Double Duty - Trials and Tribulations of Closely Spaced Siblings

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Article Title:

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Double Duty - Trials and Tribulations of Closely Spaced Siblings

Article Description:

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One of the biggest challenges most new parents face is getting

their babies to sleep through the night. That obstacle becomes

even more challenging for parents of closely spaced children.

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712 Words; formatted to 65 Characters per Line

Distribution Date and Time: Fri Jan 27 00:30:56 EST 2006

Written By: Anne Arthur

Copyright: 2006 IATB Network LLC.,

Contact Email: mailto:anne.arthur@...

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Double Duty - Trials and Tribulations of Closely Spaced Siblings

Copyright © 2006 IATB Network LLC., Anne Arthur

Closely Spaced Kids

http://www.CloselySpacedKids.com

Challenges For Parents of Closely Spaced Children

One of the biggest challenges most new parents face is getting

their babies to sleep through the night. That obstacle becomes

even more challenging for parents of closely spaced children.

Parents of closely spaced children often have 2 children under 2,

3 under 3 or more. That makes getting a newborn baby to sleep a

lot trickier, and often leads to sleep deprivation among hard

working parents.

Having closely spaced children is one of the biggest challenges

parents will face. It is not only taxing on parents but it is

also taxing on children. Many parents also find it is one of the

most rewarding experiences of their life.

There are many advantages of having children closely spaced.

Perhaps the biggest advantage most parents find is their children

grow up to be lifelong friends.

Until your children are at least 3 however, one of the biggest

obstacles of managing multiple young children is getting them to

sleep at night. Often the oldest go to bed a little later than

your youngest. Because everyone is basically still a baby

however, most will need a lot of attention, coddling, love and

support in order to even get to sleep at night. Then there are

no guarantees they will even sleep through the night.

Tips For Ensuring A Good Night's Sleep When Pregnant With Closely

Spaced Young Children

Being pregnant for three years in a row will challenge a parent

in many ways. Sleep deprivation is often a big concern for

mothers of closely spaced children. Handling the day to day

demands of more than one young child is sleep inducing in and of

itself. Adding a pregnancy on top of that can make sleep seem

like something a mother only dreams of rather than participates

in.

Fortunately there are several strategies parents of closely

spaced children can adopt to ensure that they get a good nights

sleep. In fact, many parents have used these strategies

successfully to ensure that each of their children was sleeping

through the night by just 12 weeks!

Here are some tips to try if you find yourself exhausted and need

of some rest. Some of these will help you get your baby to sleep

through the night, while others will leave you feeling refreshed

throughout the day even when you don't have time for a nap:

1. Get your children to bed early. The latest your children

should go to bed is 7:30, and many newborns will go to bed

as early as 6:00pm. The more your children sleep, the more

inclined they will be to sleep regularly and take routine

naps. Most young children need between 9 and 13 hours of

sleep minimum every day!

2. Offer your child a snack or bottle an hour before bedtime.

A hungry tummy can wake up even the soundest sleeper.

3. Be sure you develop a sleep routine for your child. This

may involve taking a bath, reading a book, having a bottle

and spending some extra cuddle time with one or both parents

before retiring.

4. Nap when your babies nap IF they nap together. If they do

not, plan some quiet activities for your older children

during the day that will allow you a few minutes rest. You

can try for example popping their favorite video in for 15

minutes during the day while you put your feet up.

5. Consider lying in your bed with your older children for

15-20 minutes. Most kids will gladly hang out and rest

quietly with you for a short time, allowing you to rest

if not sleep for a small part of the day.

6. Implement a no TV rule ½ hour before bedtime. During this

time you should dim the lights and stick to quiet and restful

activities. Too much TV or other stimulus too close to

bedtime can cause young children to behave in a hyper manner

and disrupt their ability to fall asleep naturally.

Remember, as a parent of closely spaced children, the more sleep

you get at night, the more likely you are to address the trials

and tribulations that come with parenting closely spaced

children! Young children, even if close in age, can learn to

sleep well and sleep regularly!

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Anne Arthur is a freelance writer living in Denver, CO. Her new

guide, the one and only for parents of Closely Spaced Children,

" Double Duty: The One and Only Guide For Parents of Closely

Spaced Children " is currently available at Booklocker.com by

linking to http://www.booklocker.com/books/2323.html. Check out

her site for more information and support for raising closely

spaced children at http://www.CloselySpacedKids.com