Tips for smoother lockdown living

By MiC Carine 05/04/2020
Lockdown Living

Congratulations to us all…two weeks of official lockdown are behind us

To be exact, it’s been three weeks of stay-at-home since schools closed down. What an achievement! (who would have thought we’d ever have to celebrate such a feat)

By now we will all have adapted to indoor confinement with various degrees of success – however we may define success for ourselves – and with previous comfort patterns no longer relevant, we’ve all had to carve out new parameters for our family lives to evolve in.

If you haven’t yet implemented some of these strategies in your home, you might find a couple of our suggestions useful.

Stop talking about corona virus all the time

Remember the never-ending news cycles about Brexit? Climate change? War in Syria? Migrant crisis? They don’t seem so important to the media anymore now, do they? Yet they all remain out there, none of these issues have suddenly gone away. There’s still more to life than the coronavirus. As much as possible, try to maintain a sense of new-normal in your home. Not just for your own personal mental health, but it helps provide a sense of stability and consistency for your children, no matter their age. We’ve mentioned the importance of limiting our use of social media in order to keep all that negativity and confusion out of our hearts. The same actually applies to the TV news channels, especially the overly dramatic ones. The situation is bad, and it will get worse before it gets better. As far as this virus is concerned, we don’t need anyone telling us over and over again.

Yes, school is important, but there’s more to life than that

If you have the privilege of your children being schooled online, you’re probably already in some sort of a set morning frame. Home schooling is undoubtedly filled with its very own multitude of new challenges…but let’s not get into those…just remember that children across the world are being kept home, a large number of them will fall behind academically, fact. The schools are aware and will adjust the course accordingly. It doesn’t matter so much right now, honestly. Let’s use the time to also teach our offspring the much lacking life skills. How to boil an egg, cook pasta, make a bed, change a tyre, sew on a button, manage our money – the list is endless, and these topics are just as important (if not more so!). Recap on the day, give everyone a chance to say what they liked and disliked, use the info to shape an improved tomorrow.

Everyone needs Me Time and personal space

No matter how much love there is to go around in your household, being on top of each other 24/7 can become ‘interesting’ for any family. Even more so if you haven’t got the added space of a balcony or garden, and/or have multiple children but not enough rooms for everyone to retreat to for a little privacy. Why not assign each member of your household a specific area in your home that’s exclusive to them, a safe space they can use if they do not want to communicate and prefer to be alone? For younger kids this can be a ‘cave’ under the dining room table, a ‘tent’ pitched over the bathtub or anything else that works for you. Time to let them get really creative and respect their choices, however crazy they seem to you.

Once the ‘novelty’ of home isolation wears off, establish a new routine

Who doesn’t love a pyjama day or two (or more)?! Pure bliss. Constant munching and grazing?! Bring it on. Maybe a wineglass, cocktail, beer or two? Or three? Yep. But about that…weeks into the lockdown, this really should stop for the sake of our mental and physical health. A structured day is an important contributor to feeling in control, despite the fact that nothing much is up to us anymore. Once you’ve binged on the new-found freedom from the alarm clock, timetables and to-do-lists (in case you’re not working from home), find a new routine to suit the needs of everyone in the family. The best way to do this is together. Brainstorm, prioritise and decide how to move forward, so that everyone’s basic needs are met. Determine a group hour every evening where one of you is in charge of entertainment and gets to pick the game to play, movie to watch or music to listen to – together.

Bend the old screen time rules and pick your battles

Let’s face it, screen time restrictions that worked in BC times (aka Before Corona) cannot be considered reasonable today. Online schooling already adds a considerable amount of computer hours to our children’s daily lives. Don’t feel guilty about allowing more online entertainment than you would normally – it’s not their fault that the quota is reached so quickly. Instead, maybe (if needed) fun screen time could be used as a positive motivator or reward for your kids’ morning class efforts. If you haven’t done so yet, research new websites, educational games and online courses for them to use productively. The internet is awash with free stuff like never before. Unusual times call for unusual methods, and as soon as our movement restrictions are lifted, the weather will be fantastic for spending entire days outdoors again. Save your sanity for the more important stuff that possibly needs addressing – whatever this may be in your home.

Make it memorable for the right reasons

This staying at home thing has to be considered a marathon in order to shift our mindsets out of a passive mode into an empowered one. You can finally learn Greek! Take that online course! Read that book! Learn to play the guitar that’s been in the corner all these years! Blablabla? Yes, it’s not all rosy. Because if we’re truly honest, when we finally emerge at the end of this tunnel, nothing will ever be as it was in this world. We’re living history, writing the pages of tomorrow’s chronicles, living a bit of the future even. And while the global economy will be redefined, some of us will lose our jobs and have to find new ways to sustain a living. But then again, ‘different’ can also become ‘better’. Give your lockdown a soundtrack and dance.

A note on what to do if nothing works

Should your personal circumstances be of a nature that makes this lockdown period mentally or physically unbearable to you, it is vital to remember none of this is your fault. Do not be ashamed or blame yourself. Please, please find the strength deep within you to ask for help. Take your phone to the toilet or bathroom for a personal moment if you can, and get in touch with these confidential helplines

Cyprus Samaritans phone 80 00 77 73

Domestic Violence phone 1440

Children and Teenagers until 18 years phone 116 111

Ask the Expert: Belina Louvrou – The Importance of Play Therapy

By MiC Team 03/04/2019

We haven’t done an #AsktheExpert for a while but after meeting Belina Louvrou at a recent event, we decided it was high time to do another interview! Belina is a Child & Adolescent Psychotherapist MBACP, specialising in Play Therapy who has recently established a Play Therapy & Parenting Support centre in Limassol.

 

Belina, welcome. Play Therapy is a relatively new concept to Cyprus. Could you please tell us a bit more about what Play Therapy is?

Play Therapy is a form of psychotherapy for children and adolescents and it is based upon the fact that play is the child’s natural medium of self-expression. As adults, when we have worries or experience a tough time we usually use words to express ourselves and make sense of our situation for children, it is often much easier to use the language of play. The play therapy toolkit includes art, clay, music, sand tray, movement, therapeutic storytelling, puppets, drama and role-play.

What are the benefits of Play Therapy and how can it be more suitable than other types of therapy for children?

Play Therapy is more suitable than other types of therapy because it uses play which is the natural medium of communication and expression for children. There is a reason why children spend so much time playing: play is the way that children learn and develop, understand the world around them and express their feelings. Through Play Therapy children are able to:

  • Process emotions that they may not be able to express in other ways.
  • Develop independence and creative thinking
  • Improve their social skills and the ability to respect others
  • Create stronger relationships with family members.
  • Present a decrease in undesirable behaviours and increased capacity to regulate their own behaviour

What ages is Play Therapy most suitable for?

Although many therapists suggest that Play Therapy is more suitable for children 3-12 years old it can also be used effectively with adolescents. With younger children play therapy is non-directive but with older children and adolescents it can be adjusted and be more directive to have better results.

