Set baby’s Routine Early on
Aus May 2013
by David and Charissa Scotford
I was a bridesmaid for my friend when Benjamin was 7 months old. Trying to co-ordinate feeds during the day of the wedding was a challenge, to say the least!
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Volcanos and Funnels - Part 3
Aus February 2013
by David and Charissa Scotford
Over the past couple of months, we’ve been looking at ‘parenting inside the funnel’. Basically that means only giving our children the physical and verbal freedoms they are developmentally and morally ready for.
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Volcanos and Funnels - Part 2
Aus December 2012
by David and Charissa Scotford
Where do babies fit?
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Volcanos and Funnels - Part 1
Aus November 2012
by David and Charissa Scotford
Start with less choices
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Baby Basics Part 2
Aus October 2012
by David and Charissa Scotford
Last month we started looking at some of the basics to establishing a healthy routine with your new baby. One of the best pieces of advice I was given was to keep their three main activities during the day in this order: Feed, Wake, Sleep.
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Baby Basics
Aus September 2012
by David and Charissa Scotford
It’s been a while since we’ve looked at establishing healthy feed and sleep patterns with your newborn baby so I thought I might take the next couple of articles to look at some of the basics to creating a healthy routine.
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Good Night, Sleep Tight (Part 3)
Aus August 2012
by David and Charissa Scotford
Over the past couple of months we’ve been looking at ways to help your toddler transition from a cot to a bed, without getting out of bed several times a night.
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Good Night, Sleep Tight (Part 2)
Aus July 2012
by David and Charissa Scotford
Following on from last month, here are some more tips to help your toddler transition from a cot to a bed:
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Good Night, Sleep Tight (Part 1)
Aus June 2012
by David and Charissa Scotford
I’ve had quite a few Mums ring lately with questions about transitioning a toddler from their cot into a bed. The most common problem they face is their toddler coming out of bed several times (some up to 40 or 50 times!) a night now they don’t have the physical barrier of a cot stopping them.
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Can I help you? Please?! (Part 1)
Aus May 2012
by David and Charissa Scotford
There are many times I am out in public that I see parents and children struggling with each other.
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Technology — Friend or Foe?
Aus April 2012
by David and Charissa Scotford
There is no denying it — we live in an age where technology plays an important role in our lives. Whether you love technology or hate it, I believe it is something we all need to embrace if we are to keep up with our children and their interactions with those around them.
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Finding fun in the simple things
Aus March 2012
by David and Charissa Scotford
I remember my birthday parties as a kid. My Mum did an incredible job of creatively celebrating each year with a themed party. Some of my favourite memories are playing party games with my friends, you know the old fashioned ones where only one person wins and not everyone gets to take something home!
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Old Fashioned Values are new again!
Aus February 2012
by David and Charissa Scotford
Following on from the last couple of months, I thought I’d share with you some more of my ‘Old Fashioned Values’ list that I’m working through in an attempt to instil in my children some of the values that my parents and grandparents would have taken for granted but which our generation seem to have forgotten (or chose not to teach anymore).
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Old Fashioned Values: Others-focussed
Aus December 2011
Last month I reflected on my desire to share some good old fashioned values with my children as they grow up in a society where people are increasingly living fast-paced, separate lives from the people around them.
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OLD FASHIONED VALUES ARE MAKING A COMEBACK!
Aus November 2011
by Charissa Scotford www.4thefamily.com.au
Sometimes I feel like I was born in the wrong era! I’m sure I would have been more comfortable and fitted in better if I was born in the 1940s or 1950s. I know that when we look back at history, we tend to romanticize life and the reality was probably very different. If I was honest with myself, I actually think I’d find it hard to give up a lot of the modern conveniences I use every day which wouldn’t have been invented back then.
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Toilet Training Part 9
Aus October 2011
by David and Charissa Scotford
Guiding your child to choose the loo!
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Toilet Training Part 8
Aus September 2011
by David and Charissa Scotford
A daily routine of toilet trips
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Toilet Training Part 7
Aus August 2011
by David and Charissa Scotford
Role play
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Toilet Training Part 6
Aus July 2011
by David and Charissa Scotford
“Get out and no one gets hurt” approach
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Toilet Training Part 5
Aus June 2011
by David and Charissa Scotford
Somewhere between 18 and 36 months old (usually), both you and your child will be ready to begin the toilet training process. In the previous Issue 335, we discussed the readiness signs to look for (read it online at
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Toilet Training Part 4
Aus May 2011
by David and Charissa Scotford
Toilet Training is a developmental skill all children learn eventually. There is no right or wrong time to start training but on average, most children will be ready sometime between 18 and 36 months.
