#how to transition baby from co sleeping to crib

[camerontrever]

Choosing the Right Bed Rail for Baby: Safety Meets Style

When it comes to creating a safe and stylish nursery or sleeping space for your baby, few items are as essential as a dependable bed rail. A bed rail for baby is designed to prevent accidental falls and provide peace of mind for parents as their little ones transition from cribs to toddler beds or sleep with them in a shared bed. But not all bed rails are created equal. From materials and adjustability to aesthetics and ease of use, there are several factors to consider before making a purchase.

Why a Bed Rail for Baby is a Must-Have

As babies grow into toddlers, their curiosity knows no bounds. They move, roll, and explore—even while sleeping. That’s where a bed rail plays an important role. It acts as a physical barrier that prevents accidental falls and injuries, especially during restless nights. It is particularly useful for co-sleeping arrangements or toddler beds that lack built-in guardrails.

Aside from safety, bed rails also offer a psychological sense of security to children. The visual boundary makes them feel protected, which can encourage them to sleep independently.

Key Features to Look For

1. Safety and Certification

The foremost consideration should be safety. Choose a bed rail that meets safety standards and certifications. Rounded edges, strong construction, and non-toxic materials are essential. A product with JPMA or ASTM certification can ensure quality and peace of mind.

2. Material and Build Quality

You’ll find bed rails made from mesh, metal, wood, and plastic. Mesh panels are popular because they are breathable and see-through, allowing you to keep an eye on your baby. Sturdy metal frames offer durability, while wood options bring elegance and a natural feel.

3. Adjustability and Foldability

Adjustable bed rails can accommodate different mattress heights and bed types. Foldable options are convenient for travel and storage, making them an excellent choice for families on the go or for homes with limited space.

4. Ease of Installation

A bed rail for baby should be easy to install without requiring special tools. Most models today come with simple instructions and tool-free installation, which is ideal for busy parents.

5. Aesthetic Appeal

Functionality doesn't mean you have to sacrifice style. Many modern bed rails come in sleek designs and neutral colors that blend well with elegant home decor. Whether you’re planning a sophisticated nursery or upgrading a guest room for visiting families, there’s a bed rail to match your vision.

Types of Bed Rails

Fixed Bed Rails – These provide constant protection and are best for children who move a lot during sleep.

Swing Down Bed Rails – Designed for ease of access. These fold down when not in use.

Portable Bed Rails – Lightweight and perfect for travel, these bed rails can be folded and packed away easily.

A Safe Addition to Elegant Spaces

Parents who appreciate a blend of comfort and luxury don’t have to compromise when selecting baby essentials. A quality bed rail can seamlessly fit into a sophisticated setting. Whether you're hosting family in a refined home or planning a milestone celebration with children in tow, having child-friendly accommodations like a stylish bed rail shows thoughtful attention to every guest’s comfort.

Imagine a boutique-style guest room or private villa where your little one is just as pampered as the adults. A well-designed bed rail not only ensures safety but elevates the overall ambiance. It's a small detail that can make a big difference in how a space is experienced.

Conclusion

A bed rail for baby is more than a simple safety accessory—it’s a crucial investment in your child’s comfort and your peace of mind. With options that blend design, durability, and practicality, there’s no reason to sacrifice style for security. Whether you’re creating a cozy home nursery or preparing luxurious accommodations for guests with children, the right bed rail brings functionality wrapped in elegance. Choose wisely, and sleep soundly.

[babycarenurseblog]

The Benefits of Hiring a Sleep Consultant in Toronto

In today’s fast-paced world, many individuals and families struggle with getting a good night’s sleep. Whether it’s a newborn waking up throughout the night or an adult dealing with insomnia, sleep issues are common. For those in Toronto looking for professional guidance, a sleep consultant in Toronto can provide tailored solutions to improve sleep quality for both children and adults.

What is a Sleep Consultant?

A sleep consultant is a professional who specializes in helping individuals improve their sleep patterns. Sleep consultants use evidence-based strategies to assess and address the root causes of sleep disturbances. Whether the issue is related to bedtime routines, environmental factors, or underlying medical conditions, a sleep consultant offers customized advice to create a plan that promotes healthier sleep.

For parents of young children, a sleep consultant can offer expert support in teaching babies and toddlers how to establish healthy sleep habits. For adults, sleep consultants focus on identifying sleep barriers and developing strategies to overcome issues such as insomnia or sleep apnea.

Why Consider a Sleep Consultant in Toronto?

Personalized Sleep Solutions Every individual’s sleep needs are different, which is why a one-size-fits-all approach often falls short. A sleep consultant  will assess the specific sleep challenges you’re facing and create a customized plan that addresses your unique needs. Whether you’re struggling with frequent wake-ups in the night or issues falling asleep, a sleep consultant will offer targeted techniques and strategies.

Expert Guidance for Parents Parents of newborns or toddlers often face sleep challenges that can affect the entire family. Sleep consultants specializing in infant and toddler sleep can help parents establish consistent sleep routines and techniques to soothe babies to sleep. They can also assist with transitioning from co-sleeping to independent sleeping or helping a child adjust to changes such as moving from a crib to a bed.

Improved Sleep Quality For adults experiencing difficulty with sleep quality, a sleep consultant can offer valuable insights and guidance. According to the experts at Zealous Baby Care, they help clients identify and eliminate negative sleep habits, improve sleep hygiene, and create environments conducive to restful sleep. Whether the goal is to get more deep sleep, wake up less frequently at night, or simply feel more refreshed in the morning, a sleep consultant can offer expert strategies that lead to lasting improvements.

Support for Sleep Disorders Sometimes, sleep issues are caused by medical conditions such as sleep apnea or restless leg syndrome. A sleep consultant can work alongside healthcare providers to develop strategies that complement medical treatments. While sleep consultants do not diagnose or treat medical conditions, they can provide helpful lifestyle adjustments that support overall sleep health and well-being.

Increased Energy and Productivity Poor sleep has a direct impact on daily functioning, including mood, energy levels, and productivity. By improving sleep habits and getting the proper amount of rest, individuals can experience higher energy levels, better concentration, and improved mental clarity. A well-rested mind and body can enhance work performance, relationships, and overall quality of life.

The Process of Working with a Sleep Consultant

When you first contact a sleep consultant in Toronto, you can expect an initial consultation where the consultant will ask about your current sleep patterns, challenges, and goals. They will also inquire about any factors that may be contributing to sleep issues, such as stress, diet, or environmental factors like noise or lighting. Learn more about this.

From there, the consultant will develop a personalized sleep plan with actionable steps that can be implemented over time. They may suggest changes in bedtime routines, sleep environments, or offer relaxation techniques to help you unwind before bed. For parents, the consultant might suggest gentle sleep training methods or other strategies to promote better sleep for their children.

Hiring a sleep consultant can be a game-changer for individuals struggling with sleep-related issues. Whether you’re dealing with infant sleep problems, insomnia, or general sleep difficulties, a sleep consultant can provide tailored solutions to help you get the restful, rejuvenating sleep you deserve. By addressing the root causes of sleep disturbances and offering expert guidance, a sleep consultant can significantly improve your quality of life, leading to better overall health, increased energy, and enhanced productivity.

[sleepbudsleep]

Should You Hire a Baby Sleep Consultant? - What to Expect Parenting is a beautiful journey filled with moments of joy, laughter, and challenges. Among the most common struggles new parents face is ensuring their baby gets adequate sleep. Sleepless nights can take a toll on parents, impacting their energy levels, mental health, and overall well-being. This is where hiring a baby sleeping trainer in Chennai can make all the difference. Sleep Bud Sleep, the trusted baby sleep consultant in Chennai, India, specializes in helping parents and their little ones develop healthy sleep habits.

What is a Baby Sleep Consultant?

A baby sleep consultant is a trained professional who helps parents understand and address their child’s sleep-related issues. They offer personalized strategies to improve your baby’s sleep patterns while ensuring emotional and developmental needs are met. At Sleep Bud Sleep, our approach focuses on creating a gentle, effective, and sustainable sleep routine tailored to your baby’s unique needs.

Why Hire a Baby Sleep Consultant?

1. Customized Sleep Plans

Every baby is unique, and so are their sleep requirements. A baby sleep consultant works closely with you to assess your child’s current sleep habits, routines, and challenges. They create a step-by-step plan that aligns with your parenting style and helps your baby sleep better.

2. Understanding Sleep Science

Babies’ sleep patterns are complex and constantly evolving. A professional baby sleep consultant, like Sleep Bud Sleep, is well-versed in the science of infant sleep. They educate parents on sleep regressions, developmental milestones, and techniques that promote restful nights.

