Positive Parenting |

September 5, 2011

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How Can I Use Positive Parenting To Help My Children Deal With the 911 Attack?

As a young person, I never imagined that certain days of my life would change me forever.

I can remember only a few bad days in the past 10 years significant enough to leave a lasting impression.

There was the day that I got a call that my father had passed away from cancer.  I couldn’t travel to the funeral because my quadruplet babies were too little.

There was the Christmas Eve that my daughter, Makayla was in the hospital and we were told she could die.  She needed emergency brain surgery to repair the failing shunt in her head.

And there is the day I helplessly watched my beloved mother pass away from a brain bleed.

But there was another day that changed my perspective on life just as much – or more.  That one day was September 11th, 2001 known now as just 911.

Now, I did not directly know anyone who died in the 911 attacks on the Twin Towers, the Pentagon, or the airplanes.  Still it impacted my life.

Here is my story…

In 2001, I gave birth to quadruplets.  So my life was really crazy and very busy, as you can imagine.

On September 11th, 2001, I received a phone call from my sister-in-law very early in the morning.  It was around 6:00, and she said, “You’re not going to believe this!  A plane has crashed into a building in New York City.”

At the time, I was a little annoyed.  I’m thinking, “Well why are you calling me, what does that have to do with me?  You just woke up my babies so now I have to go feed them!”

911 AttacksWhile taking care of my quadruplets – feeding the kids, changing them, burping them and doing all the hundreds of things you have to do when you care for four babies simultaneously – I watched television.

Many things went through my mind…

 

  • “Is this a joke?”
  • “A Hollywood stunt?”
  • “Why are people jumping from a building with certain death coming upon them?”

As I continued to watch, the Towers collapsed.  The Pentagon was attacked.  We heard about the last plane crashing into the Pennsylvania countryside.

While caring for my babies that morning, it dawned on me, “This is real.”

Our safe country was no longer safe.  We were under attack by an unknown enemy.

I just couldn’t believe my eyes.  An intense feeling came over me.  And I started to cry…

  • I cried for the people who died in all those buildings.
  • I cried for the loss of security I felt.
  • I cried for my children.

I started thinking, “What will happen to my babies?”

The world changed right before my eyes.

My kids are growing up in a world that is so different than before the 911 attacks.

It’s sad for me to think that life has changed so much for them…

  • No longer can you get on an airplane without going through all those required 12 security steps.
  • No longer can you fly to a foreign country without having a passport.  Not that I’m likely to go to the Bahamas with four children all the same age – but a girl can dream.
  • No longer is there a feeling the United States could never be touched by a foreign country or enemy.  Our security and feeling of safety was forever stolen in a few short minutes.

So as my girls grow up, they know things they shouldn’t have to at their age.  They know words such as “terrorism,” “911 attack, ” “Osama Bin Laden” and more…

It makes me very sad.

Like many folks as this next September 11th approaches I think back to that fateful day.

positive parenting

And wonder, “How can I use positive parenting in helping my children deal with learning about September 11?”

  • Prayer.
  • Remove fear.
  • Honor the heroes.

Start with prayer.  I send up my prayers asking that the Creator of the Universe to protect our country once more and never again will our children need to learn of such horrible acts at a young age.

When we discuss the 911 attacks with our children, my husband and I do so calmly.  We simply refuse to allow fear into the room.  We answer their questions honestly.  And yes, if they ask were we afraid we tell them honestly.

We also tell them our country is safer now than before, and that we as Americans learn from the past to make a better future for our children.

Honoring those who have fallen is an important part of the healing of 911.

My husband and I are teaching our children that all the heroes of September 11, 2001 are important.  And we respect, remember and honor them.  We can remember 911 for the heroes, not the terror.

Now you can honor the heroes of 911 through a nonprofit nonpolitical event.  It’s 911 Remembrance Las Vegas.

Can’t travel to Las Vegas?

Then sign up to watch it streaming live on the Internet!

Just go to http://www.tipsformomsofmultiples.com/911remembrancelasvegas

And join my family in remembering through honoring those amazing heroes.

To Your Abundant Life,

Kimberly O’Bannon
Ambassador of Positive Parenting, www.howtoliveonpurpose.com
Founder, TipsForMomsOfMultiples.com
AKA MultiMommy

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How Can I Use Positive Parenting To Help My Children Deal With the 911 Attack?

