Raising a Family

I am the mother of two amazing children, one boy – 10 years old and one girl – 6 years old. My son is autistic and my daughter isn’t. Needless to say, life around our house is challenging.

My son received his diagnosis at age five. We were literally on a roller coaster of doctor visits and evaluations before he received his diagnosis. We knew he was autistic, but hearing the words from the doctor was still hard to take. We survived. My son is wonderful and we do everything we can to help him.

Before getting pregnant with my daughter, my husband thought long and hard about having another child. Our biggest concerns were whether or not we would be able to give our son the attention he needed and what would happen if our second child ended up being autistic. We knew that there was a good chance that we would end up with two children on the spectrum, even though we did not have an official diagnosis at that time. In the end, we decided that no matter what, we would love both of our children and do whatever we had to do in order to make it work.

Our daughter was born, and we had no problems. Our son took to her immediately. He loved this bundle of noise the moment he set eyes on her. As they both grew a little older, our daughter has shifted between being little sister to big sister. Constantly going back and forth between the two, she has developed a special relationship with her brother. No one interacts with my son the way she does. She demands his attention and gets it. They laugh and play together in a way that makes me envious. My son does not interact with other children. He simply stands or sits on the sidelines and watches.

It’s amazing how accepting my daughter is of her brother’s differences. We have had to be careful about her copying him, though. Little sisters love to copy their older siblings. She is no exception. We take each occurrence as it happens, letting her know what is appropriate and what isn’t. We explain why and she struggles with her acceptance of it. When she was younger, the hardest instance of this was communication. My son is nonverbal and used to communicate solely with gestures and sounds. My daughter wanted to do the same and we had to constantly tell her to use her words. It was hard for her to understand why she had to when her brother did not.

We have overcome a lot in the last six years. At the heart of it, what has made us able to handle everything, is our love. My husband and I love each other and we love our children. We balance our time with each other and with the two of them. We have made sure we have plenty of family time and plenty of one on one time with each of our children. There is no rule book for raising a family that has a child with autism. All you have to go on is instinct and love. If you have those two things working for you, you can take on anything.

Quick Change Crib

It was 2am and my husband and I had finally fallen asleep, when our slumber was shattered by the cries of our 3 month old daughter. It was my turn to get up. I found that the little one had done it again – she needed to be changed AND so did her crib sheet. Of course it wasn’t her fault, but it was 2am and the crib sheet needed changing again? A necessary evil, I supposed. A baby needs a clean bed and you have to do what you have to do. But, the thought was overwhelming!

Why? Because it is not an easy task. I, like most people, had the crib set up with bumpers and toys so the baby can be safe and stimulated. In addition, crib mattresses are now required by US regulations to fit very snugly in the frame – again for safety reasons. While safe, it presents quite a problem when you go to change the sheet. You can’t fit your fingers between the sheet and the crib frame to get enough leverage to pull the sheet off and put a new one on. You literally have to pull the entire mattress out and stand it up in the crib to change the sheet. Of course, you can’t do that with the bumpers and the toys on. Aaarggghhh! All this, of course, at 2 am with a baby screaming!

This is a critical decision point in a parent’s life…. brave the task of spending the next 10 minutes cursing and fumbling or take an easier, if more dangerous, route. It is at this time when moms and dads are simply exhausted that they may make a poor decision. Research shows that many parents put a blanket or towel over the soiled sheets; others take their baby back into the bed with them. Both of these options are not ideal – a baby needs to sleep in a clean environment and sleeping with your baby in the same bed can be dangerous (e.g., suffocation).  In fact, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, more than 60 children younger than two years suffocate each year after being placed to sleep in adult beds.

So, after struggling through one more 2am change,and trying hard to fight off the strong desire to just let my daughter sleep in my bed, I set out to create a crib that would make it easy for parents to choose the cleanest, safest option when it came time to change those sheets.  I knew that the Juvenile Products Manufacturing Association (JPMA) consistently states that parents should follow the “A, B, C’s” for infants: “A”lone (no loose blankets or stuffed animals), on their “B”ack (sleeping position) and in a “C”rib (not in parents’ bed).  With this in mind, I began the long journey of research with parents, understanding regulations and safety standards, designing and re-designing and patenting my invention. The result? The Quick Change Crib!

The Quick Change Crib has a patented “door” cleverly hidden into the headboard that opens so that parents can slide the mattress out horizontally, change the sheet, and slide it back in without ever having to remove toys, mobiles or bumpers; it literally can be done in 30 seconds. So now we have clean, healthy, safe baby…and definitely more well-rested mom and dad. Think of the extra time you save as more quality time with your baby.

