What makes a toddler bed (or any bed really) uber comfortable? Feeling COZY. Want your kids to sleep longer? Better? Oh my gosh, we think this is IT. Another tool in the parent “please let me / them sleep” arsenal. Little Sleepy Head is so proud to introduce our new 2” ventilated, soft Memory Foam Topper for toddler bed mattress or crib padding (with a removable and washable non-slip cover)!
The cover is waterproof and washable, as well as CertiPUR-US® certified.
How often should a toddler pillow be replaced? Depending on usage, a good rule of thumb is about once per year.
There’s no mystery that your child’s pillow will need to be replaced eventually. We all have our favorite pillows and if we’re honest, we should have probably tossed them long ago. But this is our kids we are talking about, and we are typically more discerning. So how often should a toddler pillow be replaced? Depending on usage, a good rule of thumb is about once per year.
I’ll be honest, I never washed a pillow in my life until I had kids. Somehow, kids manage to get things dirty even when they sleep! Plus, we suddenly start to worry about all the things science tells us to be concerned about what we may or may not have considered before like allergens and dust mites. And of course, kids just seem to be more, well, snotty, drooly, and… well, you get the idea. So washable is important when there is only a pillowcase between body parts and our every night pillow. So why replace it if it seems fine?
Over time, the very thing that keeps those pillows cleaner is the thing that adds to the deterioration of the pillow’s structure. When we want to keep our clothes super nice, we wash on gentle and hope they last longer. A pillow is no different. But if you wash it a lot, it is definitely going to wear out sooner. The filling may clump or get out of alignment making the original shape unrecognizable. And, the tight weave the keeps out those allergens and dust mites may become looser with months of frequent washing. Spinal alignment is important for all of us, and it’s even more critical to our kids’ growing bodies.
So if it’s been a year or so, definitely give your child’s pillow a good once over to decide if it’s time for a replacement.
Although replacing your pillow yearly is the standard, there is proper care and maintenance to keep in mind that it can lengthen the lifetime of your pillow. Taking care of a toddler pillow isn’t difficult to do when you follow these steps:
The Little Sleepy Head toddler pillow is made in the USA of high-quality materials, is washable, and contains NO chemicals whatsoever. It is naturally hypoallergenic! Their pillow protector is waterproof, also hypoallergenic, and allows for no washing of the actual pillow. Its side zipper closure makes sure that nothing will make its way past the barrier. It makes any accidents or spills easy to switch out without disrupting sleep for too long if in the night.
If you have any questions about how to care for your child’s toddler pillow, or about pillow protectors, we would love to hear from you.
It was quite the Summer, but Fall is finally here. The air is changing and the mornings are hinting at crisper things to come. When you’re a kid, that means one thing: fun! Jumping into piles of colored fallen leaves is always a thrill, but nothing beats the sweet, tangy and sticky caramel apples from local festivals. Nothing, that is, except the ones you can make at home!
Fall flavors like caramel apples are a magical treat. They set the tone both for enjoyment today and warm feelings of nostalgia over years to come. Yup, that bite through a layer of gooey caramel into a crisp apple right off of the tree can create memories for a lifetime.
While you can get whole caramel apples at festivals and fairs, with our DIY below, you can make your own delicious caramel apple sticks at home! You can either do this yourself, or if you’re ready to get a bit (or a lot) sticky with your little ones, then they can take part in the creation process too!
If the day outside is beautiful, this is the perfect activity to take outdoors to keep all the stickiness off of the walls, surfaces, floors… pretty much everything you don’t want covered in stickiness.
Ahead of time, choose your toppings and create a tray of options in little dishes. A muffin tin can serve perfectly as a topping container. They can include everything from chopped peanuts or almonds to mini-marshmallows, a brown sugar and cinnamon mix, mini chocolate chips, or chopped candy bars. Sprinkles are also an easy favorite.
Before you warm the caramel, set up a table outside with a tablecloth. A quick trip to the dollar store will send you home with a plastic disposable table cloth that you can either easily wipe down, or throw away after the “event,” depending on the size of the mess left behind. Otherwise, choose a washable table cloth – or old bed sheet – that you don’t mind getting stained.
Back inside, heating up the caramel is next. Store-bought caramel is ideal because it is simple to heat and melt. Just try not to eat too many cubes as you unwrap them from their plastic! You can heat the caramel on the stove top or in microwave until melted.
As your last step before heading out to make the caramel apple sticks, make sure to core and slice your apples. Insert lollipop sticks into the apple slices and they are ready to dip. If you are worried about them browning too quickly, give each one a quick dip into some soda water with citric acid mixed into it (lemon-lime pop or ginger ale both contain citric acid, if you don’t want to mix it yourself).