Positive Parenting |

May 18, 2011

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Kids Videos View From 2 Plus 2: What Can Kids Do With Jello and Some Imagination?

Are you a mom of twins, triplets, quadruplets or more?

Maybe you have a singleton, as us moms of multiples call you ;-)

We do have one thing in common and that is keeping our little ones busy especially during the long hot summers.

Let’s face it, singletons, twins and triplets  can be so cute at times.

And other times not so much.  They can make us go screaming from the room.

Just ask any mom especially those who have more then one child born at the same time.

So here is a solution for you during these not so happy times.

In this installment of Kids Videos The View from 2 plus 2, the quadruplets will show how we used a little imagination and some simple items to have some fun.

This would make a great summer time activity for kids as young as 3.  Just make sure there is adult supervision at all time.

kids videos

Can’t see the  kids videos, please click here:

http://tipsformomsofmultiples.com/viewjello


To recap here are the steps:

  1. Help kids make Jello from 4 packages of pre-mixed Jello or from apple Juice and Knots gelatin.
  2. Refrigerate till very firm.
  3. Divide evenly among the kids.
  4. Use cookie cutters or butter knife to have some fun.

What type of creative projects do your kids, whether multiples or not, do with Jello?  Please leave a comment below and let me know.   Would love to hear from you.

In the mean time, check out the new free membership site.


To Your Abundant Life with Multiples,

Kimberly O’Bannon
Ambassador of Positive Parenting, www.howtoliveonpurpose.com
Founder, TipsForMomsOfMultiples.com

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Kids Videos View From 2 Plus 2: What Can Kids Do With Jello and Some Imagination?

Positive Parenting |

May 16, 2011

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Kids Chat The View From 2 Plus 2: What Is It Like To Be One Of Quadruplets?

When you’re wondering how your multiples will feel about being one of many, the best way to tell is from other multiples.

Maybe your children are too young to tell you or maybe they’ve not yet been born, and you can’t ask them.

You can listen and watch how my quadruplet girls feel about being multiples.

Whether you have twins, triplets, quadruplets or even singletons I think you’ll enjoy listening to Kids Chat “The View From 2 Plus 2” entitled “What is it like to be one of quadruplets?”

kids chat

What can you learn from this video?

  • Some things the girls like about being a multiple…


  • What they don’t like about being one of four…


  • How they interact with each other.


Get a little insight by taking 3 and ½ minutes to listen to this kids chat video here or by clicking here: http://www.tipsformomsofmultiples.com/whatslikequadruplets

(please turn up your volume, technical issues with sound)


Hope you enjoyed hearing this kids chat from my wonderful children.  (OK, so I am very partial.)

If you want more information about raising twins, triplets or quadruplets, please check out my free membership site.

See the benefits by clicking here.

To Your Abundant Life with Multiples,

Kimberly O’Bannon
Ambassador of Positive Parenting, www.howtoliveonpurpose.com
Founder, TipsForMomsOfMultiples.com
AKA MultiMommy

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Kids Chat The View From 2 Plus 2: What Is It Like To Be One Of Quadruplets?

Positive Parenting |

May 9, 2011

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Part 6 Worrying What To Expect When Expecting Multiples: How Do You Organize Help To Care For Your Babies?

Another worry you can have about what to expect when expecting is organizing your help after the babies come home.

When I was pregnant with quadruplets I didn’t even think about if I would have help, much less how to organize it.

To be honest, I did not know what to expect when expecting my quadruplets.

Wish I had known the information I am sharing with you when I was still pregnant. I would have planned much better! No matter how much you read from the experts, the ones who know the most about what to expect when expecting are Moms of multiples.

As it turned out, I learned and received the information just when it was needed.

Systems are so important with multiples.  If people show up at odd times (like nap time) or on a whim it’s often not helpful.

Systems and schedules will help you to survive and your babies to thrive.

what to expect when expecting

How do you do this?

You do it by organizing your life and not just for feeding times.

So, how do you organize help to care for your babies?

1. Create a schedule to keep track of how much each baby drinks, and how many dirty diapers there are.

2.  Create a schedule for volunteers to help during feeding times.

3.  Create a schedule for hired help like nannies.

4.  Create a schedule for delivery of meals from volunteers.

Using a form to keep track of the babies eating/dirty diaper habits  is important to insure proper growth and health since most multiples are born premature.  This is helpful also when you take the babies into the doctor, you can accurately tell the doctor about each babies’ habits.   No guessing which baby did what.