3. Reduced Parental Stress

Sleepless nights can lead to frustration and burnout for parents. Hiring a baby sleep consultant can reduce this stress by providing clarity and actionable solutions. When your baby sleeps well, the entire household benefits.

4. Support Through Transitions

Whether transitioning from co-sleeping to a crib or adjusting to a new sibling, changes can disrupt your baby’s sleep. A sleep consultant can guide you through these transitions smoothly, ensuring minimal disruption to your child’s routine.

What to Expect When Working with Sleep Bud Sleep

At Sleep Bud Sleep, we understand how precious your baby’s sleep is for their growth and your peace of mind. Here’s what you can expect when you choose us as your baby sleeping trainer in Chennai:

1. Initial Consultation

The process begins with an in-depth consultation where we discuss your baby’s current sleep patterns, habits, and challenges. This is also an opportunity for parents to share their concerns and goals.

2. Personalized Sleep Plan

After the consultation, we design a customized sleep plan tailored to your baby’s specific needs. Our plans focus on fostering a positive sleep environment, setting routines, and gently encouraging independent sleep.

3. Ongoing Support

Our services don’t end with a sleep plan. We provide ongoing support through follow-up calls, emails, or in-person sessions to ensure the plan is working effectively. If adjustments are needed, we make them based on your baby’s progress.

4. Empowering Parents

We believe in empowering parents with the knowledge and tools to manage their baby’s sleep. You’ll gain confidence in understanding your baby’s cues, managing setbacks, and maintaining healthy sleep habits for the long term.

Common Myths About Baby Sleep Consultants

1. “My baby will be left to cry it out.”At Sleep Bud Sleep, we prioritize gentle methods that consider your baby’s emotional well-being. Our goal is to ensure a nurturing and supportive sleep experience for your baby.

2. “It’s too expensive.”While hiring a sleep consultant may seem like a luxury, the long-term benefits far outweigh the cost. Restful nights, reduced stress, and a happier family environment are invaluable.

3. “I can fix it on my own.”While some parents successfully manage their baby’s sleep challenges independently, others benefit from professional guidance. A baby sleep consultant provides expert advice and proven strategies, saving you time and energy.

Why Choose Sleep Bud Sleep?

Sleep Bud Sleep stands out as the trusted baby sleeping trainer in Chennai for several reasons:

Experience and Expertise: We have years of experience working with families across Chennai, helping babies develop healthy sleep habits.

Gentle Approach: Our methods are rooted in empathy and understanding, ensuring your baby feels secure and loved throughout the process.

Comprehensive Services: From newborns to toddlers, we cater to all age groups and sleep challenges.

Tips for Parents to Promote Better Sleep

While hiring a sleep consultant can provide significant benefits, here are a few tips to help you get started:

Create a Consistent Bedtime Routine: A predictable sequence of activities, such as bathing, feeding, and reading, signals to your baby that it’s time to sleep.

Establish a Sleep-Friendly Environment: Keep the room dark, cool, and quiet to promote restful sleep.

Watch for Sleep Cues: Learn to recognize signs of tiredness, such as yawning or rubbing eyes, to put your baby to bed at the right time.

Final Thoughts

Hiring a baby sleep consultant can be a game-changer for parents struggling with sleepless nights. At Sleep Bud Sleep, the leading baby sleeping trainer in Chennai, we are committed to helping families achieve better sleep and a happier, healthier lifestyle. Don’t let sleep struggles take over your parenting journey—reach out to us today to embark on a path to restful nights and brighter days.

Contact Sleep Bud Sleep now to schedule your consultation and take the first step towards better sleep for your little one. Let us help you and your baby experience the gift of peaceful nights.

[awesomeparenting]

How To Make The Switch From Co-Sleeping To A Crib: 3 Simple Steps

Baby is still waking in the middle of the night? It might be time to transition baby from co-sleeping to a crib. Many new parents find co-sleeping difficult because baby wakes up often and it can be hard to get back to sleep. 

However, if you follow these simple steps, transitioning will be easier than you think. Just try these tips for two weeks and see how much easier your night goes!

Gather Necessary Supplies

Get ready for the bedtime switch by gathering the necessary supplies. You'll need: 

A crib, mattress, and sheet set 

A safety monitor with motion and sound alarm 

A mobile monitor 

Supplies for breastfeeding 

 A new sound machine 

A bottle and pacifier set 

A toothbrush 

The baby's bottles and your breast pump parts 

Choose a Crib that is Right for Your Baby Find a crib that will accommodate your baby's growing body. Make sure it's height and weight specific and fits your current lifestyle. Consider these tips for picking the right crib: 1. Check for safety standards and consider a Safety Expert Recertified crib 2. Choose the best mattress: polyurethane or memory foam 3. Pick a safe safety monitor and search a website like Cubo Ai.

Choose The Right Time

Choosing a time to transition to the crib is very important. When is the best time to start putting your baby in the crib? If your baby is a newborn, try to transition to the crib at night, and not while you’re still awake. 

Newborn babies have the least amount of sleep in the day. As a newborn, you will need the most sleep. Putting baby in the crib when you’re sleeping is less productive than when you’re sleeping. At first, take turns keeping baby safe with you in the bed. 

Eventually, you can transition to your bed for some of the night, and then at some point, you can transition to the crib for the rest of the night. In the long run, it’s best if you transition to the crib right after your baby eats at night. This will provide the best sleep for you!

Make The Switch

Install a baby monitor is one of the best baby-proofing tools you can have. Many people think they are useful only when babies are placed in their cribs, but they are much more useful when they are in another room. You can watch them in real-time. 

When you see baby is up, you can pick up your phone and order a cup of coffee. Some monitors also offer two-way talk. This can be very helpful in the middle of the night. Parents can chat with their babies so they are more likely to fall back asleep. 

How to Choose a Baby Cam Many baby monitors come with features such as 720P HD video, room and sound detection, two-way talk, and advanced emergency alerts. Some models even come with an HD camcorder, or two-way talk camera. It’s easy to see why these baby cams are so popular.

Stay Consistent

Do not do anything rash! Take things slowly! If baby keeps waking up, you can try to increase his or her comfort. For example, when you baby starts to stir or starts squirming in your arms to look for you, start gently rocking the cradle and using the body mass of your body to support your baby. 

While this might make it harder for you to fall back asleep, it might be necessary to get baby back to sleep. Remember, this isn’t a battle! Stay as Comfortable as Possible After you switch to a crib, it may be necessary to buy a new mattress or a new mattress pad. 

Ideally, you would want to purchase a memory foam mattress. Keep in mind that the mattress pad is also important. If your mattress is firm, that may be uncomfortable for you as well.

How Do I Transition My Baby From Bassinet To Crib?

Tips for transitioning to a crib Follow these steps to transition your baby from co-sleeping to a crib.

Place baby in the crib. Bring baby into the room and put the baby in the crib. Read more here. 

Remove bumpers and place blankets over the crib. Leave the room while you clean up. 

Wait 10 minutes, then re-enter the room and kiss baby good night. 

Wait 10 minutes, then re-enter the room and replace the side of the crib. 

Wait 10 minutes, then re-enter the room and take the baby out of the crib. 

Baby will cry or wiggle a lot while you do this. That’s normal! Do not pick baby up from crib if baby cries. If baby wiggles in the crib, wait 5-10 minutes and then place baby in a new place for sleep and repeat.

At What Age Do You Transition From Bassinet To Crib?

It really depends on your baby. Usually if baby is 2 months old they can transition from bassinet to crib. However, it’s better not to do this before 6 months. Cribs are different than bassinets. If your baby is in a bassinet, the mattress is full of air so they might roll off and end up on the floor. 

Cribs have a pad under the mattress and a waterproof cover. This allows baby to safely lay down and feel safe. Are you ready to transition? The first step to transition is to eliminate bassinet from your baby’s room. Before you move baby to the crib, you want to remove the bassinet to avoid any future danger. 

Next, remove the changing table and carry out the dirty clothes. Move the laundry basket into a corner, and arrange the crib with the changing table as a separator.

What Age Should Baby Stop Sleeping In Bassinet?

Do your research and find out what age your baby should be out of the bassinet. The age at which your baby should transition to a crib is always based on your baby’s health. 

The recommendation is based on the following guidelines: 

Your baby should be ready for a crib from day 1. 

Your baby should not be suffering from respiratory problems or have a cleft lip. 

Your baby should not have a pre-existing brain or spinal defect. 

To see if your baby is ready to move to a crib, here are a few signs your baby should be transitioned to a crib: 

Your baby should not be suffering from respiratory problems or have a cleft lip. 

Your baby should not be suffering from a pre-existing brain or spinal defect. 

Your baby should have the mobility to stand and lie back down easily.

