Getting your child to sleep is about much more than what happens once they get into bed. Here are some ways to establish a healthy bedtime routine each and every night:

• Make sure bedtime is at the same time every night. Children feel safe and are much more likely to be good sleepers when they have a consistent bedtime and a predictable bedtime routine. It helps ensure that they get enough sleep while giving their world a sense of order. 
• On weekends, don’t vary bedtime for more than an hour each night. This creates a kind of “jet lag” in your child when Monday rolls around. If necessary, plan activities for weekend mornings so your child has a reason to get out of bed. 
• Try to limit active play, television, video-game playing and computer time for an hour or two before bed. 
• Tell your child five or ten minutes before their bedtime routine begins so they can finish what they are doing. 
• Create a customized bedtime ritual that you and your child can participate in every night. Choose quiet, relaxing activities like telling stories, singing songs, stretching or saying prayers. For instance, your ritual may include telling a short story, singing a song and then saying a prayer. You can change the story, song and prayer but keep the order the same each night. 
• Take care of your child’s physical needs so there’s no reason to get out of bed. Make sure he or she is wearing comfortable pajamas and has a favorite stuffed animal or blanket within reach. Some children like to have a glass of water by the bed, the door slightly open or a nightlight on. 
• The air in your child’s room should be fairly cool – around sixty-five degrees Fahrenheit. If the air is particularly dry, use a vaporizer. 
• If older brothers or sisters are allowed to stay up later, make sure they’re doing quiet activities that don’t disturb the younger sibling.

Leave your child’s room while they’re still awake so they can learn to settle themselves. If this is a problem for your child, practicing the Floppy Sleep Game exercises will systematically teach children to relax and fall asleep on their own.

About the author
Dubbed “The Dream Maker” by People magazine, Patti Teel is a former teacher and the author of The Floppy Sleep Game Book, which gives parents techniques to help their children relax or fall asleep. She is holding Dream Academy workshops at schools, hospitals, and libraries across the country where parents and children learn the playful relaxation techniques from her book and widely acclaimed children’s audio series. Children at the Dream Academy workshops practice the three R’s by resting their bodies, relaxing their minds, and refreshing their spirits. Visit her online at www.pattiteel.com.

If it’s too good to be true it probably is
Yes and no. As a seasoned Ebay shopper, I have gotten some deals that seemed too good to be true (those are the ones I especially love). But I’ve also learned some lessons, and I’d like to pass them on to you. Here are some tips that I suggest you pay attention to before jumping into the Ebay World.

1. Pay Attention To Feedback
   Every item you see on Ebay is offered by a person, a “seller.” When viewing an item, you will see the seller’s handle, followed by a number in parenthesis. This is the seller’s feedback rating.

   When someone purchases an item from a seller (a buyer) they leave “feedback” about how their transaction went. Each feedback left consists of a rating (positive, negative, or neutral), and a short comment. The number is how many buyers have purchased an item from that seller, so right off the bat, you now how long a seller has been doing business. Someone with 1 feedback rating obviously hasn’t been around as long as someone with a 5,648 rating (and yes, you’ll see that often!)

   But just as important as how many people have left feedback, is the percentage of Positive Feedback … 100% is the best! But of course, you can’t please people all of the time, so even a positive feedback of 95% can be good. You can read the comments left by buyers by clicking on the feedback rating. They will tell you if the product was received, in what condition, how promptly, etc., which will allow you to make a decision on whether or not to trust the Ebay seller.

2. Shipping and Handling
   Almost all items have an associated Shipping and Handling charge. Most sellers assign a reasonable fee to cover their cost of packaging, and of course, the delivery fee. But sometimes they jack that price up in order to make the low cost of their item appear to be a better deal than it is. Most of the time the S&H fee is prominently posted on the item page, so be sure to look for it! If it is not listed, contact the buyer and ask them what shipping fees will be incurred before you make a bid! Be sure to calculate the cost of S&H with the cost of the item to be sure you are indeed getting a great deal.
3. Don’t bid immediately!
   Ok, so you’ve found an item that you want. It’s a great price, and the S&H fee is reasonable. You want to bid on it, now. DON’T! All items listed on Ebay are there for a specified amount of time. You can see how much time you have to purchase the item by looking at how much time is left on the auction (see Time Left: under the current bid cost). If there are four days left until the auction ends, wait. Bidding now is going to cause someone else who is interested in the item to bid too, which in turn raises the price of the item. What you need to do is Watch the item, and come back the day the auction ends (preferably within a few minute of the end time) and bid then. This doesn’t give other buyers as much time to out bid you and make the cost go up!

   How do you “watch the item?” There is a link that says “Watch This Item” for every product offered on Ebay. All you need to do is click it, and that product will be saved in a list for you to come back to later. You must be a registered Ebay Member to take advantage of this, but registering is FREE and easy. So I suggest you register right away, that way when you find a great buy you’re ready for it.

