About: Tricia Gardner
- Website
- http://timesaverva.com
- Bio
- Tricia is our handy editor here at MommiesMagazine.com. She graciously handles our article submissions and other tasks without batting an eye. :) The articles that you find here under Tricia's account are those that wonderful writers wanted to share with you, our readers. We hope you enjoy them.
Author's Posts
How to Accept Compliments Gracefully
July 17, 2008 | Leave a Comment
When a man offers you a genuine compliment and you blow it off, you’re saying something very unattractive about yourself. It’s not humble to refuse a compliment - it’s actually a sign of insecurity and poor self-esteem. Read more
How Effective Are Local Matchmaking Clubs?
July 12, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Matchmaking is a fine art that’s still practiced. Whether among ethnic or cultural groups like the matchmaker made famous from the musical Fiddler on the Roof or the real life woman who is a matchmaker to millionaires in LA, there’s another option in matchmaking clubs. Read more
Have You Been Bar Hopping to Meet Men?
July 7, 2008 | Leave a Comment
There are a lot of men at bars. During the “Ladies Hour,” when women drink free, men flock to the bars. They know that there’ll be women and free flowing booze, which for them is the perfect match. Read more
Going on a Date Doesn’t Mean You Are Dating
July 2, 2008 | Leave a Comment
What does dating mean to you? It depends on your generation. “Going out” to a middle school girl means that you and a boy like each other even though you really aren’t going anywhere. Read more
Organtic MultiVitamin
June 30, 2008 | Leave a Comment
It seems like as a mom I am always reading a label. Always wondering if this is safe for my children. Well vitamins are no different. I even read the label on vitamins. And I did it, I have finally found a whole food complex multi Vitamin that is organic. No refined sugar in it, made with organic ingredients. Read more
Getting a Great Guy to Ask You Out
June 24, 2008 | Leave a Comment
If you think it’s tough sitting on the sidelines with your girlfriends waiting for a guy to talk to you, then you aren’t looking at the guy’s situation. He has to walk over and make contact with you while you’re surrounded by your girlfriends. Read more
Generating Some First Date Ideas
June 22, 2008 | Leave a Comment
First dates are exciting and awkward at the same time. You’re hoping to be swept off your feet and taken to some exotic place, preferably flown there by private jet just for dinner. Read more
A Mommy’s Guide to Making Bedtime Fun!
June 18, 2008 | Leave a Comment
“I Don’t Want to Go To Bed!”
A Dreambook Adventure - A Parent’s Guide to Making Bedtime Fun!
How many parents have heard their children screeching the words “I don’t want to go to bed!”. Yes, every child’s nightmare is bedtime. Every parent in America with young children must endure the same excuses every night that goes something like this, “It’s still early”, “I’m not tired”, “I just started playing”, or “I want to watch a movie”, yes the list can go on forever, and usually does. I don’t know of any children that look forward to going to bed, and how can you blame them.
Children spend most of their day at school, then go home and do their homework or go to their music lesson, have dinner and then they have a short time to play and bedtime sneaks up on them. A child’s day is filled with activity, and even though parents are exhausted by the end of the day and ready to wind down, kids still have enough energy to keep going. To children bedtime is boring.
According to The National Sleep Foundation (NSF)*, about 69 percent of children 10 and under experience some type of sleep problem. Toddlers (ages 1 to 3) need an average of 12 to 14 hours sleep in a 24 hour period and Preschoolers (ages 3 to 5) need an average of 11 to 13 hours sleep. Making sure children get enough sleep is a common problem for most parents. According to Dr. Rafael Pelayo, MD a specialist from the Stanford Sleep Disorder Clinic in California, he tells kids that “sleep is good for you. Sleep is fun. It’s when you get to dream and you can look forward to your dreams.”
If you’re a working parent, you know that children need to be up early and therefore it’s essential that bedtime is early enough for them to get a good night’s sleep. Another common anxiety for preschool children is their fear of having bad dreams or nightmares. If a parent doesn’t deal with this fear, it may result in the child waking up numerous times in the middle of the night, which will lead to a restless sleep making for a very tired child in the morning. We know that if children don’t get a good night’s sleep then a parent is taking a very cranky, tired child to school which will not turn out to be a very productive and enjoyable day. A good night’s sleep is essential for a child’s brain to develop, and restore and replenish their body energy. You can try to explain this to your child, and they’ll just look at you blankly and say “but I’m not tired and sleep is boring”.
As a mom of two boys who have exhaustive amounts of energy, I had to come of up with something creative to encourage them to get ready for bed without having to chase them around the house and wrestle them to their bedroom. I wanted to show them that bedtime could be fun and that we together, could make it an adventure to look forward to every night.
