Is everyone in your house feeling a bit cranky these days?
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If so, you're not alone.

As the kids head back to school or childcare—and adults return to their work routines—many families are feeling the strain. After the slower pace and flexibility of summer, the shift back to structured schedules can be exhausting. Even if your kids aren’t in grade school yet, the end of vacation mode impacts the entire household.

Sleep habits often slip during the summer, whether it’s from travel, jet lag, or kids struggling to adjust to new environments. Add to that the emotions that come with starting a new school or daycare, and it’s no wonder you’re seeing “big feelings” at home.
Transitions are tough for everyone. Here are some strategies to help your family navigate this period more smoothly:

Move bedtime earlier.
Even if bedtime has returned to what it was before summer, your child might need extra sleep during this adjustment phase. Try shifting their bedtime up by 30 minutes for a couple of weeks. Once they settle into the new routine, you can ease back to the original time.

Skip after-school activities in September.
It’s tempting to dive into extracurriculars, but tired kids may struggle with the added demands of listening and following directions. Consider a more relaxed approach for the first month—save playground trips and other fun, unscheduled activities for when your child feels up for it. A walk or scooter ride can also help them unwind after a long day.

I know you may have already paid for piano/soccer/math tutoring/mommy and me swimming, but your family will thank you if you prioritize rest and rejuvenation over skill building right now. 

Lower your expectations at home.
Children who normally dress themselves or play well together might suddenly need more help. Instead of pushing them to manage independently, try separating them for some quiet playtime or offering extra support with tasks. It’s normal for kids to regress a bit when they’re tired.

If you're a family who offers screen time during the week, save it for when you first get home.
This will allow you to get dinner on the table in peace, prevent sibling fights, and allow your child some time to decompress.

If you don't do screen time, you could offer the Toni Box, a podcast on Alexa (we like Little Stories for Tiny People), drawing, or having your little one "help" you prep dinner. A Learning Tower or similar is great for keeping your toddler or preschooler safe and engaged in the kitchen. A younger child can bang a wooden spoon on the highchair try or bang some measuring cups on the floor. 

Serve dinner earlier—skip the snack.
An earlier dinner can work wonders for tired kids. If they’re used to snacking in the afternoon, they might be too full or exhausted to eat a proper meal later. Swap snack time for dinner as soon as you’re home. Aim for quick, simple meals—nothing fancy.

If you are a family who prioritizes family dinners, I applaud you. (My family doesn't do so well with this.) In this case, have childcare provider or parent who is with the children serve dinner and then plan a post-dinner snack or dessert together when the whole family is home.

Don’t forget about yourself.
You need rest, too. Just like your kids, you’re adjusting to the demands of a new routine. Encourage yourself to cut back on evening commitments and aim for an earlier bedtime. A reminder on your phone might help you stick to it!

September can be challenging for many families, but you don’t have to navigate it alone. If your family is struggling with this transition, I’m here to help. Schedule a free consultation, and let’s get your family back to feeling rested and balanced.

Great news for many of us: a new study from the Journal of American Medicine (JAMA) showed that contrary to what we've been taught, most kinds of screen time before bed do not negatively affect sleep. 

The study was of 79 children ages 11 to 14 years old. Screen time before bed did not have a measurable impact on how long the children slept. However, screen time in bed led to less sleep, particularly when the child was engaged in either multitasking or playing video games in bed. 

What does this mean as parents? It means -- if the results hold -- that we no longer have to shy away from screen time before bed. Friday movie night is no longer a problem!

That being said, we do need to watch out for screen time creeping into sleep time. So don't let Friday night movie night push bedtime later, or that will negatively affect sleep. 

And for us adults, well, the same holds true. Scroll in bed all you like, just don't stay up later as a result. 

Here's the link to the original article: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/article-abstract/2822859

PS If you are struggling to get your kids to sleep at bedtime and sleeping peacefully through the night, schedule a free consult and find out how you can get your family back on track in 2 weeks or less, guaranteed.

If your baby is waking up to eat multiple times per night after the newborn phase (3 months), she's not only waking up from hunger. She's also waking up because she's relying on feeding to fall asleep, because she's actually overtired, or very likely, a combination of the two.

After the "fourth trimester," assuming bottle feeding or a well-established breastmilk supply, a baby doesn't need to eat more than every 3-4 hours at night, and many babies are eating only once or not at all by this age. 

If you are happy to feed multiple times per night, carry on!

But if you would like to cut back, it is safe to do so. 

If your baby wakes up during the night and it has been less than 3 hours since the start of the previous feeding, simply don't offer milk. You can either soothe in some other way or you can let your baby cry it out, with or without timed checks. All are safe options. 

The first time your baby wakes up at least 3 hours since the start of the previous feeding, go in promptly and offer a feeding. If you'd like to wait longer than 3 hours, that's perfectly fine, too. Most babies at this age can easily go 4 hours at night without eating. 

After that feeding, put your baby back in his crib and then wait at least 3 hours again before feeding. Handle the crying in the same way as you did before. 

If you are a breastfeeding parent and have a partner or other support person around at night, I suggest having that person go in to do any soothing you would like the baby to receive at night wakings where you will not be offering a feeding. Your baby may be upset at first if he's accustomed to seeing you, but if you are the one to check on him and you don't offer the breast, that's probably even more upsetting for him.

Once your baby is accustomed to eating only every 3 hours or more per night, you can start gradually reducing the duration or volume of one feeding per night. Leave the other feedings alone. Only when one feeding is eliminated should you move on to reducing the next one.

In this way, you can gently and gradually reduce the number of night feedings you offer until your baby is entirely night weaned, if you like, or else is at a number of night feedings that feels manageable to you. 

Have more questions? Night weaning can feel daunting. I can help. 

​Schedule a free consultation and we can walk through the steps involved to get your family sleeping peacefully at night. 

If you want to become a daily exerciser, commit to exercising every day. No matter what.
Make it so easy that it feels almost ridiculous. Start with just two minutes of stretching right after you get out of bed, even while you're still in your pajamas.

Don't worry that that is too easy. You’ll naturally want to do more as you get stronger. Promise. 

I was a kid who hated being active and preferred instead to read in bed for hours. At age 18, I decided to become a daily exerciser and I’m still at it, 30 years later. I did it even when I was a single parent to two young children, working full time and commuting daily 45 minutes each way by train.

Oh, and by the way, I’m still awkard and uncoordinated. Doesn’t matter. I’m a daily exerciser.

PS My client Arianna hated the idea of exercise because her mother always used to tell her to exercise to lose weight. Her mother frequently criticized Arianna's weight as a child -- naturally causing her to gain more and more weight -- and so exercise felt like a punishment. In our work together, we uncoupled exercise from weight and just this morning, Arianna celebrated 40 days in a row of doing a morning yoga routine. She feels more energetic and less pain every day as a result of her hard work. Best of all, she is proud of herself and what her body can do. 

PPS Are you tired of beating yourself up for not exercising? Let's create a doable exercise routine for you that fits your life and makes you feel strong and energetic. Schedule a free coaching session to get yourself started. 

PPPS Quote by Mel Robbins.