After my babies were born, a friend from church offered to coordinate the volunteers’ schedule for me. I didn’t know what a blessing volunteers would be.

And I had no idea how much work was involved in organizing those volunteers to help me care for my newborns. By having a schedule, I knew exactly when help was coming and—more importantly—when it was not!

If you’re like most Moms of Multiples, you need the most help during feeding and bathing times.

You’ll also need to plan for the times when volunteers aren’t available—which may happen more often than you think!

My friend used a program called Calendar Creator for the volunteers for feedings. And I used spreadsheets for the other schedules.

By creating Sign up Schedules that can be filled in you can allow the volunteers to do some of the scheduling. With Google documents and email, this can be done easily if all volunteers have access to the internet.

Create or upload the document in Google documents. Then share the document with each person. They can fill in the times they are available.

If you have a friend or family member who can coordinate this for you—let her! It’s a great gift she can give you. After the babies come you’ll be busy enough without coordinating volunteer schedules in addition to your babies’ schedules.

The perfect time to create these spreadsheets is now!  When you’re pregnant, it can help to know what to expect when expecting.  And knowing what to expect about the babies plus what to expect in organizing schedules can ease your mind.

If you would like to receive a copy of the spreadsheets I used, plus get other organizing tips then Join Tips For Moms of Multiples membership site – It’s Free!

Click here to get the details!

To Your Abundant Life with Multiples,

Kimberly O’Bannon
Ambassador of Positive Parenting, www.howtoliveonpurpose.com
Founder, TipsForMomsOfMultiples.com
AKA MultiMommy

Originally posted here:
Part 6 Worrying What To Expect When Expecting Multiples: How Do You Organize Help To Care For Your Babies?

Positive Parenting |

May 4, 2011

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Part 5 Worrying What to Expect When Expecting Multiples: How Can You Prepare For Getting Around With Your Babies When You Are Pregnant With Triplets?

This is another post in this series of what to expect when expecting multiples.

In an earlier post, we discussed the kinds of questions that arise while you are pregnant with triplets.

One question I worried about when expecting my multiples was “How do I get the babies from place to place by myself?”

Well it came down to basically two essentials: car seats that fit in the car and an easily maneuverable stroller.

1. The Car.

A car is a necessity to get to most places these days.

And when you’re pregnant with triplets is a great time to figure out your options.  So you have seating for the babies before you bring them home from the hospital.

You’ll need to be able to get each child into the car before your can get your triplets from place to place. And to get them into the car, you need to buy car seats that fit properly all in a row in your car.

With quadruplets, in my case I needed four car seats!

So I had to find three car seats that would all fit on one seat of the minivan.  The fourth child had a captain chair.

Finding car seats that would fit across the back of the minivan took several attempts and a very patient salesman.  He kindly and considerately carried the seats to the minivan so I could see if they would fit and then would carry them back to the store, when they did not fit.

It took 3 tries before I found the correct ones that all fit.

2. The Strollers.

Now I used a special quadruplet stroller called a Runabout quad stroller.

Runabout Quadruplet Strollers

And yes, they make them for triplets too.

What’s special about a Runabout?

Well, it  allowed me to have freedom.

Now the Runabout is a different type of multiple stroller.  For instance, the babies are all lined up in single file one behind the other. This definitely has some advantages…

1.    A single wide stroller is easier to maneuver in narrow aisles at places like a grocery store and discount department stores.   In the grocery  store, I would push the stroller in front of me while pulling the grocery cart behind me.  While I took up almost a whole aisle length, it worked.

2.  By having the girls in one line, they could not play with each other or grab bottles from their sisters.

This stroller allowed me to take the girls myself without having to bring along their dad, a volunteer or a nanny.

How do you maneuver such a long narrow stroller around corners?

It’s easy once you know the trick…

The trick to turning is to pop a wheelie so you can easily turn the stroller.  Now this does take a little practice.

I also used this Runabout stroller as an exercise jogger.  The Runabout is very sturdy, well-built and lasted a long time.  I used it until my girls were four!

It’s a good investment.  And you may be able to resell it later.

Again deciding about a stroller while you’re pregnant with triplets will save you worry and aggravation after the babies are born.

These tips helped my babies not just survive but to thrive.