The Quick Change Crib is certified safe by JPMA and and we participate in random quarterly testing through an independent laboratory that tests against CPSCA and ASTM standards. We have also won numerous awards for innovation and design (Whirlpool Mother of Invention Grand Prize Winner, NAPPA- National Parenting Publications Awards, Outstanding Product 2007 by iParenting Media Awards, etc.) and have been written about in leading magazines and journals.

The support for our crib has been undeniable…from Moms and Dads, the press, as well as from recent research. A 2009 study of unmet needs in cribs found that:

• 82% of parents believe that ease of use is a very important feature of a child’s crib, compared to 33% believing that design is very important and 17% who believe color is important;
• 97% of experienced moms and Dads find ease of use of the crib especially important;
• 72% of parents agree that changing the crib sheet is more frustrating than they expected.
• Nearly 60% of parents report that changing the crib sheet or lifting the mattress is “extremely difficult” or “very frustrating,” compared with 7 percent for changing a diaper.

This whole journey has been simply unbelievable. My parents always used to tell me “wait until you have kids!” whenever I questioned something they said or did, so I expected that my perspective on things might change, but I never expected being a mom would catapult me into a whole new business!   I am, and have been for the last 15 years, a principal partner with a boutique management consulting company, but turning my crib idea into reality has been been like a lifetime of learning squashed into a few short years. I have my kids to thank for that (oh, yeah, and my parents, my husband, my business partner and a whole lot of other supportive people!).  Thank you for the opportunity to share my story and I can’t wait to read yours!

HEALTHFUL HINTS:

JPMA Safety tips for selecting your first crib: 

•  This first “home” should be cheerful and secure. Each year, approximately 50 babies suffocate or strangle when they become trapped between broken crib parts or in cribs with older, unsafe designs. Many older cribs, including the one that was used for you or your younger children, do not meet all current safety standards. Even if you are on a tight budget, you should not purchase an old crib at a garage sale or accept a hand-me-down that does not meet the following guidelines
• Infants should ALWAYS sleep in a crib, which meets current Federal and ASTM standards.
• The crib mattress should fit snugly with no more than two fingers width, one-inch, between the edge of the mattress and the crib side. Otherwise, the baby can get trapped between the mattress and the side of the crib.
• No pillow-like bumpers.
• Look for the JPMA Certification Seal.

Tiny Hands Talk

I am a mom of two young boys, when I had my first son I decided I didn’t really want to go back to teaching full time, I also knew I wanted to begin my own business so that I could have flexible hours and stay home with my children. When I read an article about Baby Sign Language and the benefits, I was sold…my whole life was already heading in that direction! I had a Masters in Special Education- sensory disabilities and learnt the linguistics of Australian Sign Language. I had already been teaching Deaf students in Sydney and I was already using some signs with my first born and discovering that he could communicate back to me before he could speak, using sign language which was so exciting. What I didn’t know, was that “Baby Sign Language” was a well researched concept that had been around for over ten years.

Well of course that was it for me, after doing some research and discovering the wonderful benefits of speaking and signing to infants and all children (…enhances whole brain development, increases IQ, children have better expressive & receptive verbal language skills, enhanced fine motor development, increased body awareness & better coordination skills….just to name a few), I began my business Tiny Hands Talk in Sydney, Australia in 2006 and later took it with me to Edmonton, Canada. I now have 2 consultants running my programs in Sydney, Australia and three Consultants so far in Canada.

I am very proud to admit that our programs use 100% ASL vocabulary in Canada/U.S and 100% Auslan in Australia…the same vocabulary used by the Deaf community. This is important as ASL & Auslan are classed as true second languages; therefore we are offering children a bilingual setting which also enhances brain development as second languages are stored in a different area of the brain than first languages (Dr. Daniels, ‘Dancing with Words’). We are also offering your child consistency as more Day Care Centres are choosing to use Baby Sign Language in the centre since it offers a calmer environment as communication is achieved and frustration is reduced (Dr. Goodwyn & Acredolo).

Tiny Hands Talk runs programs for parents, caregivers and teachers of hearing children 6 months to 7 years old (Baby’s First Words, Making Small Talk, Visible Learning, Hands Up & Sing, Hands Up & Read). We also run programs for all children who are 4-7 years old (Hands Up & Read, Hands Up & Sing, Monkey See…Monkey Do). All our programs are ideal for parents and educators of hearing children or children who have any communication delays or difficulties. Currently we are running successful programs in Canada and Australia, and we are always looking for qualified, caring individuals to become part of our program or to help us expand Tiny Hands Talk so we can reach out to children in more areas and provide for them the wonderful benefits this special language brings to their learning development.