How can Play Therapy help a child who is having difficulties?

Play Therapy can help children who are experiencing a range of social or emotional difficulties such as: anxiety, stress, phobias, parental and family separation, friendship difficulties, low self-confidence, mood swings or inappropriate emotional responses, communication and behavioural delays or difficulties, bereavement, trauma or abuse, autism or ADHD etc.

Children don’t always have the language skills to convey what they are feeling in words, especially if they experience traumatic events at very young age. Instead they may express their pain in undesirable or mal-adaptive ways such as sever tantrums, excessive crying, becoming socially withdrawn or clingy, refusing to attend school. In Play Therapy, the therapist provides children with a more adaptive method of expressing  themselves, through the language of play. Play Therapy also helps children to develop skills that will allow them to manage their own behaviours.

The child is given opportunities to test limits in a safe environment, allowing them to increase the awareness of the consequences of their actions. For instance they may choose to destroy their clay creation but they will learn that once they do that they will no longer have it. Children often spend a big part of their day being told what to do and even though this is necessary children also need to learn to think for themselves. In Play Therapy the children lead and the therapist follows. They choose what happens in the room by selecting the activities that they participate in. Children have the opportunity to make choices for themselves in a supportive environment. The play therapy room is a non judgemental space where children can express themselves freely. Within the trusting relationship with the therapist, children have the opportunity to test out different aspects of social interactions with the therapist without the fear of being judged, or rejected or damaging the relationship. For instance a child may choose whether to cheat on a board game to check how the therapist will react and the therapist can explore this choice with the child.

What does Play Therapy involve? What would happen during a ‘typical’ Play Therapy session?

Play Therapy is mainly non-directive. When children come in to the play room, they choose what and how to play. The first time we meet, I explain to the children in age-appropriate language that they can play in any way they want to but we have one very important rule and that is that myself and the child and all the things in the room are safe and I explain further what safe means. Then I let them choose what they want to do. I follow their lead, participate in their play when invited, as well as providing observations and reflections that will help children to learn more about themselves and their world.  My role is to interact with them in a consistently warm, accepting and respectful way that will allow us to build a trusting relationship.

At the beginning of the session children also have a calendar in which they see when they are coming for Play Therapy. They also have their own ‘special box’ which I keep safe for them in they play room for as long as they come for therapy. In the box they put everything they create during our sessions. At our last session together the take the box with them but they can choose what they want to do with all their creations; if they want to keep them or not and what we should with them. Some children choose to keep everything others they want to keep only few things and then they decide what to do with the rest. Most of the time children are really looking forward to their last session because they can take their box with them and everything that they created during Play Therapy. It is something for them to remember our time together in the play room.

How long is Play Therapy needed?

Children usually receive a minimum of 12 sessions of individual Play Therapy, lasting 45 minutes each. Consistency is a vital part of the Play Therapy process. The sessions are held at the same time, in the same place each week. It’s important to think carefully about when sessions will take place to ensure that the schedule can be maintained throughout. Research suggests that it takes an average of 20 play therapy sessions to resolve the problems of the typical child referred for treatment. Of course some children may improve much faster while more serious or ongoing problems may take longer to resolve.

Are their cases where children don’t respond to Play Therapy? What do you do in that case?

Every child is different and will respond in a different way to Play Therapy. For some children it might take longer to see a change, for others change might happen quickly. Therapy is not a straightforward quick solution; it is a gradual process. In fact, things can get worse before they gets better. In Play Therapy we go with the child’s pace, which means that some children might need more time to build a trusting relationship with the therapist, which will allow them to express themselves and process what is happening in their life.

However, there might be cases where children don’t want to stay in the play room for the whole session – they might want to leave earlier, or want their parents with them or even don’t want to come at all. If they want to leave earlier we might consider having sessions for 20 or 30 minutes to see how the child will respond and then gradually increase the length of the session. If the child wants his parent with him we might ask the parent to stay with the child for 10-15 minutes at the beginning of the session until the child feels comfortable to stay only with the therapist. Then, gradually we decrease the amount of time that the parent stays in the play room until the child is able to stay only with the therapist.  If the child refuses to come for play therapy usually we offer 2 more sessions. If after 3 sessions the child continues to refuse to come for play therapy or he still wants to leave early or have his parent with might consider that the child is not ready yet for Play Therapy. In this case we can refer the child to another professional who we think might be able to help the child more.

 

Belina is a registered member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) with a registration number 238718. After completing her undergraduate studies in Psychology in Greece, she moved to London where she studied and worked for 7,5 years. During that time she completed her MSc in Child, Adolescent and Family Mental Health and her psychotherapy training in Play Therapy. She has worked in primary schools and children’s centres with disadvantaged families and children with complex needs offering Play Therapy and Parenting support. She is also trained in different parenting programmes. In 2018, she moved to Limassol where she created The Healing Stars, offering Play Therapy and Parenting Support. The idea was to create a safe space for children and families where they can receive the help that they need through a holistic approach and the mission is to “support children and families to have emotionally healthy lives”. Belina is bilingual and she can work with families and children in either Greek or English.

If you would like to get in contact with Belina to see how she can help your child/ren or your family, you can find all the relevant links and contact details below:

t: 99 874 917

e: belina@thehealingstars.com

w: www.thehealingstars.com/

fb: @thehealingstars

insta: @thehealingstars

The Healing Stars
Play Therapy and Parenting Support
Ethnikis Antistaseos 9, KWS Court, Apartment 303,
Limassol, 3022

 

Let’s Go Fly a Kite!

By MiC Team 04/03/2019

I have to admit that Clean Monday (or, as I prefer to call it – Green Monday) is one of my favourite national holidays here in Cyprus.

Clean Monday (Καθαρά Δευτέρα in Greek) marks the start of Lent and an end to the excessive feasting and party-days of Carnival. Lent is the 40-day fasting period before Easter (the English equivalent is Pancake Day). According to Greek Orthodox principles, these 40 days of fasting are meant to purify the body and spirit and to rededicate oneself to a more righteous way of living. Not everyone fasts nowadays other than the more devout (or health-conscious) but almost everyone seems to stick to the fasting rules for at least the Clean Monday picnic, if not the entire day.

To celebrate this start of Lent, families traditionally take to the beach or the fields for the open-air eating of greens and vegetables, shellfish, halva and an unleavened bread called ‘lagana’. Eating meat, fish and dairy is forbidden. It’s also the widespread custom to fly kites. Why kites you may ask? Apparently, flying kites is symbolic of the resurrection. Others say it represents the human psyche trying to reach God (as part of the spiritual ‘cleansing’ of souls before Easter). Maybe it’s simply because kite-flying goes particularly well with picnics and windy Spring days. Either way, it’s fun! 😊

Clean Monday is a special day in my family’s calendar. Even if there are other days that we will fly kites, have picnics and be outdoors, on Clean Monday we know that we are guaranteed to be heading out to the fields to find wild flowers to identify and photograph… We will definitely take a hike and stop for a picnic (a fasting one, for just that day 😊) and we will definitely fly (or at least try to fly!) a kite!

