Kiddipedia
By Kelly Martin, Certified Infant and Young Child Sleep Consultant
A tale as old as time would have to be “it takes a village” to raise a child. We’ve heard it. We’ve seen it. And for many of us, we’ve been a part of it. Yet, when roles reverse and you’re the parent relying on your village to establish, maintain and support the parenting journey of raising your child – it can be a bumpy road to navigate.
Creating an extended family network is crucial to the development of that sweet little Bub. But whether you’re now venturing into a hybrid work situation requiring you to be in the office one day and at home the next, or just catching up on the exciting interactions of life that you’ve missed out on the last two years, there comes a time where you need to bridge parent duties with dependencies on your extended family network.
An extended family network doesn’t just include aunties, uncles, and grandparents galore. An extended family network branches out of a tight-knit circle to encompass your friends, specialists like sleep consultants, or social media groups that cater to your parenting needs and assist with the development of your Baby.
Meeting Baby where they are
The first step to creating an extended family network is meeting Baby where they are. Three things to consider when meeting Baby where they are debunking myths, acknowledging your little one’s age, and recognising the developmental milestones they are currently experiencing.
While there are several types of myths, newborn sleep is a hot topic amongst new parents and remains to be on the minds of parents-to-be. As Baby is too little to send a clear message, especially when we’re discussing newborns, we need to do our best to notice their sleep cues.
A sleep cue can be yawning or crying towards the end of the awake period. However, some sleep myths include teaching a newborn to self-settle from the beginning or starting a strict routine from the beginning. A reason both statements are considered ‘sleep myths’ is because they simply aren’t age-appropriate for newborns to be confined to.
Acknowledging Bub’s age is recognising the developmental milestones that go with it. For example, when your newborn matures into a toddler that keeps you on our toes, you need the insights into the tell-tale signs for when to transition them from two naps to one nap. Recognising this developmental milestone means knowing the common signs like a Baby being between 15-18 months old.
When it comes to hands-on assistance, I prefer the motto of “it’s not a problem unless it becomes a problem for you.” As such, when you’re confronted with challenges Google can’t solve, this is when turning to your extended network becomes beneficial to you and your little one.
Keeping it in the extended family network
As a parent, when do you know you need support? We live in a digital age where Google can solve some of our problems – but the parenting journey is more complex than that. Our babies are unique and will go through stages of development at their own pace. Fortunately, we have the luxury of taking part in parenting groups via social media that bring together other first-time parents, young child consultants, and experienced mummies, daddies, and grandparents.
Something I recommend first-time parents lean on is smart baby tech. And why is that? We live in a digital age and should allow tech to take part in our journey as a parent so we can build confidence in our decision-making and have our baby rely on us for guidance and support. One of my must-haves for parents in this category is the Owlet Monitor Duo smart baby monitor.
The Owlet Monitor Duo combines the Smart Sock which tracks a Baby’s heart rate, oxygen level and sleep patterns and the Owlet Cam that streams video and audio to your smartphone so you can hear and see your baby from anywhere. This smart baby monitor provides parents with the peace of mind knowing they are getting the most complete picture of their baby’s well-being. Additionally, you can view your child’s readings and sleep patterns in real-time via the Owlet Care App, so you can rely on past patterns of sleep to create the best routine for your child.
Relying on smart baby tech to create and keep support within your extended family network ensures everyone can keep up with your child’s milestones. It also provides aunty or grandma with peace of mind and confidence when they are watching your little one by themselves.
Being able to depend on others around you throughout the parenting journey can be a hard pill to swallow, but it’s important for your bub and yourself, to have a support system. An extended family network ensures you have assistance through every developmental milestone – whether it’s aunty watching your baby, a Facebook group talking about new-parenting struggles, or a sleep consultant debunking the myths of newborn sleep.
Kelly Martin is a certified infant and child sleep consultant with a passion for helping parents. As a mum of three, she understands what it’s like to be a parent running on empty. Sleep is an integral part of everyone’s routine and it’s important to be able to feel well-rested everyday so parents can enjoy life with family. Kelly discusses the challenges parents currently face and puts together a customised roadmap suited to the child, family, and lifestyle needs.