HEALTHFUL HINTS

1. Somethings in life are universal…This is American Sign Language –However ‘MILK’ is the same in ASL & Auslan (Australian Sign Language)
2. Parents considering sign language for their little ones might find the following reference materials useful:
   • Acredolo LP & Goodwyn SW – The long term impact of symbolic gesturing during infancy on IQ at age 8: in paper presented at the meetings of the International Society for Infant Studies (Brighton UK July 2000)
   • Acredolo LP & Goodwyn SW & Brown C – Impact of Symbolic Gesturing on Early Language Development: in journal of nonverbal behavior 24 pp 81-103 (2000)
   • Baveier D & Corina DP & Nevilie HJ – Brain & Language a perspective from sign language: in Neuron Vol 21 pp 275-278 (Cell Press August 1998)
   • Daniels Dr Marilyn – Dancing with Words Signing for Hearing Childrens’ Literacy: in Westport CT Publication (2001)
   • Daniels Dr Marilyn – Using Sign Language as a second Language for Kindergarten Students: in Child Study Journal Vol 33 (2003)
   • Daniels Dr Marilyn – Seeing Language The Effect Over Time of Sign Language Vocabulary Development in Early Childhood Education: in Child Study Journal 26 pp 193-208 (1996)
   • Hafer J – Signing for Reading Success: Washington DC Clerc Books Gallaudet University Press (1986)
   • Koehler L & Loyd L – Using Fingerspelling Manual Signs to Facilitate Reading and Spelling: Bennial Conference of the International Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication 4th Cardiff Wales (1986)
   • Wilson R & Teague J & Teague M – The Use of Signing and Fingerspelling to Improve Spelling Performance with Hearing Children: in Reading Psychology 4 pp 267-273 (1985)
   •  Kokelte S – Hearing Students, Sign Language & Music: A valuable Combination (1995)

easidream

Hello, I’m Lynda, mum to six lovable and lively children and inventor of easidream®

When my sixth child, Bradley was born, he cried constantly and it was a nightly struggle to settle him to sleep…a struggle that went on until he was two and a half years old! I tried everything to soothe him off to sleep, but I discovered that the most reliable way was to lean over the cot sides and create a ‘rocking cot’ motion by moving the mattress up and down. Having scoured shops and the internet for any product that would replicate this movement (and relieve my backache!), I realised that there was nothing suitable out there, so I went on to take the ‘massive step’ of developing a product of my own – easidream®

For the next few years I researched the problem as deeply as possible, canvassing valuable input from sleep experts, university departments and medical professionals like midwives, child psychologists and paediatricians. I also consulted with the baby care industry and product design teams and, of course, surveyed many parents with young babies. At last, after a 7-year gestation easidream® was born!

The finished product has been meticulously designed and researched. I considered it was essential for easidream® to undergo proper scientific trials to validate its efficiency… it was no good just me saying it worked, I needed to be 100% sure that it did! I embarked on a year long period of research in conjunction with University of Brighton medical experts, which involved testing both the moving platform and the soothing sounds on a wide selection of babies. These studies not only revealed just how effective easidream® was at promoting healthy sleep patterns, but also showed that it encourages parents to adopt safe sleep practices.

The findings revealed:

• Average crying time on easidream® was reduced from 18 minutes to less than 1 minute
• All of the babies that took part in the trials remained happily settled on their backs; great news in respect of SIDS
• Time to settle to sleep in some cases was reduced by up to 95%

We all know that when a new baby arrives, uninterrupted sleep is rare and we have to adapt to shorter, broken nights and savour every moment of sleep we can catch. But although we think our bodies are coping with just a few ‘catnaps’ a night, continuous lack of sleep eventually catches up on us all; it’s vitally important that we understand just how crucial sleep is to the whole family’s well being… not just for healthy child development, but also for the general health and well being of everyone in the household. Did you know that it has been proven that well rested children develop faster, are healthier and have fewer behavioural problems? With adults, lack of sleep has been proven to affect both memory and cognitive skills…. What more can I say? I was determined to invent a product that would not only help soothe particularly fractious babies, but also promote the formation of a healthy sleep pattern, so both babies and parents could benefit from a good night’s rest.

easidream® actually assists in encouraging the formation of a healthy sleep pattern plus it encourages babies to self settle on their back in the cot, which is great news in the fight against SIDS. It also solves the problem of sleep deprivation for the whole family by rewarding them with those valuable hours of sleep they so richly deserve.  End result: happy, healthier babies and happy, healthier parents!