Conclusion

In short, sleeping on a mattress on the floor is easier than sleeping in a cot or bassinet, but you may not want to co-sleep with your baby for the first two weeks of life. 

You may not want to leave baby on their own in the middle of the night, or be able to settle them back down when they're first born. However, don't force it, or you'll be back to sleeping in a double bed for many months to come!

[mychemicalficrecs]

do you have any longer frikey fics, preferably bottom frank if theres smut

I do have some longer Frank/Mikey stuff, but no guarantee on bottom Frank!

Longer Frank/Mikey

Emotional Brilliance by kopperblaze, 21k, Mature. Toro and Mikey are a good team, Mikey doesn’t get why Brian had to hire someone else. In particular he doesn’t get why Brian had to hire Frank, who knows nothing about Lush products and who's incapable of keeping his mouth shut. Lush!AU. The one where Ray is a skin care expert, Frank is obnoxious, Mikey is annoyed and Pete leaves glittery handprints all over everything.

Gross roomies by turps, 36k, Explicit. Frank loves living with Mikey. Sure, the apartment is a mess, the kitchen's a toxic wasteland, and there's something growing in the refrigerator that's just a day or two away from becoming sentient, but other than those minor inconveniences, it's all cool. Or it is until Mikey decides to embark on a journey of sexual discovery and adventure and Frank's left at home with nothing but the fridge monster for company. To make matters worse, Mikey insists on telling Frank everything he does with his new kinky friends, right down to the tiniest detail. And now suddenly Frank is best friends with his right hand and he can't stop thinking about Mikey in ways he never has before. The really big problem, other than suddenly being in lust with his best friend, is that Frank isn't sure why.

Won't Know 'til You Begin by knight_tracer, Sena, 24k, Explicit. In which Frank is an accidental pervert, Mikey sleeps with Fabio, Gerard is much too sincere when talking about pain sluts, Ray is terrible with women and great with guitars, and Otter's got really bad taste in music. Alternately, the one where Frank realizes he has a thing for Mikey, Mikey realizes he has a thing for guys, and they're both adorably stupid failboats.

On Air by ladyfoxxx, 15k, Teen And Up Audiences. Frank's a radio DJ at an alternative station, spinning punk tracks and talking shit. When he gets handed the most popular show at the station to host, his first guests are independent horror filmmakers Gerard and Mikey Way.

Standing on a Planet that's Evolving and Revolving by Green, 13k, Explicit. The evolution of Frank Iero, age 15.

Buenas Noches From A Lonely Room by Femme (femmequixotic), 15k, Explicit. Frank wants to touch Mikey, to slide his fingers across the sharp angle of his cheek just below his glasses, to drag his thumb along the curve of his bottom lip, to smooth his palm down Mikey's long throat.

What Dreams May Come by sperrywink, 15k, Explicit. His career in music derailed, Frank never met the other guys in My Chemical Romance. A silly tale of teleportation.

a scent and a sound by mwestbelle, 15k, Explicit. In an urban fantasy world where werewolves can't hold a decent job and no roommate wants them, werewolf Frank is looking for an apartment. He finds one with Mikey Way.

Heart Wrapped in Clover by Sena, 19k, Explicit. Everbody's got their not-so-secret secrets on tour. When you live out of a van, you just can't help but notice things that you shouldn't talk about if you don't want to embarrass your friends or start a fight. Frank wishes sometimes they talked about things, though, because he's dying to ask if anybody else has noticed that sometimes, Mikey wears panties.

Tints Verse by turps, 65k, Mature. A MCR AU where Ray has his own gardening firm, and one day he does a job for the Ways.

We Used To Be Friends by ladyfoxxx, 50k, Explicit. "You and me, right Mikes?" "Yeah, fuck everybody else." Best friends since high school, if Frank could've chosen a brother, he'd pick Mikey. Then Mikey became a rock star and Frank... didn't. After years of radio silence, Mikey steps onto a stage in Jersey and back into Frank's life. (Or, the one where Frank is a school teacher and Mikey plays rhythm in The Used.)

And the Painted Ponies by turps, 35k, Mature. After years of struggling to be taken seriously as a bodyguard, Frank Iero is finally well established. He loves his boss, Ray, he loves his job, and he prides himself on his professionalism. But then he's assigned to be the personal bodyguard of Mikey Way. Mikey Way, aka Roboboy, is a successful high fashion model. Loved by designers and the public alike for his trademark lack of emotion, but mocked by the tabloid press for the exact same reason. Mikey is someone that Frank's sure he'll hate. Except it doesn't work out that way. In fact, it doesn't take long before Frank discovers he really likes Mikey. Maybe too much.

Better Than A Paid Life by gala_apples, 15k, Explicit. Gerard and Mikey Way are the Killjoys, a motorbaby duo. That is, until their car gets wrecked in a battle and the dashboard accessory of their new Trans Am is an ex-Companion with a mission.

Crash by Gorgeous Nerd (gorgeousnerd), 26k, Explicit. In a future version of Seattle, Frank Iero's a lot of things: bike messenger, cage fighter, sometimes thief, Ray Toro's roommate. Mikey Way's also a lot of things: record label owner, co-heir to his grandmother's fortune, younger brother. Neither are normal. But they don't know just how far each other's abnormalities go until Frank's past and a secret of Mikey's unexpectedly shove together. (Dark Angel AU.)

Sound Tracking by turps, 46k, Mature. The beat is muted, almost non-existent, and the loss hits Bob hard. He's used to living his life in a constant thrum of sound, sensing those around him, the rhythm of the universe a constant companion, but here there's almost nothing. He can feel the sound that's been pulling him for weeks now, but little else. This place is dead, almost silent, and Bob aches with the feeling of being cast into nothingness. A MCR - Bob and Gerard centric space AU where Gerard's band has been taken from him and Bob helps find them. Also features FOB, especially Pete.

Drink Cider From a Lemon by turps, 20k, General Audiences. A story about friendship, love and building your own kind of home.

Mikey Way and the Quest for the Stone by Roxy_palace, 29k, Explicit. “I’m in Colombia!” Mikey said, raising his voice over the crackle of a poor connection. “No. no, no, no, no,” James wailed. Mikey could really relate to his disbelief. He couldn't believe he was in mother fucking Colombia either.

Below the Trees, Which Are Below the Stars by alpheratz, 38k, Explicit. In the mid-1920s, Gerard and Mikey moved to France - Gerard to pursue art, Mikey because he couldn't stay behind. Now, it's 1930, and Mikey's become an airmail pilot, flying the mail route to Dakar with his navigator Frank. For a long time, the only rough thing about Mikey's life was the strain on his and Gerard's soulbond when Mikey was away, but his growing feelings for Frank and the arrival of Frank's old friend Ray could change everything.

Food of Love by Lucifuge5, 12k, Teen And Up Audiences. Ever since it re-opened, Frank's been "Sweet Nothings"'s number one customer. That he harbors a gigantic crush on one of the owners is something that he's kept to himself for the most part (Ray will never tell a soul.) It's not until he strikes a friendship with the older brother of the object of his affection that he 'fesses up. Moved by Frank's pining, Gerard promises to help Frank woo Mikey. Complications arise when Gerard's "helpful advice" is anything but. Will Frank be successful in his courtship or are his chances to win Mikey's heart as ruined as a burnt cupcake?

You Only Hear The Music (When Your Heart Begins To Break) by Acadjonne, 28k, Mature. Mikey and Frank have known each other for years. They're roommates, and best friends. They're also friends with benefits. The arrangement is casual, and it suits them both. Somewhere along the way, Mikey develops feelings for Frank, but he pushes them aside. They aren't important, he'll be fine. Or, Mikey is fine, until he somehow ends up pregnant a year into this thing with Frank, and all of a sudden, he's got more to deal with than just how long he'll be able to hide his feelings for Frank or how the hell he's supposed to afford his transition.

Give Me A Reason To Believe (Failboats In Love) by Acadjonne, 14k, Teen And Up Audiences. On the night of October 31st, Linda and Frank Iero welcome a baby boy into their family. He weighs six pounds, four ounces, and is nineteen inches long. They give him a family name, and he becomes the third Iero man to bear the name of Frank. A year later, on All Hallow's Eve, a sleeping baby is taken from his crib and replaced with a fake. The babe will later be taken from the hands of the goblin that stole him, and he will be raised by two rowan treefolk, a house brownie, and some pixies. ----- When Ray walks down the stairs to the Way family basement, the last thing Mikey expects to see is a scrappy and long-haired form following behind him. But as he later finds out, Frank is almost always unexpected in the best of ways, the rest of the world be damned.

