Fall Back – clock change 2021

Typical!!You’ve just settled back into a nice routine after finally getting on top of the Back to School drama and then, bang! We have the clocks going back again! Thanks a million, daylight savings!

This one can be a tough one for kids/parents of kids who are already early risers or those who you have struggled with in trying to get them to sleep at all! This year it will happen overnight on Saturday 30th October (the Bank Holiday weekend).

Clocks going back – What can we do to make it easier?

  1. The best option, and the one I would recommend seeing as we are a good bit ahead of the game and you have a little bit of time on your side, is to slowly change your child’s schedule over the course of a week few days before the time changes. Each night, a week ahead of time, move their bedtime to 5 mins later each night.
  2. Or if you are reading this in a panic a few days before the 30th, on the Wednesday prior to the time change, put your child to bed 15 minutes later than normal. Whether a week or a few days out, this is done with the hope that they might wake 15 mins later than normal but it mightn’t happen. It’s a body clock thing! Offer any napping child, their opportunity to snooze 15 minutes later the following day. For the next few days put him to bed another 15 minutes later each night (and nap 15 further minutes later) until the night of the time change and you will be back to your normal schedule.

And it’s never too late…

…you could simply throw caution to the wind, stick to your normal schedule up until the time change and once it kicks in, be flexible and change as much as your child can handle.

For those of you reading this in a complete muddle after the clocks have already changed, it’s not too late! It will settle down and even for the most adaptable little ones, the change of a simple hour can cause a few issues for a week if not longer.

Best way to approach it is without fear and apprehension….as adults, we become obsessed with the amount of hours sleep we get.  Infants and young children are reliant on our guidance and don’t get much of a say in the matter!  By making the change gradually, come Saturday night, your little one will be going an hour later than at the start of the week.

There’s no point keeping them up too much later than their normal bedtime, because quite often they will be overtired and the wheels fall off!!!

In terms of older children, they will probably be coming off their midterm holidays and their normal day to day routines will be a little all over the place. Wake them at their normal wake up time in order to keep some sense of routine for them.  

It probably won’t happen, but no matter their age, try not to let them lie in (particularly babies and toddlers).

Not trying to scare you by the way! I’m simply letting you know in advance – so don’t say I didn’t warn you!

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Our Family on Tour at Airfield

Our family on tour

It’s been many a year since I took part in an organised tour of anywhere! Since school, the only really organised tours were those in and out of various establishments on Leeson Street late at night and they are a distant memory thank God!

Yesterday, we were invited as guests of Airfield in Dundrum to have a guided tour of the 38 acre estate. It’s an urban working farm in the city and although I have brought my nieces there a few times before, this was the first time we really got to spend time exploring the grounds and learning about the history and background of the place.

There was something for everyone. Three generations of O’Reillys were there ranging in age from almost 4 to 73! The kids got to feed some of the chickens and hens and cautiously petted some of the sheep and goats, although SIve figured the noise of the bleating lambs left a lot to be desired!

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Mum adored the beautiful gardens and learnt about ways of planting herbs and organic vegetables and even learnt some tricks to keep slugs out of the plants. (Apparently by planting lavender around the outside of your vegetable patch, the overpowering smell tends to keep pesky creatures getting in). Dad and I loved seeing the vintage cars owned by the Overend sisters. And my sister got the opportunity to walk off a bit of a hangover! I think the zipwire would have cured her though!

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My favourite part was learning about an outreach program which Airfield runs with a local school. During the year, each morning children who may not otherwise manage to get breakfast come to Airfield before school. They collect eggs from the hens and then get to eat them for breakfast, along with some yummy bread, also made on site. It’s genius and a lovely gesture by the staff. One of the lovely staff, giving the tour was saying she spends her day with children and animals – definitely not for the faint-hearted!

Obviously, the weather helped but we had such a lovely morning. We arrived at 10.30 and left just after 3. That’s a long few hours en famille, with not even one cross word. Nobody said “I’m bored” as there was plenty to do. We have done lots of days out like this before and by that I mean places and events where everyone can enjoy it.  Bearing in mind that we all live in Dublin so this list is a little biased, our favourites so far have been:

The Viking Splash – http://www.vikingsplash.com

Any trips to local Farmers markets – http://www.dublinfarmersmarkets.com

Dublin Zoo – http://www.dublinzoo.ie

And we will definitely go back to Airfield – together or separately.

Where is your favourite place to go as a family?

For more information about upcoming events at Airfield, go to http://www.airfield.ie/news/hibernia-food-market-airfield-food-festival-2015/

Newstalk Breakfast Interview – Chris and Ivan

Giving the two lads a run for their money!