4. View seller’s other items
   Once you find an item that you like at the right price, see what else the seller is offering. Odds are, they have many other items that are closely related to exactly what you’re looking for that didn’t come up in your product search. Check it out! And if you like the buyer and their products, save the buyer as a favorite!
5. Pay attention to the item description
   Some items will be listed with words or phrases that you don’t understand. For instance, “NIB” means new in box. If there is something that is in the description that you don’t understand – ASK THE SELLER! Once you win the auction it is too late to clear up unanswered questions, so rather than be disappointed, be safe.
6. Don’t get stuck in a competitive mindset
   This was the biggest lesson that I needed to learn in the early days of my Ebay-hood. I’d find an item that I’d like, bid on it, then be outbid. So then I’d bid again. It was a viciuos cycle and I ended up paying more for the item than I should have, simply because I wanted to win. You must keep in mind that you are trying to get a deal. If the price is no longer a deal in your mind, wait. The item will be listed again eventually at a price you want to pay.
7. Don’t limit yourself
   You can literally find *anything* on Ebay: Books, furniture, household products, clothes, shoes, collectibles… it is rare that I search for something and don’t find it.
8. Don’t just buy – SELL!
   As your baby grows, you’re going to find yourself with boxes full of clothes, toys, and other items that you no longer need. Use them to finance your new shopping sprees! Become an Ebay Seller and have a garage sale from the comfort of your living room! You’ll be amazed at how easy it is, and how much money you can make doing it! Many of my friends go to weekend garage sales and pick up antiques, collectibles, etc. and then sell them on Ebay for a tremendous profit. If you’re looking for some extra money, this is one easy way to do it!

Ready to check out Ebay now that you know the ins and outs a little bit? Type anything into the search box below and see what kind of deals you can get, or view our Discount Baby Products section for baby product categories to browse through. Happy Saving!

Do you have tips that you’d like to share with our Members? Let Us Know!

]]> http://www.babiesonline.com/articles/money/savewithebay.asp/feed 0 http://www.babiesonline.com/articles/baby/firstdaysathome.asp http://www.babiesonline.com/articles/baby/firstdaysathome.asp#comments Thu, 31 Jan 2008 00:42:18 +0000 admin http://208.79.203.56/articles/baby/firstdaysathome.asp By Timothy Robinson

The moment that you have waited for has finally arrived: the day you bring your newborn baby home from the hospital. Like all other expectant parents you will have spent the last nine months preparing for this day. You will have a baby room full of everything a newborn could possibly want. You will have read book after book on a wide magnitude of baby topics from what to name your baby to when you can expect those first words. You will have walked and paced the length of baby’s room, imagining your little bundle sleeping peacefully in her crib. Now the moment has arrived. In the crib lies your sleeping baby and the most exciting adventure of life is about to begin.

The first few days home from the hospital are just as important to you as they are to your baby. As new parents you will have gone through an exciting birth that will have left you breathless and exhilarated.

During your first days at home it may be wise to limit the amount of visitors that you welcome into your home. You need time to recuperate and settle into the routine that a sleeping, feeding, and often crying baby brings into your life.

As a new mother you will need to pay particular attention to the way that you are feeling so that those “baby blues” don’t creep up and surprise you unexpectedly. It is normal to feel a bit out of sorts and sad for the first couple of weeks after giving birth. Your body is going through some major physical changes after the birth of your baby. Your hormones will be changing and you likely will be feeling a lack of sleep. You should be patient with yourself, understand that all these feelings are normal, and that in a couple of weeks things will feel better for you.

If you find that you are feeling more and more depressed, and find it difficult to care for yourself and your family, you should consult your doctor so that he/she can determine if you are suffering from a condition called postpartum depression. While not serious, postpartum depression can leave a new mother despondent, tired, and subject to emotional swings and loss of appetite. The effects of giving birth, hormone changes and the lifestyle changes of having a newborn (not sleeping, being indoors a lot, responsibilities of caring for a baby) can lead to a bout of the baby blues. Baby blues are usually short lived and go away without treatment.

During the first few days at home your family will be adjusting to the additional member of your family. If you have other children at home you may be dealing with feelings of jealousy as the new baby takes center stage. Make sure that you include your other children in the day-to-day activities that are part of the new baby’s routine. Let older children help with diaper changing, feeding, and just sitting and holding the new baby if they are old enough to do so.

This is your time to adjust to the changes in your life and settle into a comfortable routine…at least for the moment!

About the Author
Tim Robinson’s report, Baby’s First Year: What Every New Parent Needs To Know will make sure you have everything you need to know to provide for your child. Just visit for a sneak peak at what the guide will share with you.