Death's Muse by TheFratelliEffect, 53k [WIP], Mature. Lonely and depressed, Mikey Way is battling through the drab years that immediately follow college. Struggling to make a living as an artist, Mikey has became a battered down, quiet introvert whom wants nothing to do with the abusive romance he is unwillingly involved in. On a cold winter morning, the starving artist is confronted with the opportunity to paint Frank Iero, the Midnight Falls' elusive, young doctor, which he takes up immediately. Love and lust ensure as the story opens on the painter as he meets his muse.

Gallons Of The Stuff by MCRmyGeneral, 20k, Explicit. Frank has been amused by blood for as long as he can remember. When he was a child, it was a simple fascination; the way it felt on his hands, the way it looked dripping to the floor, the way it smelled. But as he grew older, that simple fascination morphed into a daring lust. Blood no longer amused him, now it turned him on. Frank has never intentionally hurt someone just to see their blood. He just takes what he can get whenever an accident happens. But when Mikey is hurt bad, Frank discovers how hard it is to keep his hands, and thoughts, to himself. He loves Mikey, he has for a long time. But now, he finds his silence so much harder to keep. He has two choices: either tell Mikey how he feels, about him and his blood, and risk scaring him away, or keep quiet, and never let the man know how much he means to him. Whatever he chooses, he knows that someone will get hurt.

[ohholyfanfics]

Daycare 0.2|T.Holland

Last Part: x 

Request here: x

Author’s Note: I went along and tagged everyone that commented on the last part not knowing if you guys wanted to be tagged or not. Also part 3 maybe? But please stay safe and wash your hand's guys, Love Ari xox

Liam’s first day resulted in numerous phone calls and text messages from Tom, followed by a string of apologies from Harrison. Evelyn, however, was used to this type of behavior from first-time parents, but it was safe to say she had a soft stop for Tom. His situation wasn’t easy, he was caring for a child that not only wasn’t biologically his but a child he had no prep for. Liam, however, proved to be a rather laid back child, not giving his classroom teachers a problem.

Each morning after dropping Liam off in his respected classroom, Tom always made sure to stop by Evelyn’s office to see how she was doing, and for of course thanking her for being so patient and kind. She had been so helpful during this transition, and he wasn’t sure what he’d do without her. Evelyn was always more than willing to answer any doubting questions Tom had about parenting, and just about life in general. He hated to admit it but he looked forward to those few minutes the two shared each morning.

He wasn’t sure how it had happened, but somewhere between Liam’s second and third week there, he noticed a change. Tom found himself texting her less about Liam and his day, but more about how she was. Sure, he stilled asked the usual questions about his son, but he couldn’t help but wonder about her. He wondered if the kids in toddler room six were giving you a hard time again, he worried if you got enough rest the night before. He wasn’t sure what it was but he felt himself slowly falling for her and it scared him.

It was a Wednesday morning, also one of your favorite days of the week. Upon walking into the daycare center he couldn’t help but notice that something was off, the Christmas decorations where no longer hanging around but it was in the transition to spring. Flowers built from children's faces were being hung up on the walls of the young interns from the local school. The usual receptionist was replaced but who he knew to be the co-director of the daycare, being Evelyn’s friend and co-worker Sophia.

She smiled brightly at Tom helping him sign Liam in before directing him to the room saying the teachers were waiting for him. Thanking her softly, he tugged along the hallway talking softly with his son as he entered the room. He couldn't help but smile as he watched him so quickly adapt to his surroundings before waving the teachers goodbye after giving them a quick rundown of Liam’s morning. He started making his way towards Evelyn office before Sophia called out to him.

“Oh, sorry Tom, she’s not in today,” Sophia mumbled softly as she nervously played with her wedding ring. It wasn’t that Tom scared or anything, he was definitely one of the more intimidating parents. Tom was the definition of success and power, not like Sophia didn’t know. She and Evelyn had exchanged a few words about Tom. It was clear that the single father cared for her boss.

“Oh.”

He couldn’t help the frown on his face as he fiddled with the sleeves of his suit. Evelyn was never absent, at least not that he knew of. He knew how much pride she had in her business much like of his own. He wasn’t sure what to do, he’s not seen her when he drops Liam off. It was strange to him to go on with his day without seeing her, without giving Evelyn a tight hug and having her assure him that whatever deal he was working on would play out alright.

He was missing that small little moment with her, a moment that meant more to him than he would like to admit. Since leaving the center this morning it was clear to everyone around him that he wasn’t himself this morning, yet he couldn’t bring himself to text her. What if she were busy, or what if she were with someone. He knew it was silly to even think that way but it was hard not too when he had blooming feelings for Evelyn.

It’s now Friday and he still hasn’t heard anything from Evelyn, she hasn't been into work since Tuesday and even then she apparently left early. It wasn’t that he was stalking her, no not at all. He had the pleasure of finally being able to pick Liam up from daycare that noon and ran into her at the parking lot. Evelyn assured him all was well and that you would be back to work bright and early on Wednesday morning. Clearly, that wasn’t the case.

Tom curled his lips as he tapped his pen on the stack of papers he should be overlooked but it was safe to say his concern was eating away at him. Sighing he reaches for his phone before a slight knock broke him. Cleaning his throat he gave permission fo the person to enter.

“Hey mate.” Harrison smiled as he walked in fixing the tie around his neck. Taken on look at his friend he frowned lightly taken a seat before him. “alright?”

He nodded his head knowing that Harrison would probably know what's going on with her. Yet, Tom wasn't sure he wanted to ask, he knew Harrison speculated that Tom had growing feels for the young woman and the last thing Tom wanted was to confirm to Harrison.

“Yeah, just a bit tired..”

“Oh sounds good, I just wanted to give you these progress reports,” he stated as he handed over the folder he had been holding. Tom thanked him before Harrison left not before promising to stop by later tonight for their beer night over at Tom’s flat.

That’s how Harrison and Tom had gotten to where they were now, Liam was safety tucked in his crib out like a light. The baby monitor was sitting near the table in view of both men as a random movie played not that either was paying attention. Harrison was going on about some random date he had been on two days ago, it wasn't fair for Tom to be laughing at his friends failed dates when he hadn't been on one since Liam’s adoption.

“Oi, you have no room to judge you twat.” he huffed throw a handful of nuts at his friend causing Tom to shake his head. “Plus, don’t you think you should maybe play the field?” he added testing the waters.

Tom couldn’t help but frown at the thought, it was hard enough not knowing people's intentions now he had a son to consider and the thought of dating scared him. He wasn't in the same situation as Harrison was, he didn't have a child to consider.

“I just don’t think I’m ready, plus I haven't found anyone.” he shrugged as he took a swing of his beer, what he said wasn’t a total lie. He truly didn't think he was ready for dating again, in fact, the mere thought had him itching.

“Not trying to pressure you to mate, just think it’ll be good for you to have some adult time with someone.” he smiled softly as Tom knew he was right.

“I’ll work on it.” was all he mumbled not wanting to have Harrison think of some crazy idea. That seemed to be enough as Harrison brought his attention back to the screen. Tom leaned back closing his eyes softly, that was when he felt the buzzing of his phone from beside him.

He pecked from one eye, his body going numb at the contact. The one person he had been secretly missing, not that he’d admit to anyone was calling. Quickly excuse himself he walked towards the kitchen answering the phone.

“Hey, darling.”

Evelyn eyes widen from the other side of the phone, that was most definitely not Sophia. She signed softly chewing on her bottom lip knowing she was gonna have to answer. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to call you..” she breathed out holding in the cough that was trying to escape.

He couldn’t help but frown at her voice, she sounded exhausted almost as if she hadn't been getting enough sleep. His chest tightened as he breathed out.

“No it’s fine, everything okay?”

“I’m fine, it’s nothing really.”

“But is it?” he questioned as he played with the beer caps laying on the. counter before him. “You haven't been to work these past few days, is everything alright?” he asked as her heart softened at his words.

“Sorry about that, I should’ve warned you,” she mumbled feeling guilty. She knew how hard it was for Tom, he’d express it to her every once in a while. With everything happening and how she was feeling and she completely has forgotten to inform the teachers to give him small updates throughout the day.

“I’ve just been ill is all.” she finally breathed out as a rather bad cough escaped her lips. Her body aching as her eyes closed a few tears escaping them from the pain she was feeling in her throat. Tom couldn’t help but feel a wave of worry spread through him. In a matter of seconds, he was searching his cabinets for coughing medicine his mum sworn on and the one lemon ginger tea he liked to sip on while ill.

“Do you need anything?” he breathed out as he reached for a small paper bag dropping everything inside. He knew it was crazy but he needed to be there for her. She was willing to handle him with his anxiety about Liam and he wanted to be there for her.

