In my experience many parents feel that asking for help is admitting failure.  No parent likes to feel insufficient when it comes to their baby. Yet, nothing prepares us for the post-natal care of a baby.

Children do not need socialisation, outside the immediate family unit, until about 2.5 - 3 years old. 

A good way of getting support is by joining a Mother's Group.  Friendships can develop and provide a great sounding board for many mums.  Sadly there are those doting parents who feel the need to treat parenting as a competition.  Here are some thoughts on these groups.

Children get to an age where they will behave by MISBEHAVING. They have goals for what they want. If they do not get what they want from 'good' behaviour, they will naturally try misbehaviour.  If this works for them then they will continue to behaviour badly.  This week we'll briefly talk about behaviour.

I remember well Christmas day when my children were little: the giving and receiving of gifts, having family and friends over to share the fun.  The incredible amount of food and trying very hard to stay awake after lunch!

I loved watching each child unwrapped their gifts.  The look of surprise, happiness and the eagerness to play with their gifts. The gift for a one year old was very simple, a box of cellophane paper with different colours and the box big enough to play with too, loading and emptying it.

Encouragement verse Praise.  How are they different?, and Why you need to know the difference?

Out of habit parents will over praise a child.  They will praise for every little action they perform; eating, smiling, walking, playing etc etc. I believe praise can be waaaaayy over done.  Secondly, we need to shift the focus of our praise from the child to the child's behaviour. Change 'good girl/boy' to 'well done'. 

It is not built into children to behave 'well' or be considerate of others, it is learned.  Accept it because it is how we are and most of us will spend a lifetime trying not to let our ego take over. HOW we manage our behaviour is the key. In this article I'm going to discuss common drives of misbehaviour in little-ones.  Also, discipline and punishment.

Parenting is not about control.  It is about communication and listening to your instincts.  It is about owning what you know.

My granddaughter recently received this from her daycare.  For all those Brisbane parents with prep age kids:
 
Mater Health and Wellness is offering a new screening program, Getting Set for Prep, to provide information to assist parents and teachers determine whether children are ready to commence the Prep year. 
 

Testimonials

...if I had taken my eldest child to Rene, and received the advice, humour and friendship that I have received from her – my experiences with my first born would have been a lot more enjoyable, and stress free.

Karen
Taringa

Greg and I would like to thank you for helping us ‘get our life back’...

After spending six weeks as novice parents, with little sleep and concern about every noise he made, spending three hours with you changed our lives. Literally from that night on he slept better (and we slept better!) and was a much happier and more contented baby.

Libby
Brisbane

As first time parents with everything to learn, we quickly discovered the point where books and family tips weren't enough; that's where Rene's unique blend of professionalism, expert knowledge and friendly competent touch born of years of experience was invaluable. She saved our sanity, settled our son, and made us better parents with practical advice, simple demonstrations and humour. Our sincere thanks.

Mary and David
Paddington

We are in awe of Rene’s skills, professionalism, knowledge and supportive nature. We really felt supported by her follow up calls and positive encouragement. With the magic of Rene there is no need for frustration, anxiety and sleepless nights, only the positive experiences with your beautiful baby.

Kelly and Chris
Brisbane

Rene spent hours at our home and as I have repeated oh so often to many a new mum, it was the best money I have ever spent! She advised us not only on how correct our baby’s sleeping problems but also on anything and everything about being parents. Within a week our baby was sleeping through the night and into a good routine and my husband and I had our sanity back. I would highly recommend Rene Rees to ANY parent.

Bronwyn
West End

I can definitely say that you are a miracle worker and without your help I would still be battling every night to put my boy to sleep.

Diane
Albany Creek

Rene’s program and approach has been invaluable in helping my husband and I learn to settle and sleep our new baby boy Angus. In just two weeks we have seen a 300% improvement in our baby’s ability to put himself to sleep, and he is a much happier, far more relaxed and content little person… and we are of course happier parents and enjoying parenthood so much more. We still have a little way to go, but we are getting there day by day.

Amanda & Gavin
Brisbane

Rene was the woman that helped us learn how to care for and live with our baby and as a result has allowed us to enjoy parenthood. Her one on one service allows the whole family to be involved and this helps dads to feel included and allows for consistent parenting. I just wish that it hadn’t taken six weeks to find out about Rene’s service.

Naomi
Brisbane

In a single visit, Rene gave us the confidence and necessary skills and strategies to allow our son the chance to develop a natural sleeping pattern. He now settles and goes to sleep by himself. Our baby is happier when he is awake and our household now operates in a much more functional manner. We take great pleasure in recommending Rene to anyone who has problems with settling their baby.

