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A UK Pregnancy, Parenting and Lifestyle Blog
February 22, 2017

Johnson’s® Tonight We Sleep™ Challenge*

After being blessed with a baby that slept through pretty well, and pretty early on, the first time round, karma got us this time around and our newest member of the family has been somewhat challenging when it comes to sleep and bedtime routines. He also suffers from silent reflux and a cow’s milk intolerance so if this isn’t being managed properly, his aversion to sleep gets even stronger. JOHNSON’S® heard our cries for help and asked us to take part in their ‘Tonight We Sleep’ challenge, which aims to improve your baby’s bedtime routine and in turn improve their sleep (and therefore yours as well!).

johnsons baby tonight we sleep challenge

The challenge consists of a unique 3-step bedtime routine which we have to try out for one week. It has been clinically proven to help babies and toddlers aged 7-36 months to fall asleep quicker and stay asleep for longer. Sounds pretty wonderful to me!

johnsons baby tonight we sleep challenge

The 3 step plan:

Step 1 – Warm Bath

Who doesn’t love a nice, warm bath? I wish I could have one every night but this isn’t about me, it’s about the kids! I’ve been terrible at bathing L, to the point that the husband pretty much ends up demanding that I wash him. I just love his natural smell and don’t feel the need to bath him that much as he doesn’t get particularly dirty. Obviously if his nappy leaks or he has a massive sick incident then he goes in the tub. JOHNSON’S® studies have found that babies who were bathed in a fragranced bath product spent nearly 25% less time crying before going to sleep. So, actually, I think I will be upping L’s baths to nightly to see how we get on…

johnsons baby tonight we sleep challenge baby routine

johnsons baby tonight we sleep challenge

Step 2 – Baby Massage

Here is something else I love – a massage! These babies don’t know how good they’ve got it sometimes! When the toddler was a baby I got into a good routine of giving her a massage every night. I had a YouTube playlist of ‘relaxing massage music’ and would spend a good 10-15 mins massaging her skin with oil. I’ve given L a couple massages here and there but more to try and relax his silent reflux symptoms, rather than as part of a bedtime routine. I’m excited to give him a massage every night and be able to spend some quality time bonding with him. Life is pretty crazy with a two-year-old in the house as well so it’s great to have some uninterrupted one on one time with L. JOHNSON’S® highly recommend that your baby is dry and warm and on a soft (safe) comfy surface before beginning. You start with hands resting on baby’s tummy, then move downwards to massage legs, and then move back upwards in small, soft circular motions, engaging in eye contact with your little one. It really is such a special time to have with your baby.

johnsons baby tonight we sleep challenge

johnsons baby tonight we sleep challenge

Step 3 – Quiet Time

I am a huge believer in quiet time before bed. I remember reading about the importance of turning the TV off, dimming the lights and creating a relaxing atmosphere before bed, and it all made total sense to me. In our house, once the kids are bathed, they stay upstairs and get straight into bed before getting their stories read to them. I always felt if they came back down and were surrounded by their toys again, with the TV etc in the background, then it would be too stimulating before trying to get to sleep. Close contact between you and your baby helps to calm their breathing which relaxes them before bed. The JOHNSON’S® BEDTIME™ Baby Sleep App has lots of relaxing lullabies to help with your quiet time as well.

We LOVE the app. There are all sorts of helpful tips and logs on it and it really helps you keep on top of your sleep routine.

How we got on:

I’ll put my hands up and say that we have been more relaxed on the routine front this time because life is just 100x busier once you have more than one child, isn’t it! Nailing the bedtime routine again has been on my to-do list for ages, so I am glad the JOHNSON’S® Tonight We Sleep challenge has come along when it has. It’s given me the kick up the bum to get ourselves sorted.

johnsons baby tonight we sleep challenge baby routine

New routine:

6.30 pm – bath with sister.
6.45 pm – massage and lotion.
7.00 pm – feed whilst big sister gets her stories.
7.30 pm – bed.

Day 1

Wake ups – one at 6.00am for a feed.

Day 2

Wake ups – two. One at 3.00am, but went back to sleep after 10 minutes and one at 5.30am for a feed.

Day 3

Wake ups – NONE!

Day 4

Wake ups – none.

Day 5

Wake ups – one at 6.30am for a feed.

Day 6

Wake ups – none.

Day 7

Wake ups – one at 6am for a feed.

All in all, the JOHNSON’S® Tonight We Sleep challenge has made a huge difference to our bedtime routine with L. It is so nice to have him going upstairs to bed content, shortly after his older sister, rather than staying up with us downstairs for half the night. It has given us part of our evenings back which has had a big positive impact on our moods as well. Everyone is a winner! He is still only four months old so one wake up a night is totally acceptable, in my eyes, for a feed.

johnsons baby tonight we sleep challenge

I think he is starting to associate the whole process with bedtime and sleep, which is great. I’m sure the lovely scent of the bubble bath, oil and lotion helps with the sleep association as well (and I love feeding him when he smells so fresh too!). I’m very happy with how this new bedtime routine is shaping up and I’m looking forward to the day when both kids go upstairs to bed at the same time and sleep through. That will be a serious parenting win!

johnsons baby tonight we sleep challenge

Do you have a strict bedtime routine or do you prefer to go with the flow? We’d love to hear what works for you!

*Sponsored blog post by the Johnson’s® brand. I have received payment incentive and samples but all opinions are my own. Johnson’s® clinically proven bedtime routine consists of bath, massage and quiet time, tested on babies 7 months+, 1 week+ use

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A twenty-something, full time working, mum of two, with a love for all things cat, cacti and scandi related.

