connected, guts, rested, sleep, thriving
Lara Elfstrand
Tense, Release, Repeat: A Playful Guide to ...

Progressive muscle relaxation isn’t just for adults—it can be a playful and powerful way to help kids manage stress, too. By turning relaxation into games—like blowing bubbles with slow breaths, dancing like stiff robots and floppy noodles, or squeezing toes in the mud—we can teach children how to notice the difference between tension and calm. The best part? When parents join in, kids don’t just learn the skill—they feel the calm spread through the whole family.

Tense, Release, Repeat: A Playful Guide to Kids’ Relaxation
connected, rested, thriving
Lara Elfstrand
Welcome to Little Elf Family Services!
Welcome to Little Elf Family Services!
guts, rested, sleep, thriving
Lara Elfstrand
Why What You Eat Could Be Waking You Up at Night

The Sleep-Food Connection

Today I am reflecting on the relationship between healthy eating and sleep.  This morning, I was listening to the audiobook “The Sleep Prescription” by Aric A. Prather, Ph.D.  I’ve been slowly working through his sleep “class” in HeadSpace and decided to listen to his audiobook as I work to improve sleep both for myself and for my clients.  I’m just on day 2 at the moment, but this quote really struck me.

“Carb lovers, pay attention here: carbs are an interesting case. Studies have unearthed that while most carbohydrates will actually help you fall asleep faster, only certain types will help you stay asleep. Simple and sugary carbs (think pizza, white bread, bagels, pasta) can cause more wake ups throughout the night. In contrast, complex carbs (again, these are the more high-fiber foods like sweet potatoes, oatmeal, and whole grains) can stabilize your sleep patterns—possibly, Dr. St-Onge theorizes, because they also stabilize your blood sugar.[11]” Excerpt From The Sleep Prescription by Aric A. Prather, PhD  https://books.apple.com/book/id1608147733 This material may be protected by copyright.

My Own Sleep & Glucose Journey

Lately I have discovered that my waking glucose levels are consistently in the pre-diabetic range.  I have been using the Stelo non-prescription continuous glucose monitor and reading books like Good Energy by Dr. Casey Means and The Glucose Revolution by Jessie Inchaupé.   And my sister-in-law gave me an extra Oura ring, which connects with the Stelo to give insights between glucose and other biomarkers! (Such an amazing gift… although I warn that there is an ongoing fee to use the Oura ring in addition to the up-front cost of the ring itself but also I think it’s totally worth it!).

Why What You Eat Could Be Waking You Up at Night
rested, connected, thriving, reflection
Lara Elfstrand
The Real Reason I Do This Business (Hint: It’s ...

The real reason I have my own business. Hint: It’s about you AND me.

The Real Reason I Do This Business (Hint: It’s About You and Me)
baby, pregnancy
Lara Elfstrand
What is a Nesting Party? How to Host and How to ...

Nesting parties ask us to re-think the way that we celebrate new parents and challenge us to focus on what the expecting parents need. It’s really less of a party and more of an opportunity to provide the family help.

Unlike baby showers, “Nesting parties shift the focus from stuff to support to help families prepare their homes and hearts for life with a new baby,” explains Lara Elfstrand, the pediatric sleep practitioner of Little Elf Family Services. 

What is a Nesting Party? How to Host and How to Show Up

baby

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The Deals We Established... Sometimes They Gotta Change: Helping Kids Transition Through Routines

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The Deals We Established... Sometimes They Gotta Change: Helping Kids Transition Through Routines

I think a lot about the deals we establish with our littles—babies and even dogs! They often find comfort and safety in familiar routines, which is crucial for their development. After all, we need to feel safe in order to learn.

But as they grow, sometimes we need to change the deal.

Take sleep, for example. When babies are new to the world, we often feed them to sleep. That’s developmentally appropriate and totally fine. But as they grow older, they may begin to rely on sucking (bottle, breast, pacifier, etc.) as the only way to fall asleep.