Karen
Chapel Hill

Ever wish that babies came with a manual? They do – Rene! Rene has the answers to your questions understands your feelings in a non-judgemental way, and gives warmly of herself.

Jeanette
Brisbane

When you have tried all the doctors suggestions with no success, Rene’s love and devotions to babies and despairing families shines through.

Vivienne and Tony
Brisbane

Rene has a natural affinity with babies and parents and her warm and caring nature makes her perfectly suited to her role.

Vanessa
Ashgrove

Rene gave us our sleep back.

Emma and Dominic
Ashgrove

Rene was a lifesaver…Daniel was waking at all hours, crying and banging his head, he just didn’t know how to do it himself. She gave us the skills to teach him how to go to sleep by himself, along with loads of moral support and encouragement to get us through the tough parts of parenting.

Liz and Dirk
Brisbane

Rene’s home visits after the birth of our first child were so wonderful, we hired her again when we had our second child.

Bronwyn
Brisbane

We'd do as Rene had advised and we always had the fantastic result ...

Tamara and Richard
Brisbane

He went from waking 7 times a night (every night) for a breastfeed, to not waking at all overnight in just 2 days!

Anna

I was so relieved when Rene turned up on my doorstep and she did wonders for my over tired little new bundle of joy. That was three years ago and I still refer to Rene for her expertise and knowledge or sometimes just for moral support... she's great for that. I have refered many a frazzled mum to Rene, all with glowing reports.

Julia Ewings
Taigum

Rene came to my house to help with my 3 month old baby boy who was already diagnosed with reflux and was having major sleeping and feeding issues. After spending a few hours with us she saw that max had some more in depth problems than just sleeping and feeding issues. As a result she put me in touch with a specialist pediatrist who then diagnosed the milk allergy and changed the reflux medication. The end result now is that max is a happy and comfortable baby. I feel so thankful to Rene for her knowledge and experience to be able to see that max needed more medical help.

Lisa Sheehan
Manly

After years of pulling our hair out about our 3 year old not sleeping, I made the desperate call to rene. We had hit rock bottom, and our whole family were in need of a good night sleep. I should have called her earlier!!!

Hollie's Mum
Latest Articles

Night terrors is a term given to a toddler who screams during a sleep cycle. The child is not awake, but will usually be sitting up or standing in their cot/bed, eyes open (but not seeing) and really screaming incessantly.  Pretty scarey for the Parent really.  But what is an effective approach to deal with these Night Terrors?
 

Does your child complain of leg pain? How often has a parent been told that it is 'growing pains'.  Let's talk about what may be the cause of the pain.
 

Babies go through sleep cycles. Problems emerge when parents mistake a cry after the first stage of sleep as a cry for help.  Let's talk about sleep cycles and the development of 'catnaps'.

Newborns to 3 months need ALOT of sleep.  Here are some typical amounts and routines of newborns to 3 month olds.
 

My granddaughter recently received this from her daycare.  For all those Brisbane parents with prep age kids:
 
Mater Health and Wellness is offering a new screening program, Getting Set for Prep, to provide information to assist parents and teachers determine whether children are ready to commence the Prep year. 
 

The NZ Herald published an article stating leading supermakets have pulled some baby wipes from their shelves because they contain toxic chemicals.  If your brand contains iodopropynyl butylcarbamate (IPBC) please cease using them on your child.  A good alternative is a wet chux cloth.  Cheaper, with no nasty poisons.
 
Click here for the article.

I have been asked to write about what to do if your child begins masturbating.  Masturbation is a taboo topic in our society, particularly if its a child doing it. Parents are embarrassed by it and have no idea about how to handle the situation. Let's talk about: why it's begun, typical behaviour and your response to it.

"My child was so easy to put to bed after dinner, now it's a nightmare. Screaming and acting as though they're scared to go to bed!  I don't know what happened.". At this point many parents begin doing whatever it takes to pacify the child to sleep, and so bad habits are born. The situation is often made worse when the child progresses to night-waking. Parents are left confused, cranky and tired.

 

Here's a list of the common triggers causing a sudden change behaviour at bedtime. 

Nappy rash is very common in babies and toddlers. The cause is sometimes a little difficult to ascertain. Here's a list of 8 common causes and what to do.
 

Here is my list of handy things to have in your first aid kit.

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About Rene

 

Rene Rees is known as ‘Brisbane’s Baby Whisperer’. She is a registered nurse, a child health nurse, a registered mid-wife, a mother and a grandmother of four. She is a member of the Royal College of Nursing Australia and has over 40 years front-line experience working with and supporting babies, children and parents.

In the last thirteen years, Rene Rees has helped over 65,000 clients.

When working with babies, Rene does not teach control crying. 

Rene emphasises the importance of HOW and WHY a baby cries, not how long.