I’m looking forward to sharing additional tips with you in the future.

Join Tips For Moms of Multiples membership site – Its Free!  Receive the latest information on product recalls, how to organize your life and more.

Click here to get the details!

To Your Abundant Life with Multiples,

Kimberly O’Bannon
Ambassador of Positive Parenting, www.howtoliveonpurpose.com
Founder, www.TipsForMomsOfMultiples.com
AKA MultiMommy

View original post here:
Part 5 Worrying What to Expect When Expecting Multiples: How Can You Prepare For Getting Around With Your Babies When You Are Pregnant With Triplets?

Inspirational Thoughts |

April 22, 2011

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How Can Learning Storytelling Techniques Help You Connect with People and Communicate Well?

How Can Learning Storytelling Techniques Help You Connect with People and Communicate Well?

Walt was a business coach who found himself in a quandary. He knew storytelling was important, but when he asked clients to tell their story, they would look perplexed and get flustered.

They asked him questions like,

“Uh…where should I start?”

“Do you mean go back to when I was a kid?”

and one even asked, “How much time do you have?”

Walt knew what he was getting after, because he realized that your story is as much a part of your business development as it is of your personal development. But he didn’t know how to convey the power of storytelling until he asked The Story Lady to teach him at a live conference.

People who have been raised in the dominant culture tend to feel uncomfortable about storytelling. Perhaps this is because storytelling is so often considered to be “for kids” or for ghost stories.

Individuals from Indigenous cultures worldwide who have consciously kept their heritage alive have also kept the human glue of storytelling alive and…well…sticky.

Just as you don’t have to be a good whatever to do any skill, you don’t have to be a “good storyteller” to start telling stories.

It can definitely help to have a few recipes (or what I call “Storytelling Templates”) to get you started as well as some help with storytelling techniques.

That’s what you’ll discover next.

Why put time and effort into practicing storytelling techniques?

I’m going to answer your question with another question…

Have you ever had the experience of learning a skill from one of your parents or grandparents?

Pizzelles - storytelling techniques in action

I can remember my grandmother teaching me how to make the traditional Italian biscotti and other delights.

Working with the cookie dough took practice. She made it look SO incredibly easy, and as a kid, I wasn’t nearly as good as she. Yet with practice, it became effortless for me.

She died many years ago, yet Nana is still alive in my heart. I treasure the many gifts she gave me and all the time she spent teaching me.

Every time I make those cookies and especially the pizzelles (waffle cookies), I feel her beside me. And all the people who eat the cookies feel the love baked inside them.Biscotti and coffee- storytelling techniques in action

Now that you have received from me the story of passing along traditions, your mind is filling with examples where someone (a family member or even an elder or someone not related to you) took time to teach you a skill.

At first, you were just as awkward as I when practicing. Yet over time, with practice came ease.

The new learning became as much a part of you as your own breath.

Don’t expect to be a “natural” storyteller at first

When you try out new storytelling techniques in order to practice and improve your storytelling skills, you are in good company. You and the rest of humanity share the trait of developing a skill with time and practice.

There is a learning curve for any new skill, including tying your shoes, riding a bicycle, surfing or storytelling.

Never ever worry about the “learning curve” but simply practice. Even if you don’t FEEL like you’re a natural storyteller right now, storytelling is a skill like any other. That means you can improve by DOING.

Set yourself free to explore and experiment.

You might not know this, but when Walt Disney first thought of bringing Mickey Mouse and the Three Little Pigs onto the screen, he was met with resistance, to say the least. Check this out:

When Walt (Disney) tried to get MGM studios to distribute Mickey Mouse in 1927 he was told that the idea would never work– a giant mouse on the screen would terrify women.

The Three Little Pigs was rejected by distributors in 1933 because it only had four characters, it was felt at that time that cartoons should have as many figures on the screen as possible.

Storytelling is a multi-use tool of human connection.

Here is an example of how a busy mom of multiples named Kimberly O’Bannon tells stories about raising quadruplets in her blog posts. Notice how personal the story is and how connected you feel with the teller:

In an inspirational book I found, well –- inspiration!

The book suggested speaking a blessing over your children.

So, one morning instead of rushing around I started by giving each one a Blessing.  It wasn’t planned; it just came from my heart.

How does a morning blessing create happy memories?

Well, by . . .