I am not Greek Orthodox, nor religious, but I do think there is something special about taking part in some of the rites and traditions of whatever part of the world you happen to find yourself in. Rituals are important to mark those special breaks out of the routine and the ordinary. Family traditions (cultural, religious or personal ones) are special times for a family to come together and to connect over a shared experience. Taking part in these rituals is the stuff that treasured memories are made of… Traditions are one of the ways through which we can create magic.

Easter here, even more so than Christmas, has a lot of opportunity for experiencing (observing and/or taking part in) those traditions that can be hard to separate the religious aspects from the pagan, such as the wearing of Marti bracelets through the month of March, or Tsiknopempti (the start of the excessive feasting period of Carnival) that just passed last week. My kids absolutely adore Mass on the eve before Easter – standing in the open courtyard of the church and everyone sharing the ‘light’ from candle to candle until the glow spreads across the crowd. I think they even love Easter more than Christmas, because of the rituals surrounding it here.

Maybe it’s also the chocolate they get, but I like to think that it is the clean air, sunshine, green and those very special memories we make year after year, trying to fly a kite, lying in fields of wildflowers, picking fresh almonds from the trees and dipping them in salt and forgetting about anything else for a while other than the large, blue open skies above us, the start of Spring and the real start of a New Year before us…

So, however you spend your Clean Monday, I hope it is fun, involves wide open spaces or at least the outdoors, and takes you on a journey to discover one of the many beautiful natural spots that Cyprus has to offer. And, for your sake, I secretly wish that it also involves flying a kite x

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Recipe of the Week – Super Easy Sushi Handrolls

By MiC Team 21/01/2019
Quick & Easy mid-week lunches & dinners for us busy Mamas – because who needs to make life more complicated?

If you’re anything like me, you’re always on the search for easy mid-week lunches and dinners that provide a balanced meal with a minimum of fuss.

I make a lot of wrap-based food for my kids. It’s quick, simple and they like the process of picking their own ingredients and preparing their food the way they like it. I always find that the more that the kids are involved in the food choice/making process, the more likely they are to eat it! Fajitas, such as these ones here, are a regular in our house, as are tacos (wrapped in lettuce leaves or made in to a salad for myself)… they provide a good balance of carbs, protein and plenty of greens and veg.

My kids love sushi and request it often but it’s expensive to buy in other than a rare treat and not something that I’ve managed to master myself and besides – it takes wayyy too much time to make on a regular basis. Plus, I’m be a bit nervous about sourcing sushi-grade fish myself and possess no knowledge (yet!) of how to cut it correctly.

So, I came up with the idea for the kids to make their own sushi hand-rolls and they love it! It’s takes very little prep and there are never any left-overs (which isn’t always a good thing to be honest! :-)).

 

Ingredients

Sushi Rice – brown, if you can get it

Sushi Seasoning (or rice vinegar, salt & sugar)

Sushi Nori (seaweed sheets) cut up in to quarters

Smoked Salmon/Trout or cooked fish/meat (e.g., salmon or beef) – sliced in to thin strips

Very thinly sliced veg (e.g., carrots, cucumber, peppers, avocado, lettuce etc)

Low-salt soya sauce, shoyu sauce or tamari to serve

Method

Make your sushi rice per package instructions. This usually involves rinsing your sushi rice a few times until the water runs clear and for brown rice, leaving it to soak a while which will reduce its cooking time. For best results, once you’ve taken the pan off the heat, leave the lid on and cover the pan with a clean tea-towel for half an hour to let the rice rest and soak up all the remaining water/steam. There’s not much to do while the rice is cooking and resting afterwards, other than slice a few veg, so you can easily get on with other things while this dish prepares itself! If you’ve never made sushi rice before, you can find instructions online for rice/water ratios and cooking times. I sometimes cook my rice with coconut (milk or oil) because my kids prefer it that way.

Once ready, season your rice and serve. You don’t have to go all fancy – just give the kids the Nori sheets and a plate of fillings and let them roll away. Get them to try making a little parcel (by folding in the sides and then the ends); a cone or just a cylinder. The rice is sticky and with a just a few bits of filling, there isn’t much to fall out of either end. My kids like a different mix of fillings; salmon & avocado or just raw veg. The possibilities are wide, and the kids always find it a novelty. The recipe is easily adaptable for children as young as toddlers all the way up to teenagers/adults. These hand-rolls would also make a great packed-lunch snack provided you had a way to keep it cool to save the rice/fish from spoiling!

We hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Do you make something similar at home? Share your favourite recipes below and #sharethelove ❤

Finding the Wonder this Christmas

By MiC Team 17/12/2018

Creative and calm play that will fill your little ones’ hearts with wonder

(and at a 20% discount for MiC Members until the end of the year!)

 

We wrote a post last week with a Christmas Gift Guide for buying presents for our children that add value, hold meaning and will last the whole year round. In this post we also talked about how important we think it is to buy natural and eco-friendly products, as well as urging you to shop local and support the wonderful range of small businesses in Cyprus, including those that are born in the home and run from the kitchen table.

Well, local home-based family-run business Wonderdough ticks all these boxes and here at MiC HQ, we have so enjoyed watching their growth over the last couple of years. Wonderdough is a firm favourite amongst our mini-MiCHQ-ers and it’s one of their most played-with items that they never grow tired of and continue to come back to time and time again!

What is Wonderdough?

Wonderdough is a non-toxic and all natural, handmade playdough, infused with calming and healing natural essential oils. It is made with a sprinkle of love and kindness and was born after realising the abundant benefits playdough provides to curious little fingers and beautiful imaginations.

All Natural

Having two children themselves, wife and husband Team Wonderdough are passionate about bringing an all-natural quality product to the local market and removing the worries of toxins from their children’s play things. Their playdough is made with natural dyes, natural essential oils and extra virgin olive oil.

Being our biggest organ, our skin is the most vulnerable to the absorption of toxins but when playing with Wonderdough, you can rest assured that this natural playdough is safe, non-toxic and will only enhance wellbeing, reduce stress and anxiety all the while encouraging creative and healthy play!

Eco-Friendly

The Wonderdough team have recently developed their very own line of Wonderdough toys, designed and produced in their 3D print farm and made from PLA bioplastic (which is biodegradable and made from fruits and vegetables). We particularly like the Wonderdough-designed stamper for squishing the playdough flat before cutting! The Wonderdough cutters are even food-safe, meaning after a quick wash in soap and warm water, you can also use them to make real-life cookies rather than just the play kind!

Buying local couldn’t be simpler!

Wonderdough have their own e-shop on their website here where you can order online and pick up either from Wonderdough HQ in Limassol or your nearest ACS in Cyprus. You can buy the single tubs of Wonderdough in a number of colours and sizes and they always stock a variety of different-sized playsets in their most popular themes.

