Recognising the signs of tiredness in toddlers and babies; a short guide
It can be difficult to recognise when babies or toddlers are tired, as we may not know what to look for and it can be hard to deduce a reason for their crying. Furthermore, when babies and toddlers get overtired, they find it harder to get to sleep. Thus it is vital to be able to spot the signs of tiredness so that you are able to settle your child to sleep before they get overtired.
Some of the tell-tale signs of tiredness in a newborn baby are;
- pulling at ears
- closing fists
- yawning
- fluttering eyelids or difficulty focusing, going cross-eyed or staring into space
- making jerky arm and leg movements, or arching backwards
- frowning or looking worried
- sucking on fingers
At the age of 3 – 6 months, a baby might be tired after being awake for 1.5 – 3 hours.
At the age of 6 – 12 months, a baby might be tired after being awake for 2 – 3 hours.
At the age of 12 – 18 months, a baby might be tired if they miss their morning or afternoon nap.
Some of the tell-tale signs of tiredness in a baby or toddler are;
- clumsiness
- clinginess
- grizzling or crying
- demands for constant attention
- boredom with toys
- fussiness with food.
The Wishing Well foundation
The Wishing Well was established in 2010 to offer children in out-of-home care, such as foster care and residential care, a range of healing and treatment options usually not accessible as a free therapy in mainstream health.
The Wishing Well raises funds to enable children and young people to access developmentally-appropriate and trauma-informed treatments shown to be highly effective in dealing with severe trauma and neglect. These therapies respond to the unique needs of each child and young person.
The Wishing Well is a not-for-profit incorporated charity organisation, established and managed by people seeking to improve outcomes for children and young people in out-of-home care and their families. The Wishing Well recognises the importance of the act of giving. We recognise the significance of the participation of community members and all donations are most appreciated.
The Wishing Well operates ethically, effectively and empathically with a view to achieving quality outcomes and a satisfying working environment.
Support the Wishing Well
The Wishing Well uses its funds to help children in need access all manners of developmentally-appropriate and trauma-informed treatments. The Wishing Well takes referrals for any child/young person in out-of-home care in NSW. Applications are assessed by qualified personnel and on a case-by-case basis. The decision to fund an application is affected by the following:
- Funding availability
- The support the child/young person has to access the proposed therapies
- The capacity and willingness of the Carer Household to support the child/young person
- Assessment, which recommends and supports the proposed therapy as relevant to meeting the particular needs of the child/young person
The Wishing Well gratefully receives donations, funding and resources through bequests, corporate partnerships, fundraising events, grants, online donations and other fund raising activities. Money donated to The Wishing Well enables traumatised children access to healing therapies. Please see our website for more information:
The importance of sleep; a short guide
Sleep is important for everyone – we spend about 1/3 of our lives sleeping – but there are differences between our needs based on if we are babies, children or adults. The amount of time we spend in light and deep sleep varies depending on age.
A lot happens in our bodies and brains while we sleep. Babies and children spend so much time sleeping because their bodies and brains have a lot of growing to do while they sleep, and when it’s dark, children’s bodies produce a growth hormone. Researchers believe too little sleep can affect growth and the immune system. Studies also show that kids who regularly get an adequate amount of sleep have improved attention, behaviour, learning, memory, and overall mental and physical health.
Sleep consists of ‘light sleep’ also known as Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep, and ‘deep sleep’, also called Non-Rapid Eye Movement (NREM) sleep. Babies are biologically programmed to sleep more lightly and wake more often than adults. Cycles of deep and light sleep last 30-50 minutes in babies, then gradually increase in length across childhood. In adolescence and during the adult years, each cycle of deep and light sleep lasts about 90 minutes.
Sleep is important for everyone, but especially so for babies and children. It’s an essential part of everyone’s routine and an indispensable part of a healthy lifestyle.
The Wishing Well foundation
The Wishing Well was established in 2010 to offer children in out-of-home care, such as foster care and residential care, a range of healing and treatment options usually not accessible as a free therapy in mainstream health.
The Wishing Well raises funds to enable children and young people to access developmentally-appropriate and trauma-informed treatments shown to be highly effective in dealing with severe trauma and neglect. These therapies respond to the unique needs of each child and young person.
The Wishing Well is a not-for-profit incorporated charity organisation, established and managed by people seeking to improve outcomes for children and young people in out-of-home care and their families. The Wishing Well recognises the importance of the act of giving. We recognise the significance of the participation of community members and all donations are most appreciated.
The Wishing Well operates ethically, effectively and empathically with a view to achieving quality outcomes and a satisfying working environment.
Support the Wishing Well
The Wishing Well uses its funds to help children in need access all manners of developmentally-appropriate and trauma-informed treatments. The Wishing Well takes referrals for any child/young person in out-of-home care in NSW. Applications are assessed by qualified personnel and on a case-by-case basis. The decision to fund an application is affected by the following:
- Funding availability
- The support the child/young person has to access the proposed therapies
- The capacity and willingness of the Carer Household to support the child/young person
- Assessment, which recommends and supports the proposed therapy as relevant to meeting the particular needs of the child/young person
The Wishing Well gratefully receives donations, funding and resources through bequests, corporate partnerships, fundraising events, grants, online donations and other fund raising activities. Money donated to The Wishing Well enables traumatised children access to healing therapies. Please see our website for more information:
News; The UK government brings in new laws and workplace rights to support families who suffer the loss of a child
The UK government is leading the way by bringing in new laws to support families who suffer the loss of a child. Parents and carers will be eligible for paid leave when they suffer a loss of a child under 18, and employees will not have to give notice for leave immediately after a loss, nor will they need to supply a copy of a death certificate to use as evidence. This is the first law of its kind in the UK to support employees and give them time to grieve.