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Toilet Training (Part 3)
Aus April 2011
by David and Charissa Scotford
Toilet Training involves learning a set of fairly complex skills for a
young person. From their perspective, there are two sets of invisible muscles
to control...
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Toilet Training (Part 2)
Aus March 2011
by David and Charissa Scotford
Toilet Training involves your toddler learning both bladder and bowel
control.
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Toilet Training
Aus February 2011
by David and Charissa Scotford
Toilet Training is one of those things that every parent must face with their child at some stage.
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Are you ‘hyper-scheduled’ this Christmas?
Aus December 2010
by David and Charissa Scotford
Imagine opening a novel to read and being confronted with words that
covered the entire page.
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The angel in the marble — Part 9
Aus November 2010
by David and Charissa Scotford
Developing gifts to help others
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The angel in the marble — Part 8
Aus October 2010
by David and Charissa Scotford
MIX IT UP
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Every one is unique
USA September 2010
by David and Charissa Scotford
I never wanted to have robot-like ‘cookie cutter kids’. Instead, I wanted our children to be able to develop their own unique gifts, talents and personalities. While we do have certain standards of manners and behavior, we also want them to have the freedom to develop as individuals.
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The angel in the marble — Part 7
Aus September 2010
by David and Charissa Scotford
Pets can be a lovely addition to your family ... or just a whole lot more work for Mum!
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The angel in the marble — Part 6
Aus August 2010
by David and Charissa Scotford
Discovering gifts
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The angel in the marble — Part 5
Aus July 2010
by David and Charissa Scotford
Every one is unique
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The angel in the marble — Part 4
Aus June 2010
by David and Charissa Scotford
Give them the tools of the trade
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The angel in the marble — Part 3
Aus May 2010
by David and Charissa Scotford
“Wow” moments
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The angel in the marble — Part 2
Aus April 2010
by David and Charissa Scotford
Set them free
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The angel in the marble — Part 1
Aus March 2010
by David and Charissa Scotford
Set them free
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Are you a Martyr Mum?
Aus February 2010
by David and Charissa Scotford
Responsibility — part 1
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Self Control - Part 5
Aus December 2009
by David and Charissa Scotford
Why ?
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Self Control - Part 4
Aus November 2009
by David and Charissa Scotford
Over the past few months, we have been looking at the different types of self control: Physical, Verbal and Emotional.
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Room time safety while preoccupied
Aus October 2009
by David and Charissa Scotford
Mornings can be busy as there are many jobs that need doing at the start of our day.
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Self Control - Part 3
Aus September 2009
by David and Charissa Scotford
Boot camp for parents
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Self Control - Part 2
Aus August 2009
by David and Charissa Scotford
Self control can be expressed in three different forms: Physical, Verbal and
Emotional.
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Self Control - Part 1
Aus July 2009
by David and Charissa Scotford
We’ve all seen adults who struggle to use self control on our roads or
children who “lose” control in the supermarket. Developing self
control helps us respond appropriately to everyday situations.
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Obedience — Part 4
Aus June 2009
by David and Charissa Scotford
We all want our children to do what we ask when we ask. Is that too much to expect?
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Training to obey - Part 3
Aus May 2009
By David and Charissa Scotford
Does this sound familiar? “Come on kids, it’s time to go... No, come on,
I really mean it, we need to go now ... You guys, if you don’t come now, I’m going to leave you here...
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Training to obey - Part 2
Aus April 2009
by David and Charissa Scotford
Last edition we defined ‘obedience’ as our children doing something (1) straight away, (2) completely and (3) without complaining.
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Training to obey — Part 1
Aus March 2009
by David and Charissa Scotford
To have children who obey their parents is something most of us like to see.
Often though, we are discouraged by society to teach it to our children.
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Focused play
Aus February 2009
by David and Charissa Scotford
Sitting and reading a book on Mum’s lap or putting together a jigsaw puzzle
can be a special and important part of our children’s day.
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Making use of morning tea
Aus December 2008
by David and Charissa Scotford
A healthy snack mid morning can be a nice part of your routine with young children. This is another time in our day that we can teach our children some valuable skills.
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Television - friend or foe?
Aus November 2008
by David and Charissa Scotford
I hope you appreciate me ‘taking on’ such a controversial topic as the television! I feel there is a need to talk about some of the advantages and disadvantages of it to help you make an informed choice about it’s use.
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Room time: a safe, contented place
Aus October 2008
by David and Charissa Scotford
Mornings can be busy as there are many jobs that need doing at the start of our day.
Once breakfast and our morning routine was finished,
I would always give my younger children some time in the play pen and my toddler some ‘room time’.
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Begin as you mean to go
Aus September 2008
by David and Charissa Scotford
We have a saying in our family which we parent by: ‘Begin
as you mean to go’.