*Sleep in America 2004 poll
This is why I came up with the concept of the Dreambook. My eldest son was having bad dreams so he always feared going to sleep and he’d wake up a few times during the night. So I came up with a concept called the Dreambook. I told him that when I go to bed and want to make sure I have wonderful dreams, I open up my Dreambook. Children are quite intrigued with this and the first thing they ask is “Where is your Dreambook?” Then you explain, it’s a wonderful place in your imagination, where all your most favorite things can come to life. I introduced this to my son when he was three and his eyes opened up very wide, and he was thrilled with the idea of creating a picture in his mind and began to look forward to sharing his Dreambook with me or his father every night. More importantly, upon introducing the Dreambook the bad dreams never resurfaced, perhaps because his mind was filled with wonderful thoughts each night before he fell asleep.
This is how my book, Dreams In My Dreambook was born. It is a rhyming bedtime story filled with my son’s most favorite dreams. A collection of all things he loves best. I have shared this concept with many friends who have children under 7 years of age, and the feedback has been extremely positive. They’ve told me that their children often ask them “What’s in your Dreambook?”. They’re able to share each others dreams and sometimes turn them into reality by planning a special family vacation or surprising them with something special after school. One working mom told me that she discovered that her son’s Dreambook story was for her to pick him up from school. This broke her heart, because her very busy work schedule never gave her this opportunity, and after sharing his Dreambook experience, she cleared her calendar the next day and picked him up from school. She told me it was a wonderfully rewarding moment to see the sheer surprise and smile on her son’s face when he saw her waiting outside his classroom door. She had no idea how important this was to him until he revealed it to her in his Dreambook.
Bedtime is the most precious time of day, because it allows you to cuddle with your child and give them the love and warmth they are so eager to receive. Dreams in My Dreambook encourages beautiful moments of dialogue between you and your child, allowing you to see the world through your child’s eyes and learn more about each other through the process. These are moments you will want to capture and bottle up forever. At least that’s how I feel every time I share a Dreambook moment with my kids. What better way to end the day.
The Bedtime Clock - A Parent’s Guide To Bedtime Rituals
So what can parents do to establish a smooth transition to getting their children ready for bed? A consistent bedtime routine is truly the key to success. Children need order and as difficult as it is, parents need to instill the routine and stick to it no matter what. I like to call it, the Ooggley Woogly bedtime clock is ticking, and here’s how it goes:
1. 6:00 p.m. – It’s bath time! Every child loves to take a bath. It’s a time for them to play in the water and the addition of some fun water toys makes this a great part of the bedtime ritual.
2. 6:30 p.m. - It’s last call for a snack and water! Parents need to stand firm on the snack and water rule, because children will have difficulty falling asleep with a full stomach. If you have big snacking kids (as I do) they need to know they cannot sneak snacks just before bed, so if they miss this chance there will not be another one. This may take a week before they believe you’re serious and won’t give in.
3. 7:00 p.m. – It’s one hour before bedtime! This is when you show them that when the big hand is on the twelve and the little hand is on the eight it will be time for bed, and that they have 60 minutes to now play with their favorite toys or games. Children
4. 7:45 - It’s clean up time! The kids and I sing a song when we clean up. It’s something they do at school, which is a fantastic way for them to also understand clean up is also expected at home. This also shows children that by putting things away they can easily find them the next day.
5. 7:50 - It’s time to brush your teeth! Let’s make a wee wee and brush our teeth and rush to bed for our bedtime adventure.
6. 8:00 – It’s Dreambook Time! The adventure begins with Dreams In My Dreambook – It’s time to read the story and share your dreams from your Dreambook. Sharing your Dreambook can last up to 30 minutes, and is a wonderful time to share your child’s favorite part of the day or simply allow them to reveal their latest dream.
Stefanie Nastou is a senior marketing executive and children’s book author. To learn more about her book Dreams In My Dreambook visit www.angelfacebooks.com .
Stefanie Nastou
stefanie@angelfacebooks.com
www.angelfacebooks.com
Flirting Without Sending the Wrong Message
June 17, 2008 | Leave a Comment
photo credit: russelljsmith The fine art of flirting is to catch a man’s eye without giving him the wrong impression. That can be a challenge. Watch some old movies like Gone With the Wind. Scarlett O’Hara was a champion flirter.
She gave the guys just enough attention to captivate them but never gave away samples. That’s the kind of flirting that gets you much more than the “voulez vous coucher avec moi, ce soir” type. Read more
Come On Everybody.. Let’s Wumble
June 14, 2008 | Leave a Comment
FORT LEE, N.J., June 5 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — In a matter of 18 months, The Wumblers were born out of their watermelon and nurtured to become an award-winning, globally-enlightened children’s television series and brand whose influence and appeal continue to transcend spiritual, cultural, and conventional boundaries in some very unique ways exclusive to The Wumblers. Read more