Newstalk Breakfast – Ireland’s number 1 breakfast show Interview with Chris and Ivan

Follow the link and enter 14th May. It’s in part 4 and I’m on After 20mins or so!

http://www.newstalk.com/listen_back/5/18575/14th_May_2015_-_Breakfast_Part_4/

Niamh

Woolapalooza at Airfield, Dundrum

Airfield Springs Into May Bank Holiday With ‘Woolapalooza Weekend’ of Family Fun

Woolapalooza at Airfield 2

I had the pleasure of visiting Airfield lots of times last Summer after it re-opened and I am sure this Summer will be no different!

Airfield has so much to offer. Once you step through the gates you forget that most of us associate Dundrum with a shopping centre and a place of high commercial activity, when only metres up the road is this outstanding working farm. There you will also find a milking parlour and dairy, ornamental gardens, and a wonderful interactive heritage experience relating to the Overend sisters, who placed the estate in trust many years ago, with the foresight to maintain over 30 acres of land in the centre of Dundrum.

They are kicking off the season with a bang over the Bank holiday weekend with their “Woolapalooza Wekend of Family Fun”. Some of the sheep and lamb inspired events on offer on Sunday 3rd/Monday 4th of May include:

*Sheep dog trials in the Fairy Field with Farmer Dennis Birchall

*Sheep shearing with Airfield’s shearer Rodney

*Climb into a massive woolly jumper in The Sunken Garden and have your photo taken

*Get your dancing shoes on and join one of the Ceilis in the Green Barn.

Continuing the celebration of our favourite farmyard friends, over at the Hive visitors can marvel at the art of giant loom weaving; spinning demonstrations will magically turn fleece to wool; and the fabulous gang from Winnie’s Wool Wagon will be on helping little ones learn how to knit and even using the biggest knitting needles you’ll ever see!

Tickets are priced the same as regular entry to Airfield – adults €10, children €5, seniors and students €8 – visit www.airfield.ie

And don’t forget to keep up to date with what’s happening at Airfield by following @airfielddundrum or www.facebook.com/airfielddublin

Swaddling – All wrapped up (Herfamily.ie)

This piece was written and for and first published on HerFamily.ie in 2015

Swaddling your newborn

If your new baby is a cat-napper, don’t worry, this can be normal. Every baby is different, and every baby will hopefully get into the swing of napping and snoozing during the first few months. Last week, I mentioned swaddling in relation to newborns and helping them sleep. So, here’s a little step-by-step guide for the new mamas out there:

Swaddling your newbie is a blissful feeling for your baby, it’s a bit of cosiness and somewhat familiar feeling of being back in the womb. Heavenly. If your baby doesn’t seem to like being swaddled, don’t dismiss it off-hand. Sometimes it’s about practice and persistence and getting it right for both of you. Some people will use a swaddle for just a few weeks, and others may continue for a couple of months.

What exactly is Swaddling?

It’s probably one of the things your grandparents would tell you they did “in the olden days”. It’s a method of wrapping your babies in special blankets to encourage them to feel safe and comfortable (and comforted). Agitated babies and colicky infants can be soothed by a simple swaddle. And on the major plus side, a feeling of calmness will encourage sleep. We’ll take some of that, please. (I often think that I’d love to be “swaddled” myself – I’m pretty sure I’d never leave my bed, though).

What you need:

Good quality blankets. They don’t have to be specific “swaddling blankets” but the fabric does need to be pretty stretchy and what’s super-important is that it needs to be breathable. Babies wriggle around, even the littlest ones, and you may find they can do a Houdini out of their swaddles – should the blanket rise above their face during a nap or sleep, the fabric type will be crucial. A heavy blanket can lead to overheating, so it’s imperative to note the room temperature – ideally somewhere between 16-20 degrees Celsius.

Recent research at Southampton General Hospital suggested that the practice of tightly swaddling a baby (particularly if you straighten their legs and wrap securely around their lower limbs), could increase the chances of infant hip dysplasia. Babies’ legs need to be able to stretch and move. An infants’ hip ligaments relax during the birthing process and if you force them to be in a firm swaddled position in the early months, their little hip joints have difficulty strengthening as the muscles aren’t free to move. What I suggest is, swaddling quite tightly around the upper body, but leaving their lower limbs a bit freer to move.

Swaddling step-by-step

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  •  Take a large breathable rectangular baby blanket and lay out on a flat surface. Fold one corner towards the middle of the blanket. Place baby’s head along the folded area and with one hand on your baby, holding one little arm down along the body, wrap a corner piece of blanket around the baby and tuck it in under their bum.
  • Next, fold the bottom part of the blanket upwards, although not too tightly as to restrict some movement of legs, feet and hips. If there’s enough length in the blanket, tuck it in at the top.
  • Holding that last fold in place, take your final corner and wrap around the baby, again tucking it in at the back. Make sure there are no uncomfortable lumps underneath when baby lies down. Only their head, neck and the tip of their shoulders should be out of the swaddle.

