Get that Perfect Bedtime Routine for Your Baby

A baby’s bedtime is most crucial, as it decides the end to his day. That is why, it has to be seen that it becomes as comforting as possible for your baby. To make this happen, get the right mix of fun and relaxing activities so that the baby dozes off to sleep effortlessly.

Why Should You Set a Bedtime Routine for Your Baby?

It is advantageous for both the parents and the baby if you set a routine at bedtime for him or her. Not only does it help to establish a unique bond between the child and parent but it also gets the baby’s mind and body used to a set pattern, so that sleep comes to him automatically. This will be particularly helpful if you are not around to put him off to sleep or you are in new surroundings, wherein the changed environment will not affect his sleep pattern.

How Do You Set a Bedtime Routine?

There are a few ways and means by which you can put your baby to sleep at night, with no great efforts on each one’s part. I have found them particularly useful and hope that you too would feel the same. Some of 
them are enumerated as follows:

·         Selection Of Activities

Before setting a routine, you need to decide what will be the activities going into it. It is advisable to choose those, which soothe the mind rather than excite it. From my experience, over excitement can drive your baby’s sleep away.

·         Provide Outlet for Stored Energy

An outlet has to be provided to your baby to expel all his excess energy. I have observed that it is best if you bounce your child on a bouncer or on your knees or let him have a ride on his toy horse. Once you realize he is cooling off, change to a more relaxing activity.

·         Give a Good, Warm Bath

Your baby gets a good ache reliever through a nice, warm bath and if you add some drops of aromatic oils which you feel suitable for your child, it could enhance the calming effect on your baby. However if you realize that your baby is not geared for a bath at night, then you can drop this from your bedtime routine.

·         Have a Quiet Sitting Game

You and your baby can have some fun, playing any of his favorite sitting games. They could range from anything like building blocks or any other floor game.

·         Reading Aloud

This is one of the must haves in any baby’s bedtime ritual. The baby learns new words and if you get phonetics to be included in your stories, he learns new sounds. Moreover it also takes him to a different world altogether. I still have a couple of my childhood stories with me, as permanent memories.

·         Singing Lullaby

You can use this technique to speed up the sleeping process of your baby. If you make this a regular feature, then the end of the song signals the baby to close his eyes and go off to sleep.

·         Saying Good Night

Before your baby closes his eyes, you can make a practice to bid good night to all his favorite toys and you can add additional items of your choice like the other members of your family as well as all his stuffed toys. This will help the baby to familiarize with the different items in the house and know their names.
Get your baby used to this bedtime routine and you will have no cause for regret.

Affordable Shopping Tips for Baby Clothes

Do not be surprised if the barely worn clothes do not fit your baby only after a month of purchasing them.
The problem is not with the clothes. Your baby is growing fast out of these clothes and if you want to save money, then you should be planning your shopping to correlate with the growth of your new born.
Here are a few tips for you to remember when you go shopping for your baby.

#1 One Size Bigger
Do not go hunting for a perfect fit for your baby. Remember, your baby is growing fast and you will be literally throwing away money by choosing fitting clothes as your baby will have outgrown them before you get around to using the clothes for a second time. In my opinion, always get one size bigger and the clothes will fit for longer time.

#2 Forecast the Weather
If you are shopping for clothes to fit your baby in a month or two, in addition to buying the right size, say 14 or 16 months, you should also think about the weather. Ask yourself, “What will be the weather condition when my little one is 14 or 16 months old?” Once you know the answer, I am sure you will not only end up with the right sized clothes but also clothes that are suitable for the season.

#3 Get Outfits that are Easy to Put On
Some outfits are too complicated and I think you’ll find yourself struggling to fit your baby in them. Choose one-piece outfits that have front opening with easy to close zippers or snap buttons. These will save you a lot of time, especially when you’re in a hurry.

#4 Stock up for Emergencies
Make sure that you have enough outfits to change quickly in case of emergencies like spilt food or accidents while eating.

#5 Look out for Clearance Sale
Most stores offer clearance sale and you can use this to save a ton on clothes. Look out for seasonal sales and discounts to save a lot more. You can even get additional markdown for some clearance stuff at the cash counter.

# 6 Do not Hesitate to Use Hand Me Downs
If your friends and relatives are willing to offer baby clothes from their family, particularly if they have un-worn clothes, do not hesitate to accept the offer. I've found that you can save a lot this way.

#7 Sell Used Clothes
Put the used clothes of your baby for sale on any one of the online stores, like eBay and convert your old baby clothes into hard cash that you can use for something else. Of course, you cannot expect to get the same amount that you paid for initially, but you will at least get a part of it.

If you want to save money and use the clothes you purchased for a longer time, then make use of the above ideas when you are out shopping clothes for your baby. These tips make you feel satisfied about the money you have spent, and your baby appears bright and beautiful in the new clothes.