HEALTHFUL HINTS:

1. Putting babies to sleep
   • Make sure you place your baby with their feet at the foot of the cot (but not touching the end of the cot) , to reduce the likelihood of the baby wriggling down and becoming overheated underneath any cot bedding, which may end up over the baby’s head. Overheating has been shown to greatly increase the likelihood of a SIDS related incident occurring. 
   • Also, remove soft toys from the cot, as they too could increase your baby’s temperature to an unsafe level.  This is why ewan, our dream sheep, is secured to the cot bars and not positioned directly in line with your baby’s head, just in case he becomes detached – although this is extremely unlikely! (Some of our website shots are at an angle that may look like ewan is close to the head, but I can assure you he’s not!)
   • Always ensure your baby is placed to sleep on their back; again this is incredibly important in reducing the likelihood of a SIDS incident occurring. (The beauty of easidream® is that it has been proven to actually help baby’s settle to sleep on their backs and so parents are more likely to follow the recommended safe sleep guidelines.)
   • While all of this is consistent with the American Academy of Pediatrics Guidelines for Safe Sleeping , each baby is unique.   Always remember to ask your doctor what’s best for your baby’s sleep.
2. If they wake up or refuse to sleep:
   • …it is extremely important that you go and check your baby to determine the reason why. We have spent a great deal of time researching this particular area and having consulted medical professionals, and it is why we decided against having an automatic sound activated feature or a remote control that would “restart” the soother. As this is such a vulnerable age group, we consider it vitally important that parents return to their baby to remedy any problem – dirty nappy, thirsty, hungry etc. For healthy, happy sleep times we believe that interaction with your baby is vital and we strongly encourage this practise.

Daddy’s Design

They say that necessity is the mother of invention. That rings true for dads too! Born out of frustration, Daddy’s Design was created by two new dads who wanted something better for their little ones.

Like most new parents, the founders used breast feeding pillows to “prop up” their babies in lounging situations. But newborns need lots of head, neck, and body support. Realizing that these pillows didn’t provide enough support, they went shopping for something better. Unable to find a product that provided the total support they were looking for, the two dads sat down and sketched out design after design, literally on napkins! After a lot of trial and error, and several designs later, the Snoogie Seat was born.

The Snoogie Seat provides that much needed head, neck, and body support in a fun and comfortable way. It’s also slightly inclined to give your little one the opportunity to see his or her world. Angled at just the right amount, the Snoogie is a great tool for bottle feeding. Also as I found out first hand, traditional newborn loungers and breast feeding pillows do not securely hold a baby in place. Our Patent Pending design creates a safe and comfortable environment while still keeping baby in a secure position.

All of this was not easy to achieve. When we were designing the Snoogie Seat, we spent a lot of time creating sewing pattern after pattern.  Other pillows and cushions on the market provide some support, but we felt they could be improved upon. The size, shape, and incline of the Snoogie provides support for the infant’s head, neck, and body. The ergonomically correct angle, allows the baby to rest while having their head elevated slightly. The shape of our seat creates a “well like” region in the center, which securely holds baby’s bottom in place. Think “floating in an inner tube.” In this position, baby cannot slide down or roll out. Finally, we wanted the Snoogie‘s size to be convenient for parents (roughly the size of a sofa cushion) but big enough to allow the entire baby’s body to fit within for ultimate safety. So the final shape, size, and angle(s) were of utmost importance. We worked long and hard to get the right combination of each. In the end my newborn daughter was my test model. I would place her in each prototype and observe her. When she was held securely in place and completely supported I knew we had something better! The Snoogie has also been tested by an independent lab for hazardous substances…we passed with flying colors!

On a side note, Daddy’s Design happily gives to Children’s National Medical Center. When she was just two weeks old, the daughter of one of our founders had to spend the weekend at Children’s in Washington DC. The medical personnel were true professionals, and treated the family with care and compassion. Children’s Hospital does great work, treating some of the toughest illnesses in children. Daddy’s Design is honored to contribute to this organization.

Daddy’s Design is on a mission: to have a positive influence on the lives of parents and their children through our products. We are continually looking for ways to improve the experience that parents have with their kids. New ideas are in the works.

HEALTHFUL HINTS:

How anyone (a new dad or a new mom) can feed a baby:

1. Find a comfortable place to sit for a little while where you can hold your baby comfortably in your lap with the bottle in one hand (note: the Snoogie will be very helpful in making sure the baby’s at a good angle for feeding comfortably). Keep in mind that if you’re comfortable and confident in what you’re doing, you can focus more on your baby…and enjoy the experience more…and your baby will pick up on that.
2. Before you start feeding the baby make sure to check the temperature of the milk. This can be done by squeezing a few drops on the sensitive side of your wrist. If it feels too hot, let it cool for a few minutes
3. Make sure to keep a burping cloth or blanket handy…as spills (and spit up) are going to happen!
4. Remember to burp baby when they are done feeding. They can’t tell you when they have gas…so gently pat their back until they burp each time.
5. Finally, remember, even though the Snoogie Seat will keep your child safe and secure in your arms, it is not meant for sleeping or lounging on elevated surfaces. Also, although it probably goes without saying, please never leave a baby unattended in the Snoogie Seat or in any child restraining device