 

 

 

 

 

They are constantly updating their product range throughout the year with fantastic themed cutter sets and seasonal products, such as their Christmas packs below which start from as little as €4.50!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wonderdough are giving our MiC members an EXCLUSIVE 20% discount on all Wonderdough products until the end of 2018!

Make sure to quote code << MIC18 >> on all orders via their e-shop; telephone or email!

You’ll also be able to buy Wonderdough online on our MiC Marketplace in the very near future – enabling you to shop local from a number of small businesses at the same time – with exclusive discounts for MiC Members throughout the year!

Customised for You

For larger orders, you can order customised theme-packs for a birthday party, Christening, Wedding, Corporate or special event. The Wonderdough Team are more than happy to custom-design your very own set of personalised labels, stickers, cutters and tools to match your theme and your invitation, creating the perfect personalised gift for guests to take away from your special event or party.

Wonderdough also provide party entertainment for that special event, matching the theme that goes with those beautiful & personalised take-home gifts!

Good for you

Playing with Wonderdough is a fun, creative and nurturing activity and being made with all-natural ingredients, it is also completely healthy and even beneficial to your child’s skin.

Squishing, squashing, rolling, cutting, sculpting and moulding provide hours of imaginative, creative fun and learning for children of all ages. Playing with Wonderdough is an awesome way for children to pass their time and it has a whole lot of benefits – from helping fine-tune those motor skills in little hands; promoting your child’s independence and improving their self-esteem through the process of creating something beautiful all on their own. It nurtures imagination and creativity and also acts as a fun teaching aid – colours; numbers, letters – there are no limits to what you can do with this ‘wondoughful’ stuff. Our mini-MiCHQ-ers love the natural scent of Wonderdough as opposed to the chemical smell of mass-produced play dough and they adore the texture even more – it is that much softer and tactile and doesn’t stick to the surface it is played on.

Benefits of Wonderdough for the entire family

Playing with Wonderdough is incredibly calming and helps relieve stress in children (and adults)! We love playing Wonderdough with our little ones. The entire family can find it a very soothing bonding activity (kneading, rolling, moulding and squishing dough is known to help calm the most hyperactive kids). And it isn’t just for the littlest ones – Kat’s 11 year old still loves playing with Wonderdough and regularly plays it with her younger brother… Just recently when Kat’s whole family was kept indoors due to combined bad-weather and illness – the kids were kept amused for most of the day by creating a menu and making the playdough food, drinks and cakes to order in their Wonderdough Patisserie! It was a great combined activity for the two children to play despite their differences in age and a wonderful way for them to share their creative ideas and skills!

Wonderdough provides a great escape, in a real, natural, healthy, calming and therapeutic way. So, to go back to the beginning… what better way to bring the ‘wonder’ of play and childhood to your children this Christmas, than by giving them an all-natural, eco-friendly, locally-bought, mama-made play dough, along with some of your time to play together this holiday?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wonderdough is giving all MiC Members an EXCLUSIVE discount this holiday until the end of 2018! Quote << MIC18 >> when ordering to receive 20% off this Christmas! Make sure to get your orders in by Friday 21st for guaranteed delivery before Christmas Eve and by the 27th if you want any deliveries before New Year!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Order and buy Wonderdough online here (not forgetting your 20% MIC18 discount code!)

Like them on Facebook 👍 and watch out for their fantastic videos with lots of play-inspiration for your Wonderdough sets!

& Follow them on Instagram 📸

You can also order Wonderdough via telephone: 94 048 111

or contact them via email: info@wonderdough.com

 

MiC’s #WednesdayWin – Newborn Sleep Guide

By MiC Team 09/10/2018

Introducing our latest #WednesdayWin competition – 3 copies of Lisa Gargaro Sleep.co’s guide to the first few week’s of your new baby’s sleep!

We’ll let the expert speak for herself about this fab e-book worth 15 euros (or, if getting a good night’s sleep is important to you, it’s priceless! 🙂 ):

Welcome Mama!

First of all, a huge congratulations on your impending arrival, or the recent arrival of your baby! The journey of motherhood you are about to embark on is a truly amazing one. Although, being honest with you, it will also have its many challenges along the way.

As you are aware, during your prenatal stage you will have been given lots and lots of information on the birth, feeding and the various option discussed with you (depending on your country of maternity care and especially if you are breastfeeding). The support in all of these areas is great and it still continues once your baby is born.

However, what I have noticed is the distinct lack of honest, helpful, and reliable information available to parents about what to expect with their new baby’s sleep and sleep needs. What I find really strange is this very part is going to be something that will definitely rule your life greatly and heavily over the next few years! I believe passionately that this then makes it something you’ll be investing time into to ensure you truly understand. Knowing what to expect sleep-wise for both everyone will be invaluable. This better understanding will help your baby learn great sleep habits from a very early age.

This is where I came in and exactly why I am here! My mission being to help families be able to better understand their baby, allowing them to be more confident in their response to their baby’s needs.

So, let’s not delay any more. Let’s get started today with this guide specifically for mamas like you!

How can I win one of these e-books?

To enter the competition, simply email: kat@mumsincyprus.com with

“Lisa Gargaro Sleep.co” in the subject line.

Please also provide us with:

  1. Your full name
  2. The town you reside in (in Cyprus)
  3. Your mobile telephone number

THE COMPETITION WILL CLOSE ON WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 24, 2018 AT 17:00!

Once the three winners have been drawn, on or after Wednesday October 24 2018, they will receive a link to download their personal copy of Lisa’s e-book.

You can find further information this newborn sleep guide, as well as Lisa’s other sleep consultation services, you can go to her website >> here.

website: www.lisagargarosleep.co/

facebook: @LisaGargaroSleep.co

e: lisa@lisagargarosleep.co

t: 00357 99260557

Skype name: dream.sleep.club

 

How Stress Affects Kids and How to Help Them Cope

By MiC Team 01/10/2018

This is a guest post from Lisa Gargaro, Certified Sleep Consultant @ Lisa Gargaro Sleep.Co

Feeling stressed has almost become the norm for many overstretched, busy families. Think about it—when was the last time your family—or any family, for that matter— enjoyed a long stretch of together time without being glued to a smart phone or other electronic device or looking at your watch?

It is not thought that stress can actually be good for you although one type of stress called ‘eustress’ can actually be positive and productive—eustress is the kind of stress that’s healthful or helps you feel fulfilled (for example, the kind you experience when you do enjoyable exercise or challenge yourself in some way). Many people & children suffer far too often from negative stress though. All that stress leads us to cope with our lives & situations in unhealthy ways. These then take their toll on overall health and wellbeing. Unfortunately, stress is not just a problem for adults. There’s evidence that teens & young children are also vulnerable to stress and its effects.