• Showing each one love. In The Blessing I ask for protection over them.

• Starting each day on a calm, positive note.

• Giving them a sense of being unique and important individuals not just because they’re multiples.

Storytelling Techniques: The Morning Blessing


I call it “The Morning Blessing.”

(Child’s name) Good morning, Good morning, How are you today?
(Child’s name), May God Bless you and Keep you, throughout the day and keep you healthy and safe
(Child’s name) I love you, I love you, I love you.
(Child’s name), then I blow her kisses.

And you know what? It works!

Before The Blessing every morning each girl would fight getting ready for the day.

It was a constant struggle figuring out what to do just to get dressed!

Within a couple of weeks after starting The Morning Blessing they became a lot calmer in the morning.

When I would forget to do The Morning Blessing, some of my girls would say,

“Please, Mommy, give me my Blessing, give me my Blessing.”

That’s when I knew it was a really good idea!

So now none of them leave for the day without having Mommy give them their Blessing!

It doesn’t take very long, but it lasts a whole day in the child’s eyes.

View story source from TipsforMomsOfMultiples.com

Storytelling Techniques: 3 Elements of a Good Story

Every good story has these elements:

  • Content –  “what happened”
  • Context –  how it relates to the story receiver
  • Emotion –  the energy that creates heart-to-heart human connection

Storytelling Techniques: Story Power & FInd the Message in Your Mess

Here is a little more to enhance your understanding.

Content

This one is straight-forward enough. The story content is simply the “nuts and bolts” of what happened first, next, and so on to the end. If this is all you have, the story is irrelevant and boring. You need more than “just the facts.”

I remember my mom’s husband talking animatedly about building a Subway sandwich. He definitely needs to work on his storytelling techniques! But that’s ok. storytelling is an art developed over time.

“And then she asked me, ‘do you want peppers, cucumbers, lettuce, tomatoes and olives?’ and I …”

Riveting.

Context

A story without context is one that has no relevance or interest to your story receiver.

One of my friends has this thing for the history of the mechanics behind television. After 3 minutes hearing about some internal component of the first TV (the tubes or whatever), my eyes have already glazed over and I am, for all purposes, not in the room anymore.

Sure, he’s passionate about it, but nobody else cares, and he’s missing an element that you’ll discover in a moment.

That said, sometimes a person has so much passion and joy for their topic that it is contagious. Hearing an impassioned storyteller share their excitement truly is infectious (in a good way).

I’m a blind person and not into cars except as a means to an end. I had an opportunity to go to the opening of an exhibit of 1957 convertible cars. My driver was absolutely thrilled. He went to see every car. I couldn’t have cared less about the cars but enjoyed the people.

The owner of all those shiny, impeccably maintained autos was like a kid at Christmas as he talked about obtaining some of the rarer cars in his collection. I found him compelling, because even though I have no interest in cars, his enthusiasm gave me a context to which I could relate.

He talked about the hunt for whatever rare breed of car it was (the quest) and the difficulties he encountered along the way (the road of trials) and then, at long last, the triumph of finally attaining the object of his desire. Yes!

He used a formula that to which every human being responds on a deep level. That pattern is called the “hero’s journey,” and I’ll teach more about that in another article

And now, this bring you to the third element that goes along with content and context…

Emotion

Reading the story about feeling awkward, the morning blessing and making the cookies, you feel a connection. Even if you don’t eat cookies or have kids, you can relate. This is because the content is given a context that is meaningful to you, and primarily because of the emotion.

Here in this article you have a story of awkwardness, a story of keeping traditions alive and a story of bringing peace and joy into the home.

Notice the differences in the stories.

The first one did not have so much emotion and it will not be as memorable or touching to you. I did this on purpose to demonstrate a point. yes, there is some emotion in feeling frustrated.

But if I truly wanted to bring you into the place of feeling flummoxed over wanting an outcome and not knowing how to get it, I could have delved deeper into the experience.

Both the cookies and blessing inspirational stories, short though they were, touched your emotions in a more lasting and meaningful way.

And so by demonstration, you are already learning storytelling techniques even if you don’t know it yet.

Here is the lesson in brief that you have received by example.

1. Be willing to practice.

2. Be open.

3. Use the 3 elements of content, context, and emotion in your storytelling.

4. Connect with the one receiving the story.

Need Help with Storytelling Techniques?