All you need now is your kids and a pile of napkins. Hold the apples by the stick and dip each one a couple of times into the caramel. Gently twirl away the excess, and then dip them into the toppings. Set them down carefully on a plate or parchment paper, wait a little while for the caramel to cool and set, and then it’s snack time! Tip: with very little ones, make sure you do all of the dipping in caramel for them. Then, once it has cooled a little, they can add their own toppings!
Some fun combinations that are sure to please include:
Caramel peanut/almond – Sprinkle your caramel apple stick with some chopped nuts!
Get ready for a favorite treat that your kids will look forward to enjoying every year. In fact, while you have everything set up, why not make a few extras to keep in the fridge to enjoy the next day!
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Across the country, school is coming to an end for the summer. Some states have already had their last day of school, while others will continue right through until the end of June. Regardless of when that last day of school happens, that leaves parents with that ever-looming question…what are we going to do for the next couple of months?
Summer is a fantastic time of year to have fun with the kids. The weather is great for everything from water play to tasty icy treats. For the first little while, the novelty of the hot temperatures and the schedule-free days can make it seem like the different ways to have fun will never end. Then, quite suddenly, everyone is out of ideas. What do you do?
Little Sleepy Head has you covered! We’ve come up with a fresh, fun, and inspiring list of 30 things the whole family can enjoy together just once or as many times as you want. Click here to download.
Use this list however you’d like to make sure this is the best summer ever! You can turn it into a family challenge and try to complete the entire list. If everything on the list is a bit too ambitious, consider letting every family member choose their favorite to make sure it isn’t missed. Or, you can always edit the document and add your own activities!
Remember that this list is meant to inspire. You can take it as literally or figuratively as you want! Use it to let your creativity come to life.
Making ice cream sounds like fun, but you need to save the real stuff for another day? You can always make play dough ice cream cones and enjoy adding as many scoops as you want in your pretend summertime treats. No drive-in movie theater near your house? Why not watch a favorite on a blanket in the backyard, instead? The ideas and possibilities are nearly endless!
The goal is, after all, to have fun together and make this the best family summer yet!
With the warm weather finally here, many families are getting ready to head away on road trips and summer vacations. That said, when you have a toddler, the standard rules of travel can change a little bit. Vacationing with a toddler needs some extra planning and a whole lot of common sense (at a time when you might not be feeling too rational).
To make sure your trip – whether it be a day trip or a road trip halfway across the country – goes well, keep the following lessons in mind. These have been learned by millions of families over the decades. Discover them before having to learn them firsthand, and you’ll be ahead of the game on your trip.
Even when your toddler eats all his/her meals and snacks throughout the day, tummies can occasionally grumble at bedtime. While it’s easy to think that it isn’t a good idea to have a snack before bed, it can be equally problematic if you leave a little belly feeling hungry.
Hunger can make it very difficult for a child – or an adult, for that matter – to feel restful. The discomfort can make bedtime a lengthy and sleepless affair.
The key to snacks at bedtime is to choose something light, adequately satisfying, nutritious and, of course, something your little one actually likes! When you choose a bedtime snack, you need to choose a food and a portion that will ease the hunger pangs without giving your kid a burst of energy.
Keep the following in mind when selecting a snack before you brush your son or daughter’s teeth and start getting ready for bed.
When you serve your little one a snack, make sure it’s eaten sitting up at a table, not in bed (to reduce the risk of choking and to promote restfulness once your child is ready to sleep). Keep portions small so they’re big enough to satisfy hunger without being large enough to make your little one feel full. That full feeling can delay sleep.
Bedwetting – also known as nocturnal enuresis – is very common in kids under the age of 10 years. In fact, there are an estimated 5 million children across the United States who wet the bed. Among them, are 20 percent of five-year-olds, 10 percent of 7-year-olds, and even 5 percent of 10-year-olds. Those statistics are from the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Still, when it’s your child wetting the bed, the statistics aren’t your main concern. You want to know that your child is healthy and that this won’t be a chronic problem that will continue into later life.
The most common reason that kids will wet the bed is that your child’s body is developing at its own rate and overnight bladder control simply hasn’t caught up yet. It’s nothing to worry about and it’s not something that can be rushed. Still, if you are concerned, it doesn’t hurt to talk to a doctor to make sure there isn’t another underlying cause.
Other reasons can include drinking too much close to bedtime, which can cause too much urine production during the night. That said, it’s important to note that this is only the case if your child is drinking large amounts of fluids right before bed. Restricting fluids will not stop bedwetting from happening if it is caused by another factor such as natural body development.