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Red cup or blue cup — too many choices!
Aus August 2008
by David and Charissa Scotford
I figure if breakfast is going to happen every day, I’d prefer it was an enjoyable event rather than a stressful one!
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How early is too early?
Aus July 2008
by Charissa Scotford
What is a good time
to start the day and
what happens if your
child doesn’t agree?!
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Are you a Tigger or an Eeyore?
Aus June 2008
by Charissa Scotford
How we are first thing in the morning can really set the tone for the day.
I am blessed to be a ‘Tigger’ in the morning. Once I’m awake I
like to spring out of bed and get going with the day. My husband however, is more
of an ‘Eeyore’ and takes a little longer to get going in the morning.
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Promoting conversation naturally
Aus May 2008
by Charissa Scotford
It is a well known fact that men and boys will be more likely to talk and
‘open up’ if they are working in a triangle
— it happens naturally.
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The gift of childhood
Aus April 2008
by Charissa Scotford
We mothers were all children once and, for many of us, we watched and
emulated what our mothers did with our siblings. However, sometimes daughters can
inadvertently carry the weight of responsibility on their shoulders
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A grandmother’s wisdom
Aus March 2008
by Charissa Scotford
Last year, our family stayed with a couple who, as grandparents, shared much wisdom about parenting with us. Our family was so benefited by their advice that I thought I would pass some of it onto you over the next few months!
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Establishing a schedule
USA February 2008
by Charissa Scotford
There are many common things that we all deal with as parents of new babies. Here we have two questions that I (and my husband David) are frequently asked:
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Dad’s role
Aus February 2008
by David Scotford
We Dads can feel a little unsure of our role when our first baby arrives, but being around and on board pays off in many ways.
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Sleepy babies
Aus December 2007
by Charissa Scotford
There are many common things that we all deal with as parents of new babies. We are spending a few months looking at some of the frequently asked questions we help new parents with via our website: www.babywisebless.com.au
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Waking early from a nap
Aus November 2007
by Charissa Scotford
There are many common things that we all deal with as parents of new babies. Over the next few months we are going to look at some of the frequently asked questions we help new parents with via our website <www.babywisebliss.com.au>.
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How useful is a play pen?
Aus October 2007
by Charissa Scotford
You are juggling the shopping in both hands while trying to open the door and the phone is ringing. You look over to check that your baby, whom you placed on the play mat, is OK and he’s nowhere to be seen! He thought this would be a great time to learn to roll and has rolled himself under the lounge room sofa!
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Why is my baby waking early from naps?
Aus September 2007
by Charissa Scotford
Aahhh, the peace is blissful. Your feet tingle as you finally sit and put them up, confident that you have at least an hour and a half before your baby will need you again. Half way through the next chapter of your book, you hear that all too familiar sound of your baby crying! NOT YET!!!!
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When Babies Cry
Aus August 2007
by Charissa Scotford
All babies cry. Crying is your baby’s natural form of communicating to you that something needs to change! Each baby has different sounding cries for their different needs E.g. a high pitched cry may indicate pain. A lower, grizzly cry may be a sign of tiredness.
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Extended Routine
Aus July 2007
by Charissa Scotford
The best thing about following the principles found in Babywise Bliss is that by 12 to 14 weeks, most babies are sleeping through the night! By this stage, our babies are usually more alert and full of smiles. You may even enjoy hearing them laugh for the first time.
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Tired signs
Aus June 2007
by Charissa Scotford
Yawning, rubbing your eyes, cranky — sound familiar? Yes, these are all tired signs you can expect to see in your husband/wife when they are tired! Fortunately they are also the easily recognisable signs for when a baby is tired too!
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Babies and sleep
Aus May 2007
by Charissa Scotford
I’m grumpy when I’m tired! I find it hard to think straight, to be productive and to interact appropriately with people around me.
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Healthy babies
Aus April 2007
by Charissa Scotford
The first time I heard the phrase “Failure to Thrive” was when I was working at a children’s hospital.
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Back to basics
Aus March 2007
by Charissa Scotford
I was a bridesmaid for my friend when Benjamin was 7 months old. Trying to co-ordinate feeds during the day of the wedding was a challenge, to say the least! Grandparents were called on for baby-sitting duties and when they offered to take him home so that we could go to the reception alone, it was the first time I really appreciated the fact that he didn’t need to be fed to sleep. I could feed Benjamin at the reception and then his grandparents could take him home and put him to bed.
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Right beginnings
Aus February 2007
by Charissa Scotford
It was 9:05 a.m. I was in the car, putting my make-up on in the rear view mirror when I looked down and noticed that I had only managed to shave one leg that morning in the shower! I was due at a friend’s house 5 minutes ago...
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