“It’s fine, I’ll call Sophia.” she insisted as he shook his head demanding that he go over and help her. He even promised that Liam would be in good hands. Signing she caved and asked him for some cough drops and maybe a few tissues and a bottle of ginger ale. Writing everything down, Tom ended the call quickly before rushing over to Harrison.

“Mate you think you can stay with Liam for a few?” he asked running a hand through his hair. Harrison studied his friend with a raised eyebrow. “I just have to run something to a friend real quick?”

Tom found the spare quickly as he quickly let himself in, toeing his shoes off, he smiled softly at the sweet smell of vanilla taken over as he studied the pictures on the walls. Sighing softly, he rubbed the back of his neck with his spare arm calling out her name. 

“Darling?” 

Evelyn held in a cough as she peeked down the hallway seeing a rather flustered Tom Holland standing there. He wore a simple pair of sweat pants and a light gray sweater, she couldn't help the soft smile that worked its way onto her lips as he walked inside the kitchen. Unlike her hallway, it was brightly lit, and extremely white. Her white. cabinets and white marble countertops gave off a homey feeling as he rested the bags down taken her in. 

Her cheeks and nose were red, her eyes looked tired as he took her in. Her legs were covered in black leggings while a snuggly looking hoodie was keeping her room. He couldn’t help the frown that worked its way onto his face, as he quickly walked over tugging her into his arms. A feeling of comfort washed through her body, his touch was familiar. As much as she hated to admit it, she missed it. 

“You didn’t have to come to Tom..” she mumbled softly surpassing a cough as he shook his head holding her closer. 

“I wanted to..” he breathed out as he pulled away just as she let out a nasty cough. He watched as one of her hands gripped the counter as she coughed into her hoodie, eyes watering making his heartache. “Oh honey..” he cooed softly as he rubbed her back gently. 

“I’m fine, I promise.” 

He couldn’t help but frown shaking his head, digging into the bag he pulled out the box of tea as he reached for her kettle. It wasn’t long before he had her snuggled into the guest bedroom downstairs, with a cup of tea. Her eyes took him in as a sense of appreciation flooded her. This man went out of his way, most likely leaving his son with his parents to come to the rescue. 

“Tom it’s fine really.” she breathed sitting up as he waltzed back in the room with two cups in hand. He waved her off, as he rested the two cups beside the medicine that he had brought over. 

“It’s no worries Evelyn..” he breathed as he placed a soft kiss onto her forehead, his next words making both their heads spin.

“Let me take care of you yeah?” he breathed out as their eyes locked, he missed her. God had Tom missed seeing her bright smile every morning. “We have to get you well again, Liam really misses you..” he breathed wondering if she was willing to read what he had been trying to say. 

It wasn’t Liam who had missed her, hell Tom didn’t know what he would’ve done if she hadn't called. He had slowly been losing his mind at the lack of communication between you both, not that you owed him anything.

“I miss him too..” she breathed out as their eyes met. “I miss them all..” she added hoping if he had gotten what she was saying and he had. He was a part of the all, she had missed him as well. 

It wasn’t long before Tom had her stomach full and a glass of water and ginger ale on her bedside table. She watched as he rushed off before coming back with the medicine he had brought along with a trash can, which she could only assume came from the hall bathroom. She watched with soft eyes as he set everything cup for her. 

“I want you to get a good’s night rest yeah?” he breathed out as he tucked her in and brushed the few strings of hair that had managed to escape from the bun her hair was placed in. “I’ll stop by tomorrow to check-in.” 

“Tom you-” 

“I know, I don’t have too but I want to.” he breathed out with a soft smile and a blush on his cheeks. “I promised I’d take care of you darling, and that’s just what I intend to do.” 

Taglist: @averyfosterthoughts​ @parkeret​ @obsessed-librarian​ @yourbiggestspiderfan​ @jackiehollanderr​ @starkerismysexuality​ @billysroses​ @cutiepiemimi13​ @fav-fan-fic​ @abschaffer2​ @rescue3000​ @xinsonyax​ @greenarrowhead​

[moxy-fruitbat]

Muriel as a father part two!

Okay first off can someone please draw Muriel wearing a baby in a baby carrier it's for science please and thank you.

Also my mind stuck on the twins thing so congrats Muri and MC you got double!

- He's in love with them right from the very start. They're his little cubs, his baby bears, his chickadees, and he would do literally anything to keep MC and them safe.

- Skin to skin contact was super easy bc he's like 90% chest. Even as they got older, the babies would for the most part stop crying when he held them close.

- MC and Muriel baby wear, mostly so they can take care of things around their little hut homestead while still keep an eye on them.

- There isn't much room for one crib in the hut, let alone two, so all of them co-sleep together, with Inanna at the foot of the bed.

- The kids get satchels of myrrh that they wear around their necks, but it's also in their bath water and laundry soap so everything smells like it. No one's forgetting Dad in this household.

- They go on evening walks together in the forest, as a whole family (including Inanna, of course!). Muriel will point out little things to them, like what kind of bird made what call, or what this certian type of plant or mushroom is, or what kind of weather certain clouds mean, even when they were too young and/or were sleeping for the majority of the walk.

- Speaking of Inanna, she is absolutely pumped to have little kids in the house. She's very protective of them, and she curls up with the two of them around the fireplace. They fall asleep nestled in her warm fur.

- Inanna gives them sloppy dog kisses right on the face, causing shriek in a fit of giggly laughter.

- MC loves watching Muriel interact with the babies; seeing him share things he loves with the people he loves always puts a huge smile on her face.

- He introduces them to every chicken by name.

- Muriel and MC will call each other "mama bear" and "papa bear", which they both honestly find super sexy. They don't get much time for that anymore, though, since the hut is literally one room and they co-sleep.

- Occasionally, once the littles ones were old enough to not die from being left alone for 20 minutes babies are scary. They can just...suddenly die for no real reason, they'll leave the twins with Inanna while they both go "out to get more firewood" and have a quickie. She has never had to, but Inanna would start howling for them to come back if anything started to go wrong that she couldn't fix herself.

- Uncle Julian, Auntie Portia & Aunt Nadia, or Ommer Asra will occasionally babysit, too, taking the kids for an overnight stay in the city, giving Mama and Papa Bear a well-deserved night off together.

- Muriel is the worst at disciplining them. He's so afraid of scaring them ("I don't want my own children to hate me......") and they don't really listen to his quiet "Hey, stop that." So it's up to MC to put them in line when they need to be.

- Once they're too old and somehow end up taking up the majority of the bed (and kicking both MC and Muri in the face at the same time), Muriel makes them their own big-kid beds. They're made out of beautiful, hand hewn logs, with designs and their names carved into the headboards.

- It's a relatively easy transition into getting them to sleep on their own. "Mama and Papa are right across the room, see? You can come get us any time you need us."

- They have a lot of handmade wooden toys, and when they are old enough to play out in the forest by themselves, they have their own adventures building forts and playing pirates ("Just like Uncle Julian and Ms. Mazelinka!").

- Papa Bear rides! Muriel will hoist them up on his shoulders (yes, both of them. One on each.), or they sit on his back like he's a horse, on all fours. They pull on his hair, which he hates, but he puts up with it to hear their giggly laughter.

- Ommer Asra brings them cool new toys from far away places, and Aunt Nadia makes sure they have new clothes all the time. She has a great eye, of course, and always picks out very cute stuff.

- There's a growth chart in the door frame of the hut, and these kids grow FAST. They're Muriel's, after all, and if your MC is smol like mine it doesn't take long for them to pass her up once their growth spurt hits.

- Evenings are quiet and usually spent in front of the fireplace, with MC reading out loud to the family, or just makes the story up as she goes. Sometimes she sings/plays an instrument (if your MC knows how). When they get older Muriel might teach the little ones how to wittle, but otherwise they usually play quietly, snuggle up with Inanna, or sit with MC and listen to her stories. If it's a special night (or usually just because!), they'll pop popcorn in a shaker over the fire.

- Now that the number of occupants of the hut has grown from 1+wolf to 4+wolf, their little homestead has grown, too. In addition to foraging and the chickens that roam around the forest, there's a vegetable garden and maybe even a hive or two of bees. It's more work, but everyone is happy.

- Muriel goes to sleep every night, his wife in his arms and his children fast asleep in their beds. Inanna is asleep at his feet, or in bed with one of the kids. He holds MC close and kisses her forehead while she's sleeping. He wouldn't trade the life he has for anything in the world.