The “Find the Message in Your Mess Package” includes the Story Power DVD, which is the recording from the seminar I did with Walt Laurel, Dr. Ben Mack and Larry Benet, the Connector.

You’ll get the full storytelling teaching from me as an audio download plus the DVD mailed to your door..You also receive the same action guide that live seminar participants used to follow along. Plus there are some other goodies.

Who would benefit from this  package?

The Find the Message in Your Mess Package is helpful for you if you are…

  • An entrepreneur
  • A messenger on a mission
  • An author
  • A speaker
  • A coach or mentor
  • A grant writer or fundraiser
  • A citizen of vision

You will find it at ProfitableStorytelling.com/message.

Follow your bliss!

Ronda Del Boccio, The Story Lady of www.ProfitableStorytelling.com

Listen to articles on your computer or download to iTunes using the Audio Content Reader for this site!

#1 Bestselling Author, mentor and transformational storyteller

Group avatar Ambassador of Inspirational Thoughts, www.HowToLiveOnPurpose.comDisclosures

P. S. The day you were born, the whole UNIVERSE celebrated! Take FREE The 21-day “I AM a Gift to the World!” Challenge

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  2. Storytelling Ideas: Imagine What If It All Goes Right? This article contains storytelling ideas to benefit your life as a grown-up with plenty of stress who wants to create…
  3. “Can Storytelling Be Taught, Or is It Just Practice?” I received this exact question on Twitter this afternoon:  Can Storytelling be taught, or is storytelling just practice?” What a…
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How Can Learning Storytelling Techniques Help You Connect with People and Communicate Well?

Positive Parenting |

April 20, 2011

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Part 4 – What to Expect When You Are Expecting: How Can You Prepare When You Are Pregnant With Triplets For Hiring Caregiving Support?

I am going to continue my series on What to Expect When You Are Expecting by discussing what types of caregiving support you may want to get when you are pregnant with triplets.

Are you weak as a jellyfish from being on bed rest while pregnant with triplets?

Are you tired from traveling back and forth to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)?

Are your emotions like a roller coaster from the triplets health conditions?

Are you stressed because of lack of sleep and hormonal imbalances?

Such is the life after giving birth.

But it doesn’t have to be this stressful.

The solution to your stress and getting balance back into your life is called . . .

A Nanny Service

I was fortunate that my church gifted me with some money to hire a night time nanny for 4 days a week for about a 6 week period.

My husband and I would switch off the nights when she was here. In other words, one night he would stay up with the nanny to feed and prepare bottles and such with the nanny’s help, next night I would.

And yes, the other nights we would both be up with the babies.

But I did not think about the nanny service until after the babies were born and around 6 weeks old.  It was very difficult at that point to search for a nanny service and interview the nannies. And then I ended up paying WAY too much.


pregnant with triplets

I really would suggest to anyone who is pregnant with triplets or more and planning on using a nanny service to do your research while you are pregnant, so that you will be ready when you need someone.

Remember to make sure the nanny service is reputable. Check references of the nanny service. Does the nanny service have a good reputation?

Find out what the billing process is before hand, so you are prepared.

Do you pay the nanny directly or the agency? Do you have to pay taxes for the nanny or are they independent contractors?

You’ll want a nanny service that does:

1. Complete background checks on the nannies

2. Allow you to review the nannies’ resume

3. Provide reviews of the nanny from other moms

4. Allow you to access the nannies’ references

After I no longer needed a nanny, I found a nanny service that is nationally known and respected and meets all of these criteria plus more.

Check it out for yourself.
www.tipsformomsofmultiples.com/nannyservice

To Your Abundant Life with Multiples,

Kimberly O’Bannon
Ambassador of Positive Parenting, www.howtoliveonpurpose.com
Founder, TipsForMomsOfMultiples.com
AKA MultiMommy


Article Source:

Part 4 – What to Expect When You Are Expecting: How Can You Prepare When You Are Pregnant With Triplets For Hiring Caregiving Support?

Positive Parenting |

April 16, 2011

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Part 3 Worrying What To Expect When Expecting Multiples: Pregnant With Triplets and Wondering Where Your Babies Will Sleep?

Today I would like to continue tips and tricks suggestions from my series on What To Expect When Expecting Multiples.

As you recall, we were discussing the questions that arise when you’re pregnant with triplets and thinking about what to do once you bring the triplets home.