The latest Stress in America SurveyTM by the American Psychological Association (APA) polled adults as well as 1,018 teens, ages 13 to 17, who live in the United States about stress over the previous month. While American adults continue to report higher stress levels than what they believe to be healthy, the survey also reveals that the patterns of unhealthy stress behaviours we see in adults impact teens as well. According to the survey, many American teens report experiencing stress at unhealthy levels, appear uncertain in their stress management techniques and experience symptoms of stress in numbers that mirror adults’ experiences. Stress during the teen years also seems to take a toll on activity, nutrition and lifestyle behaviours’ that no doubt contributes to current and future habits and health.

This stress impacts teens in myriad ways. The survey shows, for example, that 36% of teens report fatigue/feeling tired; 35% report lying awake at night; 32% report they have headaches; and 23% report skipping a meal.

The report also reveals that teens are less aware than adults about the impact stress can have on their physical and mental health. In fact, 42% of teens say they often don’t know what to do to manage their stress or they aren’t sure if they are doing enough to manage it. Fifty-one percent report that while stress management is important to them, more than 1 in 10 report they never set aside time to manage stress. And 55% of teens say they set aside time to manage stress only a few times a month at most. Although 37% exercise or walk and 28% play sports to manage stress, many teens cope with stress by engaging in sedentary behaviours. For example, a lot of teens report turning to screens to cope with stress. In fact, 46% report they play video games, 43% surf the internet or go online and 36% watch TV or movies to cope with stress. Playing computer games & watching screens then has a negative effect on the zeitgebers causing sleep issues which creates a downward spiral effect.

When it comes to teen girls especially, the report reveals that stress impacts behaviours that relate to food. For example, 39% say they eat too much or too little, 35% report overeating or eating unhealthy foods, 31% report skipping a meal and 22% report a change in appetite when stressed.

It’s clear from this APA survey that both the young and old (and those of us in between) are vulnerable to the effects of stress. Whether it’s is related to school or work, relationships, finances, or any combination of factors, stress is an inevitable part of everyone’s life. If we often perceive all that happens around us in negative ways, and it makes us cope in less-than-healthy ways, stress can take a huge toll on us (not to mention those around us).

Studies suggest that stress can have negative effects on our eating and fitness habits and on our ability to fall asleep—and stay asleep.

As discussed in the Stress in AmericaTM survey, studies also suggest stress can weaken immunity and exhaust the body, increase inflammation in the body (and thereby increase cardiovascular disease risk), and make us more vulnerable to colds.

Because of the many perils of stress, it’s imperative that parents find ways to manage stress positively and productively. A tall order, I know. But because our kids see what we do and how we handle different situations and stressors, for better or worse, we need to model as best we can positive ways of perceiving and coping with stress. If we prioritize finding positive and productive ways to handle challenges, it’s more likely our kids will see our example and learn to cope better as well.

While there’s no one size fits all strategy to manage stress, a combination of behaviours can help us all cope better and enhance our overall health and wellbeing. Staying physically active, engaging in exercise and sitting less can temper stress. Finding activities we enjoy—especially outside in the sunshine—can boost mood and help our hearts be healthier. Eating a wide variety of nutrient-rich foods from all the basic food groups—whole grains, fruits, vegetables, lean protein foods, low fat dairy and healthy fats—throughout the day and at regular intervals can help steady blood sugar levels and have mood-boosting and other benefits. Connecting with others regularly, laughing and meditating can also help. Getting enough sleep by having regular, consistent bedtimes can also help us avoid fatigue that no-doubt can in and of itself contribute to unhealthy behaviours.

Sometimes, no matter what we do, stress will get the best of us. But when we try our best to cope and nothing seems to work, there’s no shame in seeking help from a qualified health professional (eg a psychologist).

If your child or teenager is showing signs of sleep problems or stress then please reach out. My knowledge and background in both psychology and sleep places me a very good & secure place to help with this.

I am Lisa Gargaro, an expert sleep consultant and I can produce a personally tailored individual sleep program for your baby which details exactly how and what you will need to do to help your baby or child to sleep independently for 10-12 hours each night. With good sleep, the behaviour of your child will be dramatically improved as a result. Please contact me directly to chat about how I can help you, making sleepless nights a thing of the past and every night a great one from now.

If you are an adult who suffers from insomnia I am also able to help you sleep. With a personally tailored sleep program and with the use of CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy), we can train you to sleep so you don’t view bedtime as the enemy anymore.

Being a mother of 4 children I understand & relate to how important it is for the whole family to sleep, this is my passion & goal to help other families achieve this by helping them gain the knowledge & support they may need.

 

website: www.lisagargarosleep.co/

facebook: @LisaGargaroSleep.co

e: lisa@lisagargarosleep.co

t: 00357 99260557

Skype name: dream.sleep.club

8 reasons why MyBook Heroes books deserve shelf space in your home!

By MiC Team 16/07/2018

MyBook Heroes has been on our radar for some time now. This local company, based in Cyprus yet distributing books worldwide, writes, illustrates and creates personalised books for children.

And in addition to this? The thing that we LOVE most about MyBook Heroes? They have given themselves an important mission: to enable and guide each and every child to trust in themselves and their innate abilities!

Research has shown that having an understanding of certain core skills early on in life, leads to successful and happier lives at an older age.

 

 

Each book, created with love and filled with fun and excitement, also has an important aim at its core – to build confidence; determination or courage in the child reading the book. This child is the central character in their personalised book and, more importantly, the hero of their own story!

 

 

With a seamless platform that allows parents to fully customise their choice of book and preview the entire book online before ordering, creating the best present for your child could not be simpler!

Delivered locally within 3 days of ordering and with an exclusive 10% discount using our special Mums in Cyprus code << MIC10 >> on every order you make, we think these books tick a lot of boxes to make them the pretty perfect gift!

 

 

Read on to hear from company founder, Maria Lavithi, on what makes her books so special…

8 reasons why your child needs to be a MyBook Hero!

Before we go any further we would like to thank you for reading this, and for taking the time to explore the things that can make a huge difference to your child’s self-confidence. We could start with the obvious, which is the amount of love we pour into making our books! But allow us to dig a little deeper and explain why our books are seriously the best books for your children.

Our mission is simple yet extremely important! We want to guide children to trust their abilities as early on as possible in life.

We want children to grow up and be confident, well-adjusted joyful people who dare to live life!

And so, without further ado, here are our 8 reasons why:

1. The personal aspect…

In every single one of our books YOUR child is the hero!

You get to choose the avatar; give it your child’s name; choose their favourite cover; pick a language and write your personal dedication at the front of the book.

The era of personalised books is now! There are many reasons why these books are selling like crazy, and one of them is that children connect easier with the book and are more likely to read it… Let’s admit it, how cool is it to be the hero of your own story?! I wish I had had these books growing up!

 

 

2. Those all important life skills

Our magical recipe for success!

Have you ever wondered why academic achievement is not always the best predictor of success in later life?

Each and every one of our books has at their core an important life skill! Unfortunately, these skills are not being given the emphasis they deserve at school and kids are finishing their school careers without the critical skills they need in order to succeed in their personal and professional lives!