[some-cookie-crumbz]

Kidge Parent HC Part 2.5

Previous Part Links:

Kidge Married Pre-Babies: [here]

Kidge w/ Babies Part 2.1: [here]

Kidge w/ Babies Part 2.2: [here]

Kidge w/ Babies Part 2.3: [here] *There’s a little angst in this one, FYI

Kidge w/ Babies Part 2.4: [here]

HEY LONG TIME NO RAMBLE SO SORRY ABOUT THAT!!! School and Work and blah, ya know how it goes! Let’s get into the fun stuff, though, shall we? :3c

I decided to break this one down by dynamics; specifically, I’ll start by talking generally about Keith and Pidge as parents, family dynamics/routines that are the same between all the kids, then their relationships with each of the kids, and then we’ll get into what, exactly, the kids are like themselves. I’ll be stopping off with information once we hit around the 12-13 age with each kid and will resume explaining things in the next part from there, as there will be one more part.

There will be one more part focusing on more on the kids in their later teens/ young adult/ adult years, so there will be some Kidge Grandparent stuff in there! Hopefully I can get that part out much sooner than it took me to get this part out, but I am going to warn that I want to try and get one update completed for each of my current fics before I start really focusing in on the next part, so there will be a bit of a wait.

Also, up until the point I explain how he got the nickname, I’ll be calling Newt by his actual name of Oliver. Just wanted to add that so there wasn’t any confusion as to why I shift names halfway through.

First little random side note that I wanted to mention!!!

Keith does pretty well about maintaining his workout routine, though he definitely skips days more often once Pidge first gets pregnant – wanting to make sure to look after her, make sure she isn’t overworking herself, etc. – and becoming a bit more sporadic as the kids are born. Normally he can sneak in a session while the kids are taking naps or otherwise occupied, though. Matt teases that his six-pack is more of a four-pack now. Additionally, he gets a bit more relaxed about shaving his face. He’ll let himself get a bit scruffier just because he’s more focused on Pidge and the kids and forgets he should probably do something with that scruffy nonsense cropping up.

He goes from being Fitness Keith into Rugged Dedicated Daddy Keef. Pidge loves him just the same because, as far as she’s concerned, he’s still the same romantic goof she fell for.

Having four babies also affects Pidge’s body physically a bit. She does pretty good about maintaining a healthy balance of foods during her pregnancies, but there’s always a bit of weight gain as a side effect, plus pushing a small human body from your own tends to do a bit of widening to the hips, giving her a sort of pear-shaped silhouette; and, she is admittedly a bit salty that her breasts don’t get too much more in the area of growth as a result. She also does a moderate job about working out between pregnancies once she’s healed, but she’s not particularly worried or stressed about having a little extra weight packed on. It’s not a particularly large amount that she gains and she carries it well, but she definitely has a little bit of pudge around the middle. Most of it, though, goes to her thighs.

Becoming a mom basically makes Pidge a bit more Thicc™. Keith is absolutely 100% okay with this and still sees Pidge as the most incredible woman he’s ever known.

Okay, back to the tooth-rotting sweetness! :3

This is just something I need to say outright; they have baby books for each of the kids that are overloaded with pictures of their first full year in the world, with little notes stating when they had their first smile/laugh/word/step/tooth. They also save the onesies that each baby was brought home in and keep them in little shadow boxes with other sentimental items as the kids get older because they’re incredibly sentimental about all of it.

Pidge’s office at the Garrison is covered in photos of her, Keith and the kids, and if you notice she’s in a pissy mood? Point to one of the pictures and ask her what the family was doing when that was taken. She’ll start excitedly regaling you with how amazing her kids and husband are. Likewise, Keith carries a little pocket-album of family photos on him practically everywhere. If you’re meeting him for the first time and need to break the ice? Ask him if he has any pictures of his family, which you’ve heard so much about. He will immediately decide you are Good People and tell you all about how great they are and how much he loves them.

Keith is by far the more protective parent in their duo. Part of this is because he's always wanted a family and wants to be a Good Dad™ but thinks he has to work harder at it because he didn’t have a healthy family environment to grow up in. His dad died when he was young and Krolia wasn't around during his younger years so he frets over not knowing how to be a Good Parent™. Pidge always reassures him that so long as he makes sure to let the kids know how much he loves them, he's gonna be an absolutely phenomenal dad. It helps a bit during her first pregnancy and once Amber's actually there, in his arms, he realizes that they're all gonna be just fine.

He promises each of the kids when he first gets to hold them that he's gonna always be there to love and protect them. Takes any chance he can to reiterate that to them, too.

Pidge tends to be a bit more relaxed in her approach, in that she’ll give the kids a bit more independence sooner than Keith thinks they should, but by some strange proxy she tends to be the disciplinarian more often. Mostly because, while Keith will dish out punishments and lectures when necessary, it's clear he feels way guiltier about it than she does. Pidge, meanwhile, does not take mutiny in the ranks of the Kogane home lightly despite the fact that she was the LITERALLY embodiment of mutiny in her teen years; and, to specify, the kids only get in trouble when they knowingly do things they’ve been told or taught not to. They’ll let the kids slide the first two or three times they make a mistake after they learn not to do something, but once it clearly becomes a matter of testing how much their parents will put up with, the hammer gets dropped.

Since I'm on the subject, sometimes they do disagree about how to parent the kids, but they take the time to talk and find compromises. It’ normally a matter of Keith being a hyper-cautious Mother Hen, but there are points where Pidge is giving the kids more credit in regards to maturity/ responsibility than they deserve. I’ll expound on that sentiment more once we get further down the line.

Also, regarding punishments, they agree to using timeouts and sending the kids to their rooms when they're little, and graduate to revoking privileges and grounding as they get older.

Also, they're both terrible about co-sleeping. Like, initially Pidge insists it's okay because it makes things easier for her. Newborns need to be fed every 2-3 hours for the first couple of weeks. It's just easier for her to be able to either unclasp her nursing tank top or tug her shirt up, let the baby latch on to her boobie, and then pass back out. Eventually the baby will get milk drunk and pass out, too. Once the babies can go longer without feeding, they start trying to get them settled in their bassinette so they get used to sleeping in a spot by themselves so the transition to the crib is easier. But then they'll get fussy and Keith and Pidge feel bad because the baby is clearly sad and lonely and wants love. So they'll get up and bring them into bed for sleepy snuggles with Mommy and Daddy.

They do eventually get the kids transitioned from co-sleeping to their cribs. In order from easiest to hardest, it goes as follows; Oliver - and the irony of that isn't lost on Mommy and Daddy -, Kaden, Amber and lastly Aria.

When the kids get scared at night, they'll still clamor into bed with them. Aria does it the most and Amber does it the least, while the boys fall into a middle ground where they’re about equal with each other. There have been a handful of instances where they end up with all four kids in bed with them – specifically during really bad storms - and Keith is always grateful he let Pidge talk him into ordering the special extra-large king-sized bed from the planet Hintinue because there is no way they’d be able to fit six people on a regular king comfortably.

Keith and Pidge are really affectionate parents. Like, if one of the Kidgelings’ wants some cuddles? They will get those cuddles, no questions asked, regardless of the circumstances. Mommy’s drafting up a new schematic for an alternate generator for the Garrison to use? Fuck the Garrison; Pidge will push her projects aside to scoop the needy tot up in her arms, pressing little kisses to their head and rubbing circles into their back. Daddy was getting ready to do his workout in the basement gym? Leg Day is on hold; Keith has a responsibility to snuggle up with whichever baby it is, tucking their head under his chin and chatting with them softly about this or that.

I’ve always imagined that the Holt’s are an incredibly close, affectionate family that just exudes love and acceptance, so for Pidge this is just natural. These are her babies and they deserve all the snuggles and smooches they could ever want or need. It’s her gosh darn responsibility and she is more than willing to take it on. I also think that this mentality from the Holt’s probably boggled Keith’s mind when he started dating Pidge and they just… Kinda took him in with open arms. Probably a bit of an adjustment period for him but he learned that he actually really admired and emulated how open the relationship within his wife’s extended family is.

For Keith, it’s a matter of wanting to give his kids what he didn’t really get. Like, I imagine that Ethan Kogane was a great dad, who always told and showed Keith how much he loved him, but he was also a single father with a young child he was trying to raise all alone. And he died when Keith was still pretty young. I know the series hasn’t said what age he was, but I always leaned towards Keith being about seven/eight when it happened. And, obviously, Krolia wasn’t around when he was young for him to have an affectionate, doting mother figure either. Also, I think Krolia is certainly a loving mother, but I think that she’s sometimes unsure of when physical displays are appropriate with Keith because of the time they spent apart.