Such questions as:

  1. Where will they sleep? Cribs or bassinets in the living room? Should they sleep together?
  2. How do I feed three babies at the same time?
  3. How do I get them to sleep threw the night?
  4. How do I get them from place to place by myself?
  5. Will family/friends be able to help me and if so, how will that process work?

So lets discuss the question of where will the triplets sleep? Will they be together, at first, or separate?

pregnant with triplets

Now I had a special situation.

All my quadruplets had reflux, at least for the first couple of months.

So my solution was to prop them up in their car seats and use the car seats as their “beds”.

Then I placed the car seats next to me on the couch.

This helped for two reasons: one, they were close by and thus it was easier than getting up and down all night to their cribs and second, it kept their reflux under control.

So what are some options for you?

There are just a few choices.

Co-bedding in a crib with each other . . .

  • Individual bassinets
  • In a twin pack n plays or . . .
  • Maybe even in their car seats.

You may want to think of a couple of alternatives besides these while your pregnant with triplets.

You may not know if your babies will need special care (like to prevent reflux) until after they’re born but it is best to plan ahead as much as possible.

I know from experience that it is stressful to be pregnant with multiples and on extended bed rest.

Your mind can just go crazy worrying about all the issues the babies could face and how you’ll care for all these precious little babies.

Why don’t you take just 5 minutes each day to take your mind off your worry while your pregnant with triplets by listening to a program called “Overcome the 3 Deadly Mistakes That Cause Stress, Overwhelm and Burnout ebook Package”

The package offers an amazing simple technique to having less stress and overwhelm in your life 5 minutes from now.

Included are the three big secrets that allow you to avoid and recover from stress and burnout.

You owe it to yourself and your future triplets, to check it out.

Work to become as relaxed as possible while pregnant with triplets, because the stress certainly does not go away after they are delivered. J

To Your Abundant Life with Multiples,

Kimberly O’Bannon
Ambassador of Positive Parenting, www.howtoliveonpurpose.com
Founder, TipsForMomsOfMultiples.com
AKA MultiMommy

Original Article:

Part 3 Worrying What To Expect When Expecting Multiples: Pregnant With Triplets and Wondering Where Your Babies Will Sleep?

Positive Parenting |

April 14, 2011

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Part 2 Worrying What To Expect When Expecting Multiples: How Do You Get Your Babies To Sleep Through The Night?

Today I would like to continue my series on What To Expect When Expecting Multiples.

Now, hold on to your hats . . . but newborn babies don’t sleep at night!

Really???

Yes…

Now I am just joking around, but really when there are 2, 3, 4 or more babies at home it is very crazy and difficult to feed them, bath them and get them to sleep through the night.

I know from experience!

After my quadruplets left the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) of the hospital at 3 weeks old I had to quickly figure out how to care for four babies at the same time.

At first, I tried to feed a baby on demand, or what worked out to be one baby every hour!

Insane!

No one was sleeping including the babies.

I learned the hard way that you don’t want to be feeding a baby every hour. There will be no time to get everything done that is needed when you just had a multiple birth.

Or for you to get any sleep.

Add into the equation, pumping or breast feeding, and you will truly lose your mind.

What I realized though was that babies in the NICU are put on either 3 hour or 4 hour feeding schedule for a reason. This is much easier on the babies’ digestion and will truly save your sanity especially if you are bringing home triplets or more!

Plus the babies will sleep better and more on schedule.  Pretty soon, the time between feedings at night will stretch out to 6 to 8 hours, and then the babies are sleeping through the night.  Yeah!

So does worrying about what to expect when expecting multiples have you stressing about . . .

  1. How to feed your babies . . .
  2. How to get them to sleep through the night . . .
  3. How to bathe and care for the babies.

Well, there is good news.

One of the ways to be less stressed and more prepared is to read about different ways to get the babies on a feeding and wake schedule before they arrive. So where can you learn about the feeding/wake schedules?

So where can you learn about the feeding/wake schedule?

Once place is a book called On Becoming Baby Wise: Giving Your Infant the Gift of Nighttime Sleep. This book offers basic information on how to slowly get the babies to be on a schedule you choose, thus sleeping when you want them to sleep . . . which is night time. J

Also, if you are just stressed in general about what to expect when expecting multiples, then do some stress reduction techniques.  You want to remain calm and in charge when either pregnant or taking care of small children.