Those who are eligible under this Parental Bereavement (Pay and Leave) Act include; parents, and all primary carers for children, including adopters, foster parents, guardians, and also kinship carers – a close relative or family friend that has assumed responsibility for the care of the child in the absence of the parents.
“Dealing with the loss of a child is an awful tragedy which we recognise people will deal with differently. It is important this new law is designed so that people are given the space and respect to grieve in their own way.” – Kelly Tolhurst, Business Minister
The Wishing Well foundation
The Wishing Well was established in 2010 to offer children in out-of-home care, such as foster care and residential care, a range of healing and treatment options usually not accessible as a free therapy in mainstream health.
The Wishing Well raises funds to enable children and young people to access developmentally-appropriate and trauma-informed treatments shown to be highly effective in dealing with severe trauma and neglect. These therapies respond to the unique needs of each child and young person.
The Wishing Well is a not-for-profit incorporated charity organisation, established and managed by people seeking to improve outcomes for children and young people in out-of-home care and their families. The Wishing Well recognises the importance of the act of giving. We recognise the significance of the participation of community members and all donations are most appreciated.
The Wishing Well operates ethically, effectively and empathically with a view to achieving quality outcomes and a satisfying working environment.
Support the Wishing Well
The Wishing Well uses its funds to help children in need access all manners of developmentally-appropriate and trauma-informed treatments. The Wishing Well takes referrals for any child/young person in out-of-home care in NSW. Applications are assessed by qualified personnel and on a case-by-case basis. The decision to fund an application is affected by the following:
- Funding availability
- The support the child/young person has to access the proposed therapies
- The capacity and willingness of the Carer Household to support the child/young person
- Assessment, which recommends and supports the proposed therapy as relevant to meeting the particular needs of the child/young person
The Wishing Well gratefully receives donations, funding and resources through bequests, corporate partnerships, fundraising events, grants, online donations and other fund raising activities. Money donated to The Wishing Well enables traumatised children access to healing therapies. Please see our website for more information:
News; Vital changes to foster laws being considered by NSW Parliament
The NSW Parliament is considering making some vital change to current foster laws. These changes are seeking to streamline decision-making about permanent placements for children who enter out-of-home care. For the children who enter out-of-home care, they have been removed from the care of their parents, and the average length of stay in out-of-home care for them is about 12 years – this can be almost the entire duration of their childhood.
The changes being considered aim to reduce this time to a maximum of two years, with the potential for children to return to their parents where possible. Where this is not possible, the aim would be an alternative legal arrangement of guardianship with a relative, or adoption by a foster carer. Long-term foster care would be the least preferred option.
“With the greater focus on achieving permanent homes, it is important that NSW policies and legislation consider the lessons from other jurisdictions that have made similar attempts. In the US, the Adoption and Safe Families Act has been criticised for its bias towards termination of parental rights and adoption over restoration, with inadequate timeframes and support services that do not allow birth parents to so their children can be returned to them.”
– Associate Professor Amy Conley Wright & Professor Judith Cashmore
The reforms would require appropriate funding for resourcing to strengthen and support families, as well as monitoring and research to check for unintended consequences and to ensure the reforms are for the benefit of the children they are meant to help.
The Wishing Well foundation
The Wishing Well was established in 2010 to offer children in out-of-home care, such as foster care and residential care, a range of healing and treatment options usually not accessible as a free therapy in mainstream health.
The Wishing Well raises funds to enable children and young people to access developmentally-appropriate and trauma-informed treatments shown to be highly effective in dealing with severe trauma and neglect. These therapies respond to the unique needs of each child and young person.
The Wishing Well is a not-for-profit incorporated charity organisation, established and managed by people seeking to improve outcomes for children and young people in out-of-home care and their families. The Wishing Well recognises the importance of the act of giving. We recognise the significance of the participation of community members and all donations are most appreciated.
The Wishing Well operates ethically, effectively and empathically with a view to achieving quality outcomes and a satisfying working environment.
Support the Wishing Well
The Wishing Well uses its funds to help children in need access all manners of developmentally-appropriate and trauma-informed treatments. The Wishing Well takes referrals for any child/young person in out-of-home care in NSW. Applications are assessed by qualified personnel and on a case-by-case basis. The decision to fund an application is affected by the following:
- Funding availability
- The support the child/young person has to access the proposed therapies
- The capacity and willingness of the Carer Household to support the child/young person
- Assessment, which recommends and supports the proposed therapy as relevant to meeting the particular needs of the child/young person
The Wishing Well gratefully receives donations, funding and resources through bequests, corporate partnerships, fundraising events, grants, online donations and other fund raising activities. Money donated to The Wishing Well enables traumatised children access to healing therapies. Please see our website for more information:
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