I think that would help to explain some of Keith’s canon struggle in how to properly interact with other people, and why he is probably the Paladin who has had the least physical shows of affection with other characters, but the ones he’s had have been deeply significant to his character. This rationale is also why I choose to read/ interpret him as the kind of father that I do. Keith is definitely someone who loves the people around him but isn’t always sure how to express it though this doesn’t apply so much to Pidge herself because she has straight-up told him to shower her in affection whenever he wants because she’s gonna do the same. But with little kids? As someone who lives in a house with a three-and-a-half year old and a nine month old baby, I can assure you they love nothing more than attention and physical affection. Interacting with the kids, Keith doesn’t need to worry so much about his physical affection being unwanted.

They’re just really loving parents, you guys.

Until all four kids are officially in school, Keith is a stay-at-home Daddy, at Pidge's insistence. She makes a bit more than him and most of his work can still be done from the house. They agree they don't want their kids spending eight hours a day in a daycare program with a bunch of people they don’t know very well. Plus Pidge thinks it’ll be really good for Keith because, when they first have the conversation about it after Amber’s born, poor guy gets extremely uncomfortable and anxious over the idea of handing their precious little lady over to a stranger for an extended period of time.

They do, however, get the kids signed into a little pre-school program for the two years before they enter kindergarten. The program only goes for three hours in the morning so Pidge will drop them off and Keith does the pickup. They do it so the kids can get ahead academically, as well as to make sure they have good social skills. While they're at pre-school, Keith works on whatever work assignment he's been given and then works on it again while the kids nap.

He, Allura and Shay form a sort of gossipy housewives group where they occasionally meet up after picking the kids up to grab lunch and talk smack about the obnoxious parents they encounter. Pidge dubs them the Soccer Mom Squad. Lance offers to make them all matching t-shirts.

As a small bonus, while the kids are at home with Keith, he’ll do fun little arts and crafts projects with them. Finger-paints, ceramics, drawing, making bead animals, scrapbooking… You name it, he’s figured out how to and has done it with the kids at least once. He and Pidge save literally everything the kids make for them ever to keep on the desks at work, or on their desks at home, or just keeping them saved in containers to keep them safe and because they’re both ridiculously sentimental.

In regards to the Holidays, I’ve always liked the idea that Pidge’s maternal side of the family is of Jewish heritage, while Samuel’s family was a bit more agnostic and partook in Christmas based solely on the fact that they supported the main ideals Christmas was meant to represent; i.e. Being kind to your fellow man, spending meaningful time with your family, giving to those that have less, etc. I also like the idea that Keith’s father was not someone who aligned to a specific religion and more fell in line to Christmas based on the commercialism and to give a young Keith something to look forward to during the holiday season. As such, the Kidgelings celebrate Hanukkah with the Holt’s as well as Christmas with the whole family. Additionally, they’ll go partake in community events to help their fellow man.

While Keith and Pidge are both practical people, they still kiss any boo-boos the kids get after they clean and cover them. It's just Good Parenting 101.

Also, Keith and Pidge take turns packing lunches for the kids to take to school once they start. Each time they do, they’ll use a sharpie – in their respective color, of course – and leave little notes on the Ziploc baggies that they put one of their little snacks. It’s always well wishes, but sometimes they’ll add little bonus points if they know the kid has something big going on that day too. Things like “Knock’em dead in the soccer team tryouts!” and “You’re going to kill that math test this afternoon!” that are just little things but the kids seriously love that their parents do that for them.

Keith joins the PTA so that he can help out with funding events and always know what's going on with the kids' extracurricular activities. For the longest time, the PTA parents are convinced Keith's a widower, due to Pidge being MIA at a lot of the events. This normally happens due to situations such as other functions for one of the other kids coinciding with the one Keith's attending or one of the kids being sick and needing to stay home. The other PTA parents gossip over their thirst for Rugged Dedicated Daddy Keef, with the boldest of them actually going so far as to openly flirt with the oblivious doof.

They all realize they were wrong when, at the science fair, they see Keith, balancing a sleepy three year old Aria on one hip, holding the hand of a fiery little bombshell blonde who is arguing with the judges because "Excuse me my son LITERALLY reverse-engineered a piece of alien technology and then rebuilt it using Earth tech and you give him a participation ribbon? And give first place to the kid who lit a light bulb with a potato? Oh Heckle deckle naw!"

They still thirst after him, but they are quieter about it. And some of them may even start thirsting after both the Kogane parents who are we to judge them? We'd all be just as bad let's be real.

Keith sings to all the kids when they're little and each of them has their own special song he only sings for them. He does, however, have one song that all four kids share, too. The songs - with links in the titles - are as follows:

All - Heart of Life cover by I Fight Dragons. Original version is by John Mayer but the chiptune cover is just Hella.

Amber - Boats and Birds by Gregory and the Hawk It's symbolic for reasons

Kaden – Somewhere Only We Know by Lily Allen

Oliver - You are the Moon by the Hush Sound

Aria - Into the Woods by Cilla Jane

Pidge loves to read to the kids. When they're super little, she goes with stuff like Dr. Seuss and Shel Silverstein. As they get older, though, she does more lengthy books like the Warrior Cats series, The Chronicles of Narnia, and the Harry Potter Series. Keith will help with the dialogue for male characters while Pidge does the females and narration.

An added bit to the reading thing which I've made reference to in a fic before but wanted to take the time to further elaborate on here; Pidge develops little headbands for the kids to wear while she reads. It'll create the story in a small hologram and depict the events of the tale as the kids' see them. It focuses more the general ideas as they see it instead of the more minuscule, fine details. This is mostly because the kids views of certain things - fur pattern of a cat, color of a dress, etc - may differ and, thus, conflict.

They have a system for bedtime.

First, Pidge and Keith read to the kids before they start doing all the other stuff, all the kids gathered together in the living room with their parents. The kids get bathed every other night but two kids get bathed a night. Amber and Kaden take baths on the same nights, while Oliver and Aria take the same nights. Keith and Pidge take turns with who does what. If Keith bathes the kids, Pidge is responsible for getting them dressed and helping them brush their teeth, and vice versa. Pidge always tucks the kids into bed and turns their nightlight on for them before heading out of the room. Keith always sings to them when he comes in after to help them settle in further.

When the kids are still little beanie babies and in the bath, Pidge says the goofiest, cutest things to them.

*Pidge, gently rinsing Aria off.* “How do you feel now?” *Pauses for a whole second.* “Adorable.” *Said with a small, sassy head warble.*

*Aria giggles excitedly.*

*Pidge, grinning wide as she leans in closer to pick her up.* “And how do you look?” *Pauses for another whole second. “Super adorable!” *Said, again, with sassy head warble.*

*Aria squeals in delight.*

With Keith, he and the kids play elaborate games while they’re in the bath using their little toys. Like, they come up with entire backstories for it and probably spend way longer in the tub post-clean-up than necessary. One such instance involved Newt pretending to be Cthulhu and flooding half the bathroom with a splash and Keith’s pants with the splash he created. Pidge was a little bit displeased with this. Keith ended up having to clean the mess up with the wet pants still on.

So Homework!! They have a system for this too!!

The kids always do their homework at the kitchen table just to assure they it gets done and they don't goof off. They love their kids but they know what to expect from them. Keith helps them with History and English, Pidge takes Math and Science, and they alternate on Geography/ Social Studies/ Whatever the Hell they call it now. Since they also take turns on who makes dinner, they work the system as such: If Keith is making dinner, the kids work with Pidge on her respective subjects while he's cooking. After dinner, while Pidge does the dishes, Keith works on his respective subjects with them. And vice versa, obviously.

Most of the time, the kids will help out, too. They’ll help set the table and, depending on where they’re at with their homework, they’ll help with doing the dishes and putting away any leftovers.

The only night that homework isn't an immediate concern is Friday nights because weekend. Typically, though, the kids still fall in line with the schedule solely because they like having their weekend be stress free so they can go fuck shit up have a lot of fun.

They teach all the kids basic self-defense moves. Amber and Kaden are the only ones that take a vested interest in learning the art of fighting, though, so that becomes a way for those two to bond. Newt learns a decent amount for really dire situations but normally relies on his quick thinking in a fight. Aria doesn't remember jack from what she's taught because she never has a reason to use it. This is due to how she is a Too Smol Cinnamon Roll™ who would never want to fight anyone ever.

Additionally, over the weekend, they tend to do a variety of things from one-on-one kid stuff as well as family-centered things. Sunday nights are typically when they either watch a movie or play board games together.

Okay, now let's talk about the dynamics between each parent and the children individually!

Keith and Pidge each have something special that they only really do with each kid, one-on-one. This is because they want to make sure they know their kids and are close to them, so that way the kids know their parents are always there to support/help them, as well as to give them chances to open up to them if/ when they are facing struggles. It’s also because they want to make sure that the kids feel like they get equal care and attention from both their parents. I’m gonna start with Pidge, and go in birth order with each of the little Kidgelings.