If you have 5 minutes a day, then there is a great resource for stress reduction in a simple format called “Overcome the 3 Deadly Mistakes That Cause Stress, Overwhelm and Burnout ebook Package”

Inside this package, you will discover:

  1. What the 3 Deadly Mistakes that Cause Stress and Burnout are
  2. The Three Big Secrets That Allow You to Avoid and Recover From Stress and Burnout
  3. An Amazing Simple Technique to Having Less Stress and Overwhelm in Your Life 5 Minutes From Now
  4. How to Reduce Your Stress Instantly Just by Listening to “Ancient Wisdom” Guided Relaxation™ Audio 5 minutes a Day

So do yourself a favor and just click on this link to check it out for yourself.

And remember it includes a 5-minute guided relaxation tape to help you relax and get some sleep! Newborn multiples quickly show you how precious sleep is . . .and well worth many times the cost of the package.  Check it out for yourself.

To Your Abundant Life with Multiples,

Kimberly O’Bannon
Ambassador of Positive Parenting, www.howtoliveonpurpose.com
Founder, TipsForMomsOfMultiples.com
AKA MultiMommy

Article Source:

Part 2 Worrying What To Expect When Expecting Multiples: How Do You Get Your Babies To Sleep Through The Night?


Positive Parenting |

April 12, 2011

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Part 1 Worrying What To Expect When Expecting Multiples: How Do You Take Care of Your Infants While Feeding Your Family?

I had a very interesting weekend recently.  I meet two different moms who had young twins.

One mom I met at a grocery store; the other at the hospital.

I exchanged a conversation with each mom.  It brought back some fond — and not so fond — memories of when my quadruplets were infants.

Each mom had that “I am so exhausted but am surviving” look on her face.

And each was astonished saying, “Wow you have quadruplets?  I can barely take care of two!”

I smiled and said “Yes, it was difficult with four.  I found ways to make it manageable.  And you can too.”

Multiple Births

So are you sitting there worrying what to expect when expecting your babies?

Do you have many questions about how you will survive and thrive after the babies are born?

Do thoughts like these keep you up at night . . . ?

1.     How will I find time to make meals, grocery shop, get exercise and all the other chores of running a house?

2.     How do I feed three babies at the same time?

3.     How do I get them to sleep through the night?

4.     Where will they sleep? Cribs or bassinets in the living room? Should they sleep together?

5.     How do I get the babies from place to place by myself?

6.     Will family/friends be able to help me and if so, how will that process work?

Well, sit back and relax.

How well I remember those days of worrying about what to expect when expecting . . .then worrying that my worries were hurting the babies.  It became a vicious cycle!

One worry builds upon another — seemingly without end.

You know there’s nothing like getting suggestions from someone who’s been there . . .done that . . . and more than survived — thrived !

Rather than only worrying about what to expect when expecting your babies, you can take positive steps now to relieve your worries and make bringing your babies home easier . . .

Here is the first of 6 major tips that worked for me, and I’m sure they’ll help you too.

Prepare Food ahead of time.

This is a tip that is not often discussed, but you need to have meals prepared and ready to go once the babies are home.

Why?

Because you will not have the time or energy to be creating healthy meals when the babies first arrive.  Healthy meals are important to keep up your energy, especially if you plan to nurse or pump breast milk.

Don’t want to start the babies off with fast food milk!  🙂

How can you prepare food ahead of time?

Well, you can make or have your partner make some meals to freeze before the babies arrive.

Or get your friends and family to sign up to bring meals to you for the first few weeks, maybe longer.  (I know having meals delivered by friends after my quadruplets arrived truly saved me.)

Today there are food delivery services that can provide healthy, fresh made food to your door. Click here for one specifically for moms:

www.tipsformomsofmultiples.com/mommeals

When you have multiple births it can make your life a lot more stressful than a singleton births, but hopefully with planning a head, it can help easy your mind.

If you would like more information please leave a comment below.

Or Sign up to get your Free Tips and Updates from “Tips For Moms of Multiples”


To Your Abundant Life with Multiples,

Kimberly O’Bannon
Ambassador of Positive Parenting, www.howtoliveonpurpose.com
Founder, TipsForMomsOfMultiples.com
AKA MultiMommy

Article Source:

Part 1 Worrying What To Expect When Expecting Multiples: How Do You Take Care of Your Infants While Feeding Your Family?