Compassionate sleep consultant

08/06/2023

A beautiful counsellor who I highly recommend 🌸
I have been lucky enough to have her support through my parenthood journey.

I’m Lisa, registered counsellor and proud owner of Echo Counselling.

Click the link below to take you to my brand new website https://echocounselling.com.au

31/01/2023

You might have the “wild child”
The one who speaks their mind
The one who doesn’t listen
Where patience is hard to find

The one who does it on their own
Who doesn’t need your help
With stubborn ways, and on those days
Will turn you inside out

The one that they call ‘naughty’
Where strangers roll their eyes
The one labelled as “hard”
Who often yells, or cries

But often it’s forgotten
These ones aren’t really “wild”
They’re tiny humans learning
And in fact they’re just a child

They’re the ones who feel things deeply
Who will have a voice that’s strong
They’ll lead with that big heart of theirs
And stand up to what is wrong

They’ll challenge our way of thinking
They’re gentle, brave and bold
And they picked us to guide them
In a world that can feel cold

So maybe they seem ‘hard’ right now
But they’ll change the way we live
With so much good to come, you’ll see
And so, so much to give.

Maybe someone needed this reminder today ♥️

Words for print on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/nz/listing/1390653438/

Jess Urlichs, Writer

13/01/2023

I have been a little MIA lately with posting!

Last year I made the decision to study nutrition at University. Nutrition can play a big part in how our children sleep as well as act. Being a sleep consultant I wanted to branch out further to have more knowledge and qualifications to help you and your child on a deeper level.

So, my number one priority has not just been the business but also juggling being a mum of two, studying and I also did go back into Early Childhood two days a week because as much as I love being a sleep consultant, I missed being apart of the children's life too!

But! I am still a sleep consultant and will be consulting two days a week! 🌻

13/12/2022

Each time your child's bedtime approaches you get anxiety about what is to come

You rock and pat your child to sleep and just when you think they are asleep you remove your hand ans bam they startle and you are back to rocking them to sleep. You find the whole nap is you sitting there rocking or patting your child to sleep or sleeping next to the cot with your arm on your child patting them while dozing off and on to sleep yourself.

Can anyone else relate?

What would I suggest?

You probably worry that you will be needing to do the controlled crying method for your child to understand that you will not be continuing to pat them to sleep but that isn't always the best approach

A few gentle slow changes can help your child to sleep without needing constant patting. ✨️

12/12/2022

Dropping the last nap ✨️

I am so not ready for this stage but there are a few signs that Theo is ready for the change 😭😭

So, what are the signs?

Well, sometimes it can be really tricky because for some children they actually refuse the nap altogether but for others (like Theo), they begin to:

-fight going to sleep at night for up to 2 hours
-wake throughout the night more often
-wake for a long period of time in the night
-wake early

Now these can all be signs of being over or undertired going to bed so it is important to make sure it is because of too much sleep in the day and not from having high cortisol levels when falling asleep or not enough sleep pressure.

I can help guide you through this change as going from napping to none can be too quick of a change for some children ✨️

07/12/2022

Such beautiful feedback ✨️

My number one advice is to not always go by the 'books'. Yes we need to make changes when you both are not getting sleep. But, if your child is having a off day, is overtired or possibly picking up on your energy, then sometimes we just need to stop and give our child the closeness they are seeking to lower their cortisol levels (and yours 🙈) and let them know that you are there for them when they need ✨️

06/11/2022

What to do when your child comes into your bed in the night?

This can be a tricky one. Part of you could think "they are only young for such a short period of time." While the other part of you is sleep deprived and would just love to have a nights sleep that you are not getting kicked or smothered. Anyone relate? 😂

Sometimes it is deciding what is the best time for you to be there for your child. Is it during the night when they wake or is it being more present during the day because you are not sleep deprived or a little bit touched out.

This is not to say we all feel this way but I know from previous clients this can be how they are feeling!

Each age and settling method you use to put your child to sleep will depend on how you decide to stop the night time bed visits. But, slowly and gently is my main suggestion to make sure your child still feels safe to come to you when they need 🌸

31/10/2022

I have been a little MIA lately with posting on social media, sorry guys!

I am still working consistently and taking on new clients, my priority has just been my current clients and my two rascals 🙊

Having a two and four your old is not always a walk in the park, haha!

I will organise to do a Q & A on my stories for anyone interested this Friday 🥰

Happy Monday 🥰🌸

29/09/2022

We often second guess if giving into our children's wants and needs will be creating a 'bad habit'.

Don't get me wrong, if you are spending most of your day feeling sleep deprived, rocking, feeding, or patting your child back to sleep for them to only wake until you stop then some gentle changes will probably be what is best for you and your child/ren.

But there are sometimes that our children just need us to take things a little slower and soften around them.

Kiara had two big days and she just needed this moment. To have my complete attention and cuddles.

Yes our children need routine and structure but they also need connection. ✨️🌸

26/09/2022

Big boy bed ✨️

Theo had a bed change up on Friday and he was so excited!!

Theo is just over two and normally I would suggest changing to a big bed after 2.5 years or even closer to 3 years due to further development and understanding. Your child will learn self control and climbing out of their bed at each wake cycle is unlikely to happen.

So, why did we change Theo so early?

Well we had a cot climber 🙈😂

Theo decided that climbing out of the cot was super fun. So, we took the side of the cot off first and put up a side rail.
We were shocked, he never tried to climb out and slept so well so we made the change and so far so good!

Sometimes it just is about judging the situation and your child instead of expecting that every child is a 'textbook child'.

✨️

21/09/2022

18 month sleep regression ✨️

The 18 month sleep regression generally happens around 18 months of age. It is due to your toddler going through a developmental leap and experiencing rapid growth. Your child may be:
○Learning independence and resistance.
○Experiencing separation anxiety.
○Experiencing a change in their daytime routine.
○going through a growth spurt.

Ways that you can help guide your child through this sleep regression:
Your child at 18 months of age is likely Experiencing a big developmental shift. I suggest being consistent with your child's settling methods at bedtime, they need consistency and to be in control.
Playing pick-a-boo can help with your child's separation anxiety, understanding object permanency. Giving your child extra 'quality' time prior to bed can be really helpful, I.e. rough and tumble play, reading stories, nursery rhymes, etc.

Having a consisten routine is very helpful at this age ✨️

13/09/2022

12 month sleep regression ✨️

The 12 month sleep regression can happen anywhere between 12 and 15 months of age. It is due to your toddler going through a developmental leap and experiencing rapid growth. Your child may be:
○Learning to pull themselves up onto furniture, walk or climb
○Learning further language development.
○Dropping the second nap with a change of routine
○Experiencing separation anxiety

Ways that you can gelp guide your child through this developmental leap is:
○Assist your child with their separation anxiety by playing pick-a-boo with your child to help with their object permanency
○Give your child lost of opportunity to develop their gross motor skills while awake
○Follow a sleep routine, I can also help guide you through the changes from 2 to 1 sleep ✨️✨️