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Welcome to StLouisMommies!
As part of The Mommies Network, StLouisMommies.com is a free community for moms in the greater St. Louis area, Missouri. We realize that all moms need local support -- and who can't use another friend? StLouisMommies.com offers a simple way to connect with local moms for friendship, support and fun. Members meet on our private discussion forums to share information on everything from where to get the best haircut to tips on transitioning to a "big kid" bed. Each month, we also offer many face-to-face events for our members, their children and their families.
Register today to access our discussion
forums, events calendar and more! It's free and we'll keep your info secure and private. StLouisMommies Blog
Mothers Day Freebies! The following is a list of freebies for moms on Mother's Day (May 12, 2013) in St. Louis!
A good night sleep helps your child be calmer, more alert, happier, healthier, and perform better at school. So, don?t let these common sleep myths confuse you!
A later bedtime results in a later wake time. If only we could put our children to sleep later so that the whole family could sleep in the next morning! Although it sounds logical that a later bedtime would result in a later wake time, unfortunately, it doesn?t work that way. Sleep is biological and not logical! When you keep your children up later at night they become overtired, which makes it harder to settle at bedtime. Overtiredness can also lead to more night wakings, an increased likelihood of night terrors, earlier wake times in the morning, and shorter naps. The solution? Try putting your child to bed a little earlier and see if he wakes any later in the morning. Just 15 minutes can make a difference!
Some children just require less sleep.
Many parents think this is true about their children. Yes, every child is different, but research shows that most of our children are not getting the amount of sleep they require. How do you know if your child is getting enough sleep? A well-rested child is able to wake in the morning on her own in good spirits, is alert and happy throughout the day, and does not fall asleep in the car. It may appear that your child requires less sleep than what is recommended, but the opposite is most likely true.
Television at the end of the day is a great way for children to calm down.
While a consistent bedtime routine is very important for our little ones, television and screen time should not be part of that routine. The purpose of bedtime rituals is to cue your child to begin to wind down and that it is time for sleep. Screen time actually does the opposite, which is why it is recommended that all screen time be stopped at least 90 minutes before bedtime (and same is true for adults!). Research has found that the blue light emitted from the screen inhibits the production of melatonin, an important hormone needed to induce and sustain sleep. A calming bedtime routine might include reading, calming music, or a quiet game. So, say hello to ?Good Night Moon? and buh-bye to the iPhone!
An energetic child at bedtime is not tired.
If your child looks like he is ready to hit the playground before bed, chances are he has missed his window of opportunity to fall asleep. A second wind is a sign of being overtired and NOT a sign of being too awake to fall asleep. It is important to learn the sleepy signs of your child (and each child is different!) and get them to bed before becoming overtired.
Remember that a well-rested child is calmer, more alert, happier,
healthier, and performs better at school.
? Contributed by Renee (reneewass) Renee Wasserman, PT, MPH, founder of SleepyHead Solutions, is a Family Sleep Institute certified Infant and Child Sleep Consultant. She offers many services including phone, email, Skype/FaceTime, and in person consultations to solve your child?s sleep challenges. Please email her at renee@sleepyheadsolutions.comwith any questions. You can find out more information atwww.sleepyheadsolutions.comand www.facebook.com/sleepyheadsolutions.
As we march into May, I'd like to take a moment and wish each of you a Happy Mother's Day. So often, we as moms don't get the regular pat on the back for our hard work that other jobs offer. Our "rewards" are not found in a paycheck, but in the first smile of our beautiful baby, or the toddling steps of our two-year old, or the extra-long hug from our teenager. Moms are built to see the beauty where no one else can, to see the benefit of years of investment of time and love and energy, to see that growth can occur in many ways, and often when least expected.
This ability to see beyond what is there is something I believe we are granted when we become mothers ? so that we can see potential in our children from the moment they are born, so that we can love this little helpless baby and know what greatness we hold in our arms.
When I started CharlotteMommies eleven years ago, I felt like this wonderful quality we share as mothers could be the key to changing how our communities work ? and how we care for each other. We can see what is not yet there ? we can love before the person has really done anything worthy of love ? we can care even though the one we care for doesn't acknowledge or even appreciate our love.
If we can do this for our children, why can't we do this for each other? Why can't we seek the good in each other, and assume, at the foundation, that each of us has this gift ? this "power" to see the potential of others and encourage each other to reach that potential.
Through the years, we have tried many ways to spread this message ? to provide a place where mothers from all walks of life, from all backgrounds and beliefs, can come together and find the things they share in common ? to support and care for each other, simply because we share this common bond. It's been a work in progress and amid our many successes, we have also suffered many failures. In each failure, we choose to use our "superpower" to continue to focus on the potential ? to rise to the challenge and find a new way to meet our goal and truly connect mothers together.
In 2013, we've challenged ourselves and our members to end the Mommy Wars ? but we can't do that by choosing sides or ignoring that the war exists.
Our toilet paper seed starters are doing great! Not growing quite as quickly as I had hoped though, so they are not ready to go into the ground (I want them to have several leaves and be 3" high or so, so they don't get mistaken for weeds in the flower bed!).
Here's the progress so far:
Day 3: The Marigolds have sprouted!
Day 5: Starting to see a few tiny sprouts from the Forget-Me-Nots.
Day 11: Both the Marigolds and the Forget-Me-Nots are well on their way!
Day 23: The Marigolds now have 4 leaves each!
I'll update one more time when we get them in the ground!
? Contributed by Jenny (DoodleMommy) Jenny is a Co-Chapter Manager for StLouisMommies and blogs at Play St. Louis, where she reviews parks and places to play with kids in St. Louis.
What Does Real Support Look Like? Across the country, we have been proud to provide support to mothers from all walks of life for the last 11 years. But, as time has gone by, we have seen a shift in the dynamics between mothers and we have seen a divide that the media has dubbed "The Mommy Wars."
When The Mommies Network was founded, we saw that mothers have a unique bond- a shared strength from loving for our children. We identified that the characteristics of being a mother- the passion, the sacrifice, the deep conviction of providing to our children a better world- all of these things were also aspects that could create a community of women who could make the world a better place.
However, in order to make these communities, we have to overcome the hurdles of the "Mommy Wars." We need to come back to our place of support, and see that how we parent is not nearly as important as our love for our children. What divides us is weaker than what unites us. Supporting mothers does not always look like what you think it might. But, to us, supporting mothers means ...
providing a place for them to feel safe...
giving them a free corner of the world where they can find other mothers who have been where they have been....
giving them a community where they can be themselves..
providing these things to mothers we don't always agree with...
we stop defining ourselves, and each other, as being different, and instead we unite under the idea that the diversity of our members makes us stronger.
We serve over 30,000 women in our mission to provide a safe and FREE place to find support and encouragement, advice and friendship.
Your donation to The Mommies Network provides us with the means to unite mothers from across the country and to provide a real network of support. Help us end "The Mommy Wars" by making a donation in honor of a mother who may not be like you, but is part of the community of moms that makes your world a better place.
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