According to Doctor Marc Weissbluth, a children’s sleep expert, and the late Tracy Hogg, who was my life saviour for T1 (and the best book I’d recommend for every new mother), most people underestimate the importance of sleep in children. Especially in Asia, where I see most kids staying up really late and then having to wake really early and clearly not getting enough sleep, then having long afternoon naps, and are always over-tired, I feel for these children. If you read both these books, you will know why.
And ever since I read these two books, I made it my responsibility to ensure T1 had enough sleep every single day because really, they are children and if you left them to their devices, they’d stay up as long as they can before passing out. Children who have proper sleep habits are generally brighter and more alert. Of course, there are people who are totally rigid with their kids sleep (and not go out for dinner at all!) but I’ve chosen to take a more flexible approach, meaning we have a set bedtime every day except for exceptions and during those exceptions, I’d force her down for a nap to make up for the lost hours.
T1 generally gets 12 hours sleep in total everyday and no naps. She is almost 6 years old. People tell me that no way their kids can sleep so early but really, it is all in the training and knowing how to look out for tired signs before they get their second wind. Some kids can survive on less sleep so you need to assess what is the best number of hours for your child.
I’ve gone with 12 hours even though T1 used to function very well with only 9-10 hours because I noticed a marked difference when she had 12 hours. She woke up happy and chirpy, she was much more alert, there wasn’t a single morning whinge and she was full of energy and ideas – at 7am!
The downside to not having enough sleep is a grumpy wumpy child. No matter what you say or do, it is still wrong! I’m sure many parents have experienced this at bedtime or towards bedtime when meltdown occurs. It is clearly because the child is over-tired. In fact, most day time tantrums are caused by over-tired kids. I used to see it with T1 and now I know that if she gets enough sleep, there will be no problems.
It really is the same for us adults, isn’t it? So why would we expect any more from our children?
**************************************************************************Who is Mamapumpkin?
Mamapumpkin spent 7 years in London committing crimes to gain her Bartlett degree in Architecture. She then spent 7 years as a Stay At Home Mom raising her children as documented in this blog of over 15 years thereafter returning to the Corporate World stronger than ever as the Country Director of a British Multinational. She sets out to prove to all, that you can have anything and everything that you want; if you have that fire of desire burning within and the drive to work hard. Even better with much love.
Mamapumpkin has not only grown corporate businesses successfully in the past but has grown not one but TWO network marketing businesses in the notorious MLM (Multi-Level Marketing) industry, achieving success in under 2 years. She believes in the MLM business model but realises the DRASTIC PITFALLS and great stigma attached to it, understanding EXACTLY WHY the majority would shy away (or RUN for their lives) from ANY MLM business. But open your eyes and take time to understand it intellectually, remove your hang-ups, confirm your research, and you may just want to seize an opportunity. She did. And no, she never went about chasing people for sales. She had a sophisticated system work for her through technology and a smartphone.
She now impacts lives authentically with proven strategies amassed through the last decade of her own transformation offering online coaching programmes and always supports the underprivileged. She believes that we can all have a life of our own desires to enable real contribution into the world. But first, one needs to understand what this all means.
A beautiful life without limits.
If you wish to learn some tools to propel your life forward guaranteed, be brave enough to make contact as her life's purpose is to build people. She operates through a discovery call after which she will commit to helping you. Or not.
Most lose out on an opportunity because they are afraid they would be sold to, conned or whatever fear resides in their brain without even trying. And that's on them.
Mamapumpkin is a living testimony that women really can have a lot. Being financially and time free has enabled her to travel the world anytime, anywhere, doing anything, and she spends most of her days with her children, having fun, and supporting others wherever she can. Also having fun.