We know that books can shape our brains from an early age, which is why we design and write every book with the single yet important mission to empower your child!

4. The vibrant illustrations

Our team is made up of parents themselves… we know what our children like!

Our illustrations are alive with original and interesting creatures! There are even hidden objects for your child to find in every book! Vibrant colours, original characters, and fun settings will let your child’s imagination soar!

4. The connection they make with their book

The connection children create with their personalised books is amazing! It makes all the difference to see yourself as a hero on the pages of the book in front of you!

We continuously hear from parents how their kids feel closer to the books; how proud they are to see their name in the book and how much faster they engage with the story. They also appear to remember the plot and the message of the story that much easier!

 

 

5. The “WOW” factor that they are the hero of their own story!

This may have become a clichéd phrase but it is still true… not all heroes wear capes.

We know that each and every one of us has a hero inside. Given the right nurturing and the right support, that hero can shine!

We want children to understand the power they have over their own lives and that ultimately they are responsible for the outcome of their own real-life story.

This is an extremely powerful message to grasp even as adults. But the sooner we start, the better chance we give our children to be the best version of themselves.

6. The rhymes

You will have fun, we promise! When it rhymes, you can’t help but want to read the books again and again!

Rhymes are proven to help children develop cognitive skills and strengthen their communication, language and literacy skills. They also improve brain and general memory skills.

7. The personal dedication

Your words matter to your children even if sometimes it seems like they are not listening!

Information overload can happen to anyone one of us. So imagine your best advice and expression of love saved forever at the back of our books. They can always go back and reread that special wish or advice – they will know that you will always be there and how important you believe it to be that they follow their dreams. Those words from you will make a difference one day, we promise!

8. The belief that WE have in the MyBook Heroes books

This is a personal reason for us but it makes a difference for you to know it. These books are not a product of a nameless corporation… These books are a product of love and hope. The entire team has dedicated over a year of no salaries and no safety nets to create these books because we truly believe that they need to be available to all children!

Make sure to take advantage of your exclusive MiC member discount on every order you make at MyBook Heroes. Buy small. Buy local. Remember your code << MIC10 >> and claim it here.

 

 

Go to the MyBook Heroes website >>

Quite the experience: Kidsperience Preschool in Limassol

By MiC Team 25/06/2018

Parents of pre-school kids…get ready! There’s a new nursery in Limassol town, and it’s refreshingly different! In our quest to bring you the latest, freshest and most relevant news, we met with the remarkable Katerina Sazou to find out what makes Kidsperience so special.

Herself a mother of two children under 5, Katerina holds the belief that within each child there is a natural curiosity and thirst for knowledge. The nursery’s mission: to awaken this curiosity and keep it alive by making the children love learning. The educators work diligently together and individually to accomplish this aim.

Under the ethos that ‘learning is not a chore but a gift; not an obligation but a choice’, the nursery’s progressive approach to learning focuses on providing each individual child with a holistic education that equips them with not just educational tools but also the wider range of skills needed to successfully participate as an active member of our community.

Welcoming children from 2 years old until 5 years old (from Nursery class until pre-reception), the school operates from Monday to Friday from 7.30am until 5.30pm.

 

 

The curriculum

While the standards of the British National Curriculum (Early Years Foundation Stage) are followed along with selected aspects of the Greek Cypriot Curriculum, Kidsperience places emphasis on encouraging the development of healthy habits. Teaching both the English and Greek languages and developing children’s academic skills, the educators also give them the means and resources to think independently and critically, and grow their social, emotional and physical skills through a wide range of hands on activities.

The learning support

The school works closely with a learning support team to ensure the Kidsperience kids’ needs are met. In addition to this support team, their on campus Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) observes the children regularly, providing any support that is required to ensure that all the children’s needs are appreciated and cared for.

The learning environment

Every detail of the Kidsperience environment is designed to stimulate the children’s curiosity and benefit their development in some way. Each classroom is designed to allow the children to explore, investigate, play and learn independently. Interconnecting classrooms allow for age-mixing and free flowing interaction between the classes; halls and outdoor play area are also used for the benefit of the children’s development and are viewed as an extension of the classrooms.

The facilities

Kidsperience has been in operation for the past couple of years in Agios Athanasios and the team is very excited about their new premises in the centre of Limassol. The newly renovated environment includes up-to-date educational equipment, from interactive whiteboards in every fully equipped classroom to natural sensory areas in the large outdoor playground. Katerina tells us that every inch of the school has been designed to assist the children through their exciting learning journey, and we particularly liked to hear that the safe and secure school facilities abide by safety laws set by the Welfare office and Fire Department.

The meals

Kidsperience’s well-rounded menus are prepared on-site in their newly renovated kitchen by caring staff members. The unique Kidsperience menu (given to you at enrolment) was designed by a qualified nutritionist in order to provide a balanced diet; the children are provided with two healthy snacks and one lunch meal during their day at school. How great is that?!

The staff

All dedicated staff members are screened before entering the school including formal police and medical checks. The enthusiastic educators are required to have the appropriate education, and all staff members are required to partake in yearly First Aid training.

The fees

Monthly fees vary according to the schedule you choose for your child. The fees are all-inclusive, covering everything from meals and snacks, to excursions, visiting educators and extra programs organised by the nursery… So, no hidden extra-fees each month, which is a huge relief!

What we also liked

Kidsperience Clubs – these are extra-curricular activities that complement the British National Curriculum held in the afternoon hours, offering a greater selection of activity. A range of clubs are offered each day and they change each term – fantastic for families where both parents work and afternoon childcare is a constant worry!

Workshops – each month workshops and events are planned, varying in topic and age range. These are open to parents, children enrolled at the school as well as to the public.

Seminars for Parents – Kidsperience offers education for the entire family, not just the children enrolled at the school – professional advice on different topics in an environment ideal for open discussions, on subjects ranging from child psychology to nutrition, first aid and more. Hosted by a professional, these seminars will enable parents to further develop their parenting skills.

To help you decide if Kidsperience is right for your child and your family, you may be interested in reading our guide on ‘How to choose a nursery’.

 

Kidsperience is now open for enrolments for September 2018! Go ahead and meet Katerina and visit the Kidsperience premises to find out more about their amazing new facilities; expanded educational team; classes and ethos! Book your appointment today:

 

t: (+357) 7000 5437

e: info@kidsperience.com.cy

Find them online: www.kidsperience.com.cy/

And on Facebook: @KIDSPERIENCECY

Their new premises are located here:

12 Nikou kai Despoinas Pattichi 3071,
Agios Georgios, Limassol

 

What people are saying about Kidsperience:

 

 

 

Our Top Tips for keeping your kids hydrated this summer

By MiC Team

Dehydration can happen very quickly on a hot day.

