Wellness Wisdom: Activities for Building Happy, Healthy Families
Healthy Sleep Habits
We know that everyone needs sleep, but kids may need more sleep than you think! Making sure your children get enough sleep every day also helps them have a healthier immune system, better memory and school performance, better behavior, and more energy.
How much sleep does my child need?
Infants* 4 to 12 months: 12 to 16 hours (including naps)
Toddlers 1 to 2 years: 11 to 14 hours (including naps)
Preschoolers 3 to 5 years: 10 to 13 hours (including naps)
Children 6 to 12 years: 9 to 12 hours
Teens 13 to 18 years: 8 to 10 hours
*Newborns don’t have regular sleep schedules yet. But typically they will sleep 16-17 hours per day, although it may be only 1-2 hours at a time.
Tips for healthy sleep habits:
- Stick to a daily routine. Bedtime, waking time, and even set mealtimes help children feel secure and comfortable. For young children, it helps to start a bedtime routine early such as brushing teeth, reading a book, then going to bed.
- Create a sleeping area that is safe and relaxing. For infants under 1 year, always place them on their back to sleep in their own crib, never bed-sharing. Do not let them sleep with pillows, toys, or loose blankets. For older children, try not to fill it with toys so their bed a place to sleep and not play.
- Avoid giving infants solid food before 6 months. If their digestive system isn’t ready for those foods, baby might wake up or not sleep well due to a tummy ache.
- Be active during the day. Make some time for them to play outside or do something active.
- Limit screen time. Turn off all screens (tablets, TVs, computers, phones, etc.) at least one hour before bedtime. It is also best to keep the screens out of the children’s bedrooms altogether.
Breastfed From the Start: Helpful Tips for Mastering Breastfeeding
Power Pumping
Power Pumping is a technique sometimes recommended to help “jump start” your milk supply when it has taken a dip.
What is it?
Pumping for short spurts at short intervals helps increase your milk supply, making hormones each time you pump.
Possible ways to Power Pump:
- Nurse baby (or pump for 20-minutes), rest 10-minutes, pump for 5-minutes, rest for 10-minutes, pump for 5-minutes, etc.
- When watching TV pump during commercials
- During the day, set up your pump in a central location and every time you walk by, stop and pump for 5-minutes
Important Guidelines
- Limit Power Pumping to no more than 3-hours each day
- Limit Power Pumping to 4-days in a week
- Limit Power Pumping to one week at a time (If you feel you need to do it again, wait at least a few weeks)
Remember to contact your Breastfeeding Peer Counselor or WIC Clinic for any questions or concerns.
Delicious & Nutritious Recipes: Simple, Kid Approved Dishes to Try at Home
Spanish Brown Rice
Does your family love lots of flavor? Here is a delicious way to offer a whole grain with some vegetables mixed in.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup brown rice
- ½ onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- ½ green bell pepper
- 1 jalapeño (optional)
- 2 tomatoes
- 2 green onions
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 1 teaspoon chili powder (optional)
- 1 teaspoon salt
Directions:
- Cook the brown rice according to the directions on the package.
- While rice is cooking, peel and dice the onion and garlic. Take the seeds out of the bell peppers and jalapeño. Dice the tomatoes and green onions.
- In a skillet (large frying pan) over medium-high heat, add the oil and sauté the onion, garlic, and green bell pepper until they are soft.
- Add the tomatoes, green onions, and salt. For spicy rice add the jalapeño and/or chili pepper.
- Cook these vegetables until they are soft. Then add the cooked brown rice and stir everything together.
- Cook this over high heat for a few more minutes to allow any liquid in the pan to evaporate.
This post was last updated on November 10th, 2022 at 7:28 PM
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