a boy who will only eat soup. It’s his favorite thing in the world! In fact, he’s so obsessed with the stuff, his first word was “mulligatawny.” He cried whenever someone tried to give him a cookie or a banana; he just wouldn’t have any of it. As he grew older, his tastes didn’t change at all, to the great discouragement of his parents. His little sister Delilah would eat anything. Why couldn’t he be more like Delilah, his parents wanted to know? And to top it off, his grandmother was a … Continue reading →

Eat Your Way To A Good Night’s Sleep

Having trouble sleeping? You aren’t alone. Nearly one in three Americans suffer from some form of insomnia! What you eat (and drink) may help ease your struggle with the sandman. First, eliminate the usual suspects… that means cut out the caffeine. Even decaf coffee and chocolate can contain small amounts of caffeine. It won’t be easy, but try cutting out caffeine entirely for two weeks. If you sleep better without caffeine, it may be time to say goodbye to coffee and sodas! Some people are more sensitive than others; experiment to see how much or how little affects you. You … Continue reading →

Learning New Recipes

My children won’t eat anything. Okay, that’s not entirely true. My daughter will eat lasagna, my oldest son will eat cucumbers, my second son will eat oranges, and my 21-month-old will eat grapes. But trying to get them all to agree on one meal that isn’t pizza or some other item of questionable nutrition is a challenge. It’s frustrating to me as a parent because I know how important good nutrition is. My husband is an alternative health care practitioner and he cares how the children eat as well. We’ve both lost large chunks of hair at dinner time when … Continue reading →