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Kisses and cuddles with my faves 💖💫 Kisses and cuddles with my faves 💖💫
‘Each of us as citizens, has a role to play in c ‘Each of us as citizens, has a role to play in creating a better world for our children.’ - Nelson Mandela ❤️
It’s not enough though, is it? We’ve always h It’s not enough though, is it?

We’ve always had diverse toys in our house (not enough, but I’m working on it ❤️), but when questioned ‘why do you buy your kids Black dolls?’, I’ve faltered and answered incorrectly. I would respond saying ‘because that’s the doll Isla liked the best. What does it matter? We’re all human’, rather than questioning why that person is questioning it in the first place.

In a massive learning curve this week, where I am actively trying to become an anti-racist ally, not just anti-racist/non racist in general, I have found so many shortcomings in my effort to educate my kids and in my own attitudes towards race. But this isn’t about me. So here are some resources I’d like to share on top of the ones shared in my stories.

Some books to read:
Me and White Supremacy - Layla F. Saad.
Why I’m No Longer Talking To White People About Race - Reni Eddo-Lodge.
How to argue with a racist - Adam Rutherford.
Brit(ish) - Afua Hirsch.
White Fragility - Robin Diangelo.
I Am Not Your Baby Mother - Candice Brathwaite.
So You Want to Talk About Race - Ijeoma Oluo.

Diverse kids books:
Anti Racist Baby - X. Kendi.
Riley Can Be Anything -Davina Hamilton.
Look Up - Nathan Bryon.
Mae Among The Stars - Roda Ahmed.
The Mega Magic Hair Swap - Rochelle Humes.
Let’s Talk About Race - Julius Lester.
Welcome To Our World - Moira Butterfield and Harriet Lynas.
This Book Is Antiracist - Tiffany Jewell.
The Extraordinary Gardener - Sam Boughton.
Let The Children March - Monica Clark-Robinson.
Ruby’s Worry - Tom Percival.
A Kids Book About Racism - Jelani Memory.

Some things to watch:
When They See Us.
13th.
Who Killed Malcom X.
Time: The Kalief Browder Story.
Explained: The Racial Wealth Gap.
Dear White People.
I am Not Your Negro.

My to do list:
- Sign more petitions.
- Donate to more causes.
- Listen to podcasts and share.
- Encourage changes in the school curriculum so that my children, and their classmates, get a better, much more rounded and diverse education.
- Call things out.
- Have honest/open conversations.
- Share content.
- To keep educating myself, whilst never expecting others to do it for me.

It’s just a starting point.

Thanks for listening x
Black Lives Matter. I can never pretend to unders Black Lives Matter.

I can never pretend to understand, but I will always stand.

I’ve been on a huge learning curve this week and have, shamefully, come to the realisation, which I should have a long time ago, that it’s not enough to just not be racist. We must also be actively anti-racist and do everything in our power to ensure our children are too.

Today is a day to stop, listen, support, educate ourselves, donate, sign petitions, take action in any way we can, big and small, to make sure that everyone knows we stand with our fellow humans, family and friends. But we can’t just do this today. We must do it each and every day going forward ✊🏿✊🏾✊🏽✊🏼✊🏻
And breathe! First day without both my babies for And breathe! First day without both my babies for the first time in 10 weeks today and it couldn’t have gone better. Both had wonderful days and were full of stories when they got home. I said over on stories last night, which got an incredible response so thank you to everyone who reached out, that I am completely comfortable with my choice to send the kids back to school and nursery but would never, ever judge anyone who felt different. We are all in different boats in this storm we’ve found ourselves in and what works for my family, might not work for yours. I have deliberately stayed out of the ‘are you sending your kids back or not?’ debate as it started to feel like another toxic discussion, in the media and on social media, that was resulting in yet another parenting divide.
I could have had the kids in this whole time, under key worker provision, but tried my best to hang on till the phased reopenings that I hoped would happen when they did. They were what I was aiming towards. Don’t get me wrong, I have LOVED having the kids at home together for such a sustained period, we have made lots of memories and learnt so much more about each other, but mixed in with the nature of my job and the fact that @thisdadalife is deployed and so I’m on my own with minimal support, I couldn’t have gone on much longer.
When I got in from dropping them off today, and as I went upstairs to work at my desk, I literally collapsed on the stairs and almost cried in relief. Relief that we made it through, as dramatic as that sounds. I don’t think I realised the toll it was taking mentally as I was constantly running on adrenaline.
I am so happy to get a bit more balance back and to, most importantly, feel like a better mum again. Not a snappy trying to juggle it all 24/7 with no break mum.
If you sent your kids back today, whether you wanted to or not, I’m with you and support you.
If you have kept them home in your bubble for longer, I’m with you and support you.
If you’re still unsure what to do and are undecided, I am with you and support you.
Nobody knows the full extent of someone else’s circumstances and we have to stop and realise that before we judge anyone else ❤️
Ibiza vibes in Puerto Gardeno today 😂☀️😅 Ibiza vibes in Puerto Gardeno today 😂☀️😅
This is the first year in YEARS that I have felt ok wearing a bikini. And I feel like it’s more down to how strong I feel, rather than how I look. Whatever it is, I hope it continues ❤️
On another note, how tanned does the @filterbymollymae fake tan make you look! 🙌🏻
(Both bikini and cover up are from last year).
#losingmyboobstho #youwinsomeyoulosesomehaha
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