A swaddled baby should never be left unattended though. My sister is a midwife, and while you’ll commonly see plenty of babies swaddled in hospital, there are no risks as there is a constant flow of people checking on them.

As with many things baby-related, recommendations from the HSE change quite often so talk to your Public Health Nurse if you are unsure about whether or not to swaddle.

Note: Once your little one is moving around sufficiently that they can roll onto their tummies while asleep, I would stop swaddling as there could be a risk of suffocation. In fact, once you see the potential of rolling, I would consider stopping.

Niamh O’Reilly is a sleep coach. She’s also a baby and childcare guru, a ‘parent nanny’ and the answer to many a weary parent’s woes. When it comes to baby and child issues, Niamh is your woman. Always on hand to offer a no-nonsense solution, in an approachable way. A regular in the Irish media, (most recently as TV3’s Late Lunch Show’s ‘parent nanny’) over the next while at HerFamily.ie, Niamh will share some of her experiences, helping you attain that ‘holy grail’ – nights of uninterrupted sleep for all of the family.

Pampers and Sleep – New Mums survey

Pampers have just published their results of a recent survey with Irish mums to try and find out how they really feel – about lots of things!

The results were interesting – particularly those relating to sleep – or lack thereof!

* having a lie-in is the best support loved ones can give to Mums (perhaps an idea for Mother’s Day – although I do think that should be a rule, if not the law!)

* 75% of mums wake more than their baby during the night in anticipation of their baby’s cry! (I know  this to  be true just from talking to parents but gosh, think of all those lovely zzzzz’s wasted!)

The survey says that “More than half (56%) of Irish mums wake up more than their baby during the night and cited they wake an average of 1-3 times per night while a further third (36%) wake between 3-6 times a night. With so many disruptions during the night, no wonder almost half (46%) of Mums voted having a lie-in as the best support loved ones can give”.

Sometimes choosing the right nappy for your little one can be helpful in the search for a good nights’ sleep. Babies waking due to discomfort or leaky nappies can be disruptive to everyone and no one wants their baby to be uncomfortable be it day or night. Pampers nappies have unique Micro Pearls™ whic can absorb up to 30 times their own weight and will keep moisture away from your baby’s soft skin. This helps to rule out wetness as one of the many reasons why babies wake overnight!

Pampers are looking for parents to share their Pearls of wisdom with others.  Visit facebook.com/PampersUKIre or tweet @Pampers_UK and use #BabySleep to be in with the chance of winning a pack of Pampers Baby-Dry nappies. See facebook.com/PampersUKIre for T&Cs.

Price List: The Nursery SLeep Consultations

I have two separate packages available in terms of consultations. The main difference lies in the length of time you might require support following our meeting. Every family has different needs and this will be taken into consideration
FULL SUPPORT TRAINING SESSION ( €275 per visit*)

• Up to 2 hour consultation in your home (or alternatively in my rooms in Monkstown)
• Teach about sleep cycles and the importance of sleep
• Feeding and sleeping schedules
• Top tips for baby sleep goals
• Learn a proven soothing technique
• Establish positive sleep associations and how to encourage good sleep habits
• You will receive an appropriate day and night-time schedule that will be suited to you and your family’s needs
• I will advise how you (with a little consistency and determination) can gently teach your child to sleep without your help during the night and work out a daytime plan to suit you and your family
• Help with potential future routine disturbances such as illness and travel
• Provide ongoing telephone, text and email support plan for up to 2 weeks following our meeting/or from when you decide to start making the changes.
• Payment to be made at time of consultation

SIMPLE TRAINING SESSION (€180 per visit*)
• Up to 2 hour consultation in your home (or alternatively in my rooms in Monkstown)
• Teach about sleep cycles and the importance of sleep
• Feeding and sleeping schedules
• Top tips for baby sleep goals
• Learn a proven soothing technique
• Establish positive sleep associations and how to encourage good sleep habits
• You will receive an appropriate day and night-time schedule that will be suited to you and your family’s needs
• I will advise how you (with a little consistency and determination) can gently teach your child to sleep without your help during the night and work out a daytime plan to suit you and your family
• Help with potential future routine disturbances such as illness and travel
• Provide ongoing telephone, text and email support plan for up to 72 hours following our meeting/or from when you decide to start making the changes.
• Payment to be made at time of consultation

Corporate Events
I am also available to speak at corporate events similar to those I have successfully run in Vodafone, Accenture Ireland and more. Price available on request.

Prices apply to Dublin only. Visits outside Dublin will incur a travelling charge
* More than one child experiencing sleep difficulties may incur an extra charge but I will be clear about price once we have made initial contact with eachother.