Here’s how to recognise the signs and better still, prevent them from happening…

 

Summer is here and everyone will be spending a lot of time outside over the next few months! We all know that feeling when we haven’t drunk enough water on a hot day: that sudden pounding headache; dry mouth; dizziness; brain fog and lethargy. These are all early warning signs of dehydration which can be remedied quite easily with rest and increased fluid intake.

However, for children, if those early warning signs of dehydration aren’t detected and treated early on, they can quickly require hospitalisation – especially in under 5-year olds. Children get dehydrated much faster than adults: they need more fluids than us; their bodies don’t cool down as efficiently as ours; they tend to be far more active, take less breaks and forget to stay hydrated. Children can also find it hard to recognise those tell-tale signs that we as adults understand are our body’s way of warning us to slow down and hydrate.

As always, prevention is better than a cure, so we’ve compiled a list of top tips for keeping your kids hydrated in this heat to allow them to enjoy the summer sun safely!

Dehydration can occur without thirst

When a child becomes dehydrated, the salts and fluids in their body are out of balance: more fluid has left the body (through vomiting, diarrhoea or excessive sweating) than has entered it. On a hot day, or during a sickness bug, this can happen very quickly if the “lost” water is not replenished.

Your child may seem low on energy; be irritable or just not themselves. In addition to this, further early signs of dehydration are a decrease in urination, or urine that is dark yellow and strong smelling.

While a feeling of thirst is also a warning sign, it is important to note that dehydration can occur without thirst. Severe dehydration can be fatal, even if the symptoms appear mild. The following signs require you to seek medical advice immediately:

 

As always, if you have any concerns at all – or for further information – make sure to contact your GP / paediatrician as soon as possible.

Prevention is key

Even mild dehydration can cause headaches, reduced mental performance, lack of concentration and fatigue. By the time kids are complaining of thirst, they are already dehydrated, which it is why it is of utmost importance to prevent this from occurring wherever possible. However, during the summer months and when playing outside, it can be quite a challenge to make sure your kids are drinking enough fluids.

Water, milk and sugar-free fruit and vegetable juices (in moderation – even better if homemade) are the best options to keep your kids hydrated. It’s preferable to stay away from fizzy pop, sports drinks or vitamin waters that are often marketed to kids. Though if your child has become mildly dehydrated through illness, or is playing a lot of sports in the heat, it may be a good idea to give them an electrolyte-infused drink.

How can I ensure my kids drink enough water?

Kids can sometimes be quite picky and a lot of children simply don’t like drinking plain water, especially if they are used to drinking juices and sodas.

If you get your child to choose their own reusable water bottle in a fun design, they are more likely to want to drink from it. The water tastes better, it keeps cold longer and you’ll also be doing the environment a favour as well! Individual water bottles that you refill are also a great way of monitoring how much liquid your child is taking in… Fill them with filtered water from your home and the entire family can drink healthy, clean water when out and about! To read why it is important to drink filtered water, go to our blog post here.

Cold water can generally be more appealing to kids, but keep in mind that liquids at moderate temperature are better absorbed by the body and are better for keeping hydrated. On a very hot day, a frozen ice-pop made from freezing diluted fruit juices / smoothies will certainly go down a treat!

Another trick can be to freeze juice in ice-trays and add those to plain water in a glass. Some children also like flavoured water that is infused with slices of watermelon, strawberries, cucumber, lemon or lime, or any other fruits/veg… Experiment and see what they prefer!

Make sure to include high-water content foods in your daily diet. Homemade smoothies, juices, broths and soups (hot or cold) or iced herbals teas (all made with pure filtered water) will help keep up your hydration levels during the warmer weather. Foods that contain a lot of water, like watermelon and simple salads made with tomatoes and cucumber, are good options to appeal to the kids.

Try cutting a seedless watermelon with cookie cutters and freeze the pieces for an ice-cold snack when they are really hot! Our kids really like making these – by getting them involved in the process; they are more likely to enjoy eating the result!

How much is enough?

It is generally recommended that children drink at least six to eight glasses of water per day but this can increase in warmer weather. Don’t wait until they are thirsty to offer them fluids. As we discussed earlier, this can mean that they are already dehydrated. Try to encourage them to take a rest in the shade and hydrate every 15 – 20 minutes in particularly hot weather, especially if they are being active. Always carry their reusable water bottle with you so that it is easier to offer them frequent sips when out and about. Our kids are really attached to their water bottles and take them with them everywhere they go!

Make sure you stay hydrated too!

It’s very easy to worry so much about keeping the kids hydrated that you forget to pack a water bottle for yourself as well! Make sure that you also take your own water out and about with you.

In addition to all the above mentioned tips, precautions, and ways to keep your child hydrated, it is important to protect your child from excessive exposure to heat and sun. Monitor them as they play, offer them water continuously when out and about in the sun, wear protective clothing and make sure to apply (and frequently reapply) that suncream!

For more tips on protecting your skin this summer, go to our blog post here.

Enjoy the summer… keep hydrated and stay healthy and happy!

 

How To… know whether your baby is ready for sleep training

By MiC Team 25/05/2018

 

Lisa Gargaro Sleep Co is creating new personalised Sleep programs every week for families out there who are struggling to get enough sleep. However, the truth is that even if she can create the best laid plan for you, your baby and family, it will not be effective if you as parents are not ready for your child to do this.

So for Lisa, as a sleep consultant, the first big question she asks is: Are YOU ready to make this change and to undertake sleep training with your child?

If you don’t know or are a little unsure, take a look at this 10-step checklist that she has created, to help you make that decision and determine if you and your baby/toddler are ready for sleep training!

Lisa’s 10 Point Checklist: IS IT TIME TO SLEEP TRAIN?

1. Need over Want?

Babies learn early on what feels good (e.g. being in mummy’s or daddy’s arms) and what doesn’t (i.e. dirty, wet nappies). This leads to an instinctive reaction to cry. They learn that when they cry, they will get a clean diaper or will be held and comforted. A new-born baby has limited self-soothing abilities and if these are not developed, over time they will learn that a need can become a want.

Your previously great-sleeper may also suddenly develop ‘sleep regression’ at around 4 months old, with frequent sleep problems occurring. You may convince yourself that your every-two-hour-eater is genuinely hungry or needs comfort. But eventually, once you have started to run up a sleep debt yourself, you’ll find yourself asking and wondering whether they really need it as much as they want it. Is the only reason they “need” it because that’s all they’ve ever known, or because they can’t sleep without it?

2. Do you believe your baby is ready to self soothe?

Your baby does have the ability to learn new ways and methods to sleep. Far and wide across the world experts discuss the ‘right’ age to try new methods, however, each family is different and setting an exact age may not be helpful. There are two key elements to finding the right age to start. Firstly; whether you believe that your baby has the ability to learn a new skill and form a new method of putting themselves to sleep, and secondly and more importantly; do you wish to help them learn this new skill for themselves so that they can self-soothe independently, ensuring they are well rested to give them the best possible chance to grow and develop?