At that point, we may want to shift away from that habit. And here’s the key: anytime we want to decrease a behavior, we need to increase another one to take its place. Babies need to learn other soothing strategies that don’t involve sucking.

This means changing the deal. And that’s OK.

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Celebrating Joy and Connection: A Heartwarming Father-Son Moment to Make You Smile

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My words this year are celebration, self compassion, and guts. And this week in particular I’m working on savoring the celebrations. That has just brought to mind a lot of fun stuff. One of them is this video of a father and son watching TV together and talking about what they see. This video just makes me smile. It’s a celebration of fathers. It’s a celebration of parents. It’s amazing communication. And it just brings a smile to my face every time I watch it. I hope it does that for you, too. Go check it out for a good smile.

Related Content

For another opportunity to smile, check out my Valentine’s Day treat! Even when it isn’t Valentine’s Day, this makes my heart happy!

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What is a Nesting Party? How to Host and How to Show Up

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What is a Nesting Party? How to Host and How to Show Up

Nesting parties ask us to re-think the way that we celebrate new parents and challenge us to focus on what the expecting parents need. It’s really less of a party and more of an opportunity to provide the family help.

Unlike baby showers, “Nesting parties shift the focus from stuff to support to help families prepare their homes and hearts for life with a new baby,” explains Lara Elfstrand, the pediatric sleep practitioner of Little Elf Family Services. 

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Reading our baby's body language to know what they need (the 6 states of infant consciousness)

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Reading our baby's body language to know what they need (the 6 states of infant consciousness)

Today I am focusing a lot on practicing learning my dog's body language, and it's reminding me of how key it is for ALL parents to learn their child's body language.

For example, every new parent should (in my opinion) have a basic understanding of the 6 states of infant consciousness:

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Tricks for infant sleep that no one tells you

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Tricks for infant sleep that no one tells you

Lack of sleep has such a rollover effect on other areas of our relationships and our parenting. New parents often find that lack of sleep is the most difficult part of parenting. Nerves get frayed and patience gets short with ourselves, our partners, and our children. Especially in the middle of the night we end up saying things that we never thought we would say to each other. But my goal is for your relationships to fill you with happiness and stay that way for the long haul? So what can we do?

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Boosting Immunity for Babies and Parents (especially useful for exclusively breastfeeding mothers!)

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Boosting Immunity for Babies and Parents (especially useful for exclusively breastfeeding mothers!)

Recently several people have asked for strategies that can boost the immune system for an exclusively breastfeeding mothers. Moms who are breastfeeding have to be so careful of what they put into their bodies and what they pass on to their babies.

So what's my answer? Interestingly, the research (as shown here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=625t8Rr9o6o) shows that contempt and criticism erode the immune system. So one of the best things that any new parent can do to boost their immune system and protect their baby is to WORK ON THEIR MARRIAGE! Strange, isn't it?

One of the best ways to work on our marriages as a new parent is to take the Gottman Bringing Baby Home program. It's research based and research tested to:

  • increase relationship satisfaction;

  • increase language and cognitive scores in babies;

  • help babies to cry less and smile more;

  • and to reduce the incidence and severity of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders.

It has NO negative side effects! It leaves you feeling empowered, knowing how to handle conflict and to strengthen your friendship so that your relationship can weather the storms of life. And it boosts your immune system by reducing criticism, contempt, and hostility.

Interested in a class? Let’s talk about it!

It makes a great gift for the expecting and new parents in your life! Gift certificates are available here or put the class on your registry at Be Her Village.

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These challenges that most new parents face will surprise you

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As new parents, we all hope that we will create a warm, nurturing home for our children, but the truth is that most of us underestimate the stress that a new baby causes. Click to read my full blog post about it and learn more about my fun, free Pregnancy Date Night.

Resources:

Baby Registry

Sacramento Resources

Nationwide Resources

©Lara Elfstrand, MA ECSE, IF-ATMHP - Little Elf Family Services, P.O. Box 5098, Auburn, CA 95604

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