Children who sleep exceptionally deeply are prone to bedwetting because a full bladder often isn’t enough to wake them up. Again, this is something that typically fades with age, as extremely deep sleepers won’t usually stay that way throughout their entire lives.
Kids can also be at a higher risk of wetting the bed at times when their typical lifestyle or routines are being disrupted. If your little one doesn’t usually wet the bed but suddenly starts, it could be because of stress, being overly tired before bed, feeling disrupted from a large change in life such as starting daycare, school, or having a new sibling, or it could even be an indicator of a minor illness such as a cold.
There are also certain underlying medical conditions that can make bedwetting more common. Urinary tract infections and constipation are the most common and are quite easy to treat. That said, it can also be caused by more serious conditions such as diabetes. Therefore, if your little one has other symptoms in addition to bedwetting, a checkup at the doctor is a good next step.
No matter what the reason is for your child’s bedwetting, there isn’t anything that can be done to force him or her to stay dry overnight. Most children simply need to grow out of it. This can take weeks, months, or even years.
The most important thing you can do is to remain calm – even when it means changing the bed in the middle of the night – and make sure your son or daughter does not feel upset by what is happening. This is why the majority of pediatricians won’t even recommend any treatments for bedwetting in children younger than 7 years old – it’s a natural part of growing up.
To try to create as little disruption as possible, consider using washable underwear meant for kids who wet the bed. Training pants can be very helpful for smaller kids, but there are also reusable or disposable types of underwear meant for children who are slightly older, some of which include an absorbent insert that can be washed or thrown away.
A waterproof mattress protector and pillow protector can also be very helpful for keeping nighttime bedding changes as straightforward as possible. 
When all you need to do is change the sheets, it’s a lot easier than trying to clean a wet mattress or damp pillow.
Don’t forget to make sure your child uses the toilet before going to bed. Make it a regular part of your son or daughter’s bedtime routine. This way, your little one will start off with an empty bladder.
When bedwetting does happen, be understanding and reassuring. Make certain your child knows that it wasn’t his or her fault and that this happens to many children. Punishing or embarrassing your kid for something that is completely involuntary will only lead to stress which can prolong the problem.
For 90 percent of children, bedwetting will correct itself by the time they reach 7 years old. Hang in there. You’re not alone.
The “terrible twos” have been given this name for a reason. They can be a very difficult age. “No” becomes your son or daughter’s favorite word. Tantrums are frequent and enthusiastic. At the same time, this is a time of self-discovery and world-discovery that is imaginative, adorable, and just plain fun.
The following are some of the top reasons the terrible twos can actually be great.
Bedtime isn’t just the end of the day when a kid climbs in under the blankets and goes to sleep. It’s a transition time and a ritual. It involves certain practical steps such as brushing teeth and putting on pajamas. It also involves certain practices that are more focused on bonding and even entertainment, but that are no less important.
Some families choose this time to talk about their days together. Some use this time to talk about new lessons learned or things they are thankful for. Some enjoy a bedtime story. Or you may choose combinations of these different activities.
A bedtime story is a tradition that goes back for centuries. Even before printed books or widespread literacy, mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles, and grandparents told stories to fascinate, educate and ease children to sleep.
Still, even after centuries, there is a big difference between a great bedtime story and a not-so-great one. Just because a book contains a fantastic story, it doesn’t necessarily make it appropriate for bedtime. After all, if you’re reading something stressful or frightening, you’re likely going to create the opposite effect from the one you wanted.
The purpose of a bedtime story is to entertain, but also to soothe and calm your child. Here are some of the features to watch for in a book that will make a truly exceptional bedtime story:
While there aren’t any specific rules that dictate whether or not a storybook will be perfect for bedtime, these can be very helpful in guiding you in the right direction. A nice little library of bedtime books is a wonderful thing to have. It lets you choose the book depending on the length of time you have to dedicate to the story, your child’s mood, and his or her preference that evening.
Do you ever get that feeling that you’re doing absolutely everything you can to make bedtime go smoothly and everything still seems to go wrong at the end of the day? When you’re trying hard to be consistent about a routine, it can feel very frustrating when you face a meltdown every night and when your little one just can’t seem to settle.
In many cases, among all our great efforts and best intentions, there are little mistakes we are making that can sabotage our entire success. The following are some of the most common things we do in the hopes of making things better for our kids when we’re actually making things harder for ourselves and our children at the same time.
– Baths before bed, especially when using gentle, natural products with soothing scents such as chamomile or lavender, can encourage restfulness at night. The warmth and the relaxation from the bath – as well as the regularity of it – can boost the effectiveness of a bedtime routine as a whole.
By correcting these little mistakes, we can encourage a much more restful night of sleep for our little ones each night. Keep them up consistently for improved restfulness over time.
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