So let’s get down to it. Any waking before 6:30am is considered a night waking. Mama don’t have enough energy to be starting her day any earlier than that, even if coffee is involved.

7am is the ideal wake time. A 7-7 schedule is what parents of littles should aim for.

There are certain things in life that are not the way we thought they would be. As a parent, I’m sure you can think of a few situations that were surprising to you:

“I never would have thought that mesh underwear would be my choice of lingerie.”

“Didn’t think the first tattoo I’d have to have removed was Sharpie from my toddler’s stunning work of body art (i.e. colouring on Mommy while she closed her eyes for just a sec).”

It’s the Holy Grail of mama questions: Why won’t my baby stop crying?!

If we were given the option between having free Starbucks for life or having our baby go down without any fussing … it would be a tough choice. Because do those tears ever tug at our heart strings and leave us in a perpetual state of exhaustion, weariness, and defeat.

Well, I don’t have the means to offer you free Starbucks for life, but I can get you on that journey to help baby stop crying. I’m not even kidding. Let’s talk tears.

When I find a parent hack or product that is a game-changer in the mamahood, I have to share the love.

So let’s talk about the Kiddie Couch. My word, this one is a lifesaver.

Here in Canada we experience winter weather all over the map, from rain to hail to blizzards … and that’s just Tuesday. Sometimes it’s tough to get outside ... or you just can’t force yourself to get up off the couch to go to the park again (no judgement here). So finding ways to help our kiddos get their energy out inside is crucial.

My family travels a lot, whether it’s into the mountains for a camping trip, staying in hotels for a wedding, or crossing the ocean via airplane to my hometown in NZ.

And despite the number of travel products I’ve been sent over the years, the SlumberPod is one of the few sleep tools that I get on a soap box about. It really did change the sleep game for me and my family.

When they reached out to let me know that they had a new product ready to go, I was keen to try it. And (no shock here) it didn’t disappoint.

Picture this: You saunter down to the beach, hand-in-hand with your partner and small children, a cute sunset tote bag hanging off of your shoulder. A warm breeze gently plays with your hair. You’re in your hottest bikini, toes painted, sunscreen ready. You lay back onto your towel, take a deep breath and:

“MOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMM! Parker HIT me!”

If you are a mama that prefers to be outside of the house more than in, then this product is for you. As a parent who has done two maternity leaves (thank you, Canada!) and has a husband who also runs his own company, I found that staying inside day after day made me feel trapped and listless. I didn’t know how to do naps-on-the-go well. Cue my saving grace: the SlumberPod.

Does anyone else feel that trying to understand your baby is like learning an entirely new language? That’s how I felt when I had my first little one.

I mean, the happy cooing baby was easy enough to understand. Okay … but now you’re staring at me. Things are good. Stay calm, stay calm … ahh, no! She’s starting to fuss. What does this mean? Dirty diaper? Tummy gas? Are you hungry, hurt, tired? WHAT DO YOU WAAAANNTT?

There was once a young mother whose baby was 3 weeks old,

crying through the night with a sound loud and bold.

The mother woke repeatedly to soothe her babe so small,

exhausted from the effort that each day took quite a toll.

Though she loved to hold her wee one close,

We've all heard the phrase “It takes a village.”

Personally? I'm a huge fan … and not because I can cart my kids off to grandma’s or let a friend change my baby's diaper all in the name of “It takes a village,” but because I truly believe that my children (and I) will be better humans for doing life alongside other positive influences.

(Will my hubby and I always be their #1 safe people? Yes. Absolutely).

Our partners all come in different shapes, sizes, personalities and comfort zones. But we all have the ability to put our littles to sleep if we try … even if we are flying by the seat of our pants.

How do you empower your partner to put your baby to sleep?

Anxiety happens when your toddler is feeling unsure and questioning the changing world around them. You are their world, and when this world opens up, they need to know you are there for them in the most vulnerable part of the day (going to sleep).

So how can we help them relax and let the worries of today go? I’m glad you asked.

Ah, micro naps. The assassin of wake windows. The silent enemy. They strike when we least expect it: Subtly, but always hitting their mark. They turn a great day with the kids into an all-day, frustrating naptime battle.

What are micro naps and why do they happen? Let me share some stories with you:

One area around sleep that has always sent my cortisol levels upward is when my baby falls asleep right before arriving at our destination. Anyone else?

I can’t count the number of times one of my littles has stayed awake on a flight, only to fall asleep as we land (gah!!).

Parents generally fall into two camps when it comes to their feelings about night feeds: They either enjoy them or despise them.

For some, night feeds are a calm, quiet time of connection. There are no other siblings awake to distract you from your child, and you are free from the public eye and the stress of activities scheduled throughout the day. It’s simple.

I know it can be a bit of an emotional thing. The memory of bringing baby home from the hospital still feels new, and all of the sudden we are faced with the decision of whether baby is ready to be moved from the bassinet to the crib.

What a wonderful question! More sleep. Yes girl. As you can tell from my line of work, I am super passionate about helping families get their sleep back. And it’s not just because I love sleep, it’s truly because we need sleep to function.

During sleep, our brain gets to work sorting memories…

Toddlers are the CUTEST forces of nature. And they love to push boundaries and use ALLLLL of their cuteness powers to post-pone bedtime.

Your little one’s sleep needs change as they develop and age. While toddlers need much less sleep than they did as infants, ensuring they get that sleep consistently is important.

Typically parents have this mindset of Baby is so little. They’ll get the hang of it eventually. And around 3 months, baby lulls them into this false sense of security that they are nap champions. I’ve fallen for it myself. I even have the t-shirt.

Then BOOM: 4 month regression. And though we tell ourselves to just keep swimming and make all-sorts of promises to the universe that we intend to keep should baby actually start sleeping through the night … we eventually do hit a wall. And it’s a brick one. Ouch. For many people, this happens in month 6.