3. The timing is right for you AND for your baby.

The timing has to be right for both you and your baby. Many experts would agree that a 3-6 month old can learn to self-soothe, but it may be right for YOUR family to wait until baby is 12 months’ old. This can depend on your baby’s temperament and a whole host of other factors. Nobody knows your baby better than you and only you can figure out the right time to do this for them. Keep in mind that you can always try, take a break and try again a bit later on if you doubt your timing at any point after you have begun.

4. You are ready for it to get worse before it gets better!

You decide the timing that is right for you. The difference between hearing your 16-week old or 6-month old fussing or crying, versus hearing your 11-month old is very obvious. Whether you decide to use a no-cry method or a crying one, there is always going to be some difficult and uncomfortable moments to deal with. So ask yourself: are YOU ready for some rough days and/or nights? Are you able to deal with it when it may get harder, for a few days once you start, before it gets easier?

5. Your baby has a sleep problem.

Sometimes, it is our own expectations that are to blame for our baby’s perceived ‘sleep problem’. Ask yourself: “Is your 8-month old breastfed baby still waking up once a night to eat?” For many, that is A-OK and age-appropriate while for others, this is not acceptable nor wished for. We know all babies are different and sometimes you just have to adjust your expectations of them. Once the expectations are lowered and you stop comparing between your baby and your neighbour’s, you will find this does wonders to your outlook and your family.

6. You are getting desperate!

You know that you NEED to sleep train your baby, when the thought of having to wake up every hour to put a pacifier in the baby’s mouth cannot go on any longer.  Or for those of you who do have appropriate expectations and don’t feel you have a true ‘baby sleep problem’, only you can decide whether you need to sleep train. Some families say that even getting up once a night is just brutal months and months later, so maybe your sleep training is about getting a full night’s sleep. Similarly, others have experienced increasingly severe side-effects to sleep deprivation such as suffering with various health problems, daily difficulties in functioning, or even depression. One client told me recently that she never understood how sleep deprivation could be used as a form of torture until she had a baby. This is something that I can totally relate to!

7. You can and want to commit!

You are able and willing to commit to the time needed to undertake sleep training. One of the most important aspects of my support as your consultant is setting appropriate expectations about how long sleep training will take. Some people get frustrated three days into the training when changes are not happening fast enough for them. I would ask you to first consider how long your child has had the current sleeping habits. For some toddlers, sleep training means you are changing habits which they have had for as long as two or three years! To be clear, results come rarely overnight (though sometimes they are!). However, most people will have at least some success within one week and for older children, approximately two weeks. These changes will help give you the boost you need for the long haul!

8. Sleep training is NOT a crash diet!

You are ready to be 100% consistent and patient with the program and with your child. Changing strategies daily or even hourly can lead to more crying and frustration for both you and your baby. Consistency is necessary as this will create the security needed for your child to change their learnt sleeping behaviours. I like to use the analogy that this is similar to yoyo dieting versus a more sustainable and effective “lifestyle change”. Therefore, sleep training should not be seen as a crash diet. You need to be consistent both in the short- and the long-term.

So, are you truly ready? A key part of success of the program is patience. Even more so if you are using a no-cry sleep training method, you need to be prepared to be patient. You would never expect your baby to learn to walk or talk in a day, so you can’t expect him to learn new sleeping skills so quickly.

9. What are your goals and how do you want to achieve them?

You are ready to invest in your family by asking me to be your family’s sleep consultant. I will create your personal family plan. We will decide what your goals are and the steps you need to take to achieve them. By investing in my support as your sleep consultant, it helps ensure results are achieved and maintained. I can help you adapt the program, keep you motivated and stay on track throughout.

What I have found from speaking to my clients is that my guidance during the program is invaluable to helping them see a clear path ahead through the ‘brain fog’ they have due to their lack of sleep. The added support from myself also helps keep them focused and motivated, with the knowledge that I care deeply about their family’s progress in achieving independent sleep for their child.

No major changes occur in one day, they take planning and dedication. Life has a habit of throwing curve balls at us that we don’t anticipate, which is why my experience and training as a sleep consultant means we can work together to make changes to your plan, and work through it together until we have achieved your goals.

10. You have support

You need support to help you through this process. Sleep training can be very emotional and draining and without the confidence needed, the best of plans can fail. It is helpful to have support whether it’s in the form of your spouse, a friend, or myself. Success happens when you have someone you feel accountable to “check in” with and they can help keep you going. Some of my clients have lacked the support at home but were still able to succeed due to the support that I happily offer.

*

I hope you find this article helpful in making the decision of whether you are ready to tackle the emotional task of sleep training. Alternatively it may have given you the answer that it is okay to wait until the time is right. The only person who knows what you live with day-in and day-out is yourself. I believe that by listening and trusting your own instincts, they will take you far and where you need to be.

If you are ready to sleep train, let the expert Lisa Gargaro from Lisa Gargaro Sleep Co help!

If you’ve tried sleep training on your own without success, you are not alone; many, many parents struggle to get their babies and toddlers sleeping well. What you may need at this point is an expert to help you through the sleep training process. By contacting Lisa today, she can start creating a personalised sleep plan for you, your baby and your unique parenting style. The plan will take you through every step of the process, detailing the schedule for you to follow, with Lisa available at any time to answer your most pressing sleep questions.

Once you have made your decision and wish to start your sleep consulting package simply contact her via your preferred method and she will be in touch soon to start the process.

Lisa has created a special one-hour sleep consultation package EXCLUSIVELY FOR MiC MEMBERS. To find out more, click here.

e: lisa@lisagargarosleep.co

t: 00357 99260557

Skype name: dream.sleep.club

I am Lisa Gargaro, an expert sleep consultant and I can produce a personally tailored individual sleep program for your baby which details exactly how and what you will need to do to help your baby or child to sleep independently for 10-12 hours each night. With good sleep, the behaviour of your child will be dramatically improved as a result. Please contact me directly to chat about how I can help you, making sleepless nights a thing of the past and every night a great one from now.

If you are an adult who suffers from insomnia I am also able to help you sleep. With a personally tailored sleep program and with the use of CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy), we can train you to sleep so you don’t view bedtime as the enemy anymore.

Being a mother of 4 children I understand & relate to how important it is for the whole family to sleep, this is my passion & goal to help other families achieve this by helping them gain the knowledge & support they may need.

website: www.lisagargarosleep.co/

facebook: @LisaGargaroSleep.co

 

 

MiC’s Top Picks, Summer 2018 ☀

By MiC Team 14/05/2018

The Guide 2018

For all things Summer

Our 2018 Edition of ‘Top Picks’ for summer schools and activities across the island is here! Looking for a little inspiration on where to go and how to keep the family entertained in the months to come? Browse our listing, with some great suggestions on how to keep your little (and not so little) ones busy over the holidays 🙂 and discover what’s out there…maybe even try something new this year!

 

Wishing you a fun-filled holiday,
The MiC Team

 

Go to the full MiC TOP PICKS SUMMER 2018 GUIDE online here >>

 

 

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