Basically, Keith and Pidge are the kind of parents who, when they say they know what’s going on with their kids, they mean it. And not in the sense that they snoop or pry, but in an organic and respectful way that the kids feel comfortable coming to them about the mundane stuff as well as when a situation gets really challenging for them.

Pidge and Amber bond over B-Grade horror flicks. They love sitting and riffing on the effects, plot, characters, all of it. They’re favorites are Plan 9 from Outer Space, Killer Klowns from Outer Space, and both of the Birdemic films. They make sure to get plenty of snacks and drinks before they start their little movie marathons. They go with Butterfingers, Reese’s, Red Vines, and a bowl of popcorn with, strange as it may seem, chocolate syrup drizzled on top. They go with Dr. Pepper – or Cherry Dr. Pepper when they’re feeling a little different – for their drink of choice and settle in for a Mother-Daughter riff fest.

Pidge and Kaden bond over building small soapbox carts together. Kaden joins a little hobby racing group for kids and they hold frequent charity racing events. The club has a rule, though, that the child participants can only participate with soapbox carts they make themselves; with the help of a parent/ guardian, of course. Pidge, given her knowledge in regards to constructing technology and devices, is the perfect partner to help her son. Pidge actually clears a little area in her garage workshop and buys him a toolkit for his use only. She always takes her time and lets him do a majority of the hard work, serving more as a guiding hand, and Kaden adores getting the chance to gain some firsthand knowledge from his Mom about stuff like this.

Pidge and Newt bond over classic video games, which is to be expected, I think. Newt is the one whose interests and hobbies – for the most part – fall in line with Pidge’s own so they have the most ground to build on. In specific, he’s really intrigued by old game systems and video games from way before he was born. Pidge, being an avid collector, has a wide array for him to get a firsthand experience with. She likes watching him get angry when he gets stuck on puzzles in games and then try to whine at her to tell him the answer. How well-behaved he’s been between their gaming sessions determines how quickly she relents in giving him hints or tips to help him figure things out.

Pidge and Aria end up bonding over, interestingly enough, doing yoga together! One day, when Aria is about six, they’re picking Kaden up from his karate class and notice a flier for a Mommy-Daughter yoga class that one of the dance instructor’s is aiming to start. Aria gets really excited about the idea and asks if they can go, which Pidge agrees to because she can’t say no to one of her babies getting excited about participating in things. They have a blast getting to go to their weekly yoga sessions to get a bit of a workout and spend some one-on-one time for a good while, but then the instructor moves away and the class is cancelled. After that, Pidge invests in some yoga DVDs for at home so they can still do their work out together, using that as a guide.

Sometimes, when Aria notices that he isn’t busy, she’ll invite Kaden to join her and Pidge with their yoga session, since it’s a good way to unwind.

Keith and Amber bond over the great outdoors. I’ve always really kind of loved how Pidge isn’t very interested in nature despite being the Green Paladin, while Keith feels more at ease in those environments. Amber tends to lean towards siding with Keith in this regard. She really likes it when Keith lets her help him with the gardening and other yard work tasks. She loves getting to go out, slip on some gloves, and help Keith with pulling weeds or putting in a new type of plant. Keith teaches her all that he knows about plants and wilderness survival – because, come one. The dude lived in a rundown shack in the middle of the desert for at least one year. Homeboy has to have some decent wilderness survival skills – such as teaching her how to tell what kind of berries are safe to eat, how to use moss on a tree to navigate better, how to start a fire without a lighter/matches, etc.

Keith and Kaden bond over old mecha shows and building models of the mechs they see. I’ve always believed that Keith was a huge fan of giant robot and super sentai shows growing up, so when Kaden starts taking an interest in those kinds of things, he’s eager to encourage and engage in them with him. They’ll power through a whole series of Gundam over the course of a night or two, select their favorite two or three robots, and Keith will look into ordering the model kits for them to construct together. They take turns on who reads off the instructions and who does the actual assembly. So far, their favorites have been the original Mobile Suit Gundam that started the whole franchise and Gundam Wing. Their favorite builds are RX-78-2 Gundam and XXXG-01D Gundam Deathscythe. This hobby is somewhat similar to what he does with Pidge mostly because Kaden likes doing tasks that keep his hands busy.

Keith and Oliver bond over wildlife and animals in general. Remember in the last part where I mentioned that Keith ends up taking Oliver with them on the morning walks because of what a Lil Shit™ he is to Aria? When Keith takes him along, he gives him a little checklist of wildlife common on the path they take and tells him to put a little checkmark next to the name of each one he sees. After this, Oliver becomes greatly fascinated with the habits and differences of the wilderness around their home. Due to Keith having those previously-mentioned wilderness survival skills, he actually knows a lot about the animals so he can answer most questions Oliver has for him. Sometimes they’ll go to wildlife exhibits and museums to further their knowledge, or just go dink around in the wilderness near their house. This led to a time where Oliver located a few Rough-skinned newts in a pond and, knowing very little about them, snatched two up and took them over to show Keith. Fun thing about this type of newt; they release a toxin to deter predators. Keith hastily helped him put them back and, on the way to a nearby public restroom to thoroughly wash his hands clean of the toxins, he explained this to his son. After this, Oliver declared newts his favorite animals and the family gave him his infamous nickname: Newt.

Additionally, because Amber and Newt have somewhat similar interests, Keith will sometimes take them with him for a little one-night camping trip.

Keith and Aria bond over music, obvious as that is. Keith knows how to play the guitar and piano and has a decent set of pipes on him. Plus, he loves getting to sing the kids lullabies, too. Aria’s always been soothed by music and as she grows, so does her passion for the subject. Keith teaches her the piano and will take her to see musicals when they come into the area. Pidge teasingly calls them their “Daddy-Daughter Dates” because of how they’ll go out for dinner either before or after depending on what time the show is. For days afterwards, they’ll randomly burst out into duets of whatever their favorite songs from the show were. Of the shows they’ve been able to see, they’ve liked Wicked, Chicago, and Phantom of the Opera the best. Keith may also have a soft spot in him for Mamma Mia!; Pidge has heard him humming Dancing Queen more times than he’d like her to acknowledge, and teases him about it when she catches him.

Okay, now why don’t we actually talk about the Kidgelings themselves, hm? I’ll be going in birth order again because it’s easier. I may, however, jump around a little bit in this since I’ll try to talk about the relationships between the siblings.

So little Miss Amber Rose Kogane!

Let’s start with some superficial, trivial fun facts; Amber’s favorite color is peach, just like her baby blanket, but she also really likes dark green hues. Her favorite animals are giraffes and deer. Her favorite foods are anything pasta-related, but she’s especially fond of five-cheese lasagna and chicken alfredo. Since Nanny Collie is a master at Italian dishes, she’ll happily make these for the kids when they’re over, and later teaches Amber the family recipe when she’s older. Her favorite desserts are anything mint-flavored, much like Keith. The two of them will often share bowls of mint chocolate chip ice cream together. Her favorite candies are Reese’s and Butterfinger bars. Since they’re the same as Pidge, she’ll often share them with her Momma.

Amber is a snarky, headstrong and confident little thing. She’s quick with a quip or jab at anyone who tries to antagonize her or her siblings. Also, she’s as stubborn as a mule. She will happily get into knock-down drag-out fights with other people – of both the physical and verbal variety – when she knows she’s right. And that, right there, is the big thing about her; Amber will fight tooth and nail when she knows that she is in the right.

Amber is often seen as being a bit arrogant by some of the other kids at school, but really it’s just that she’s confident, self-assured, and brave to the extent that it’s borderline suicidal. Guess which parent she gets that from. She’s learned something significant from both of her parents that have a huge hand in shaping her. From Pidge, she learns to be proud of what she’s good at while working hard at areas where she falls short. From Keith, she learns when to choose her battles, but also that when she chooses to pick the fight, she should see it through; regardless of if she wins or loses.

Her parents are firm with her that they don’t approve of fighting, but they’re also not naïve enough to think that conflict won’t happen sometimes. They were Paladins of Voltron fighting the Galra Empire. They know what it means to be placed in a situation where fighting back may be the only conflict-resolution that yields any kind of meaningful results. So, while they make sure that Amber understands that non-hostile approaches should always be her first approach, they do take the time to make sure that she has the necessary skills to take care of herself if/ when she needs to handle an escalated situation.

They teach all the kids this lesson, but Amber’s the one who tends to need to have a refresher on it most often because she just can’t stop herself sometimes. Amber Rose Kogane lives to fight.

Her tendency towards conflict ends up working well in her favor once she starts taking on extracurricular activities at school. She joins the soccer, volleyball, and track and field teams at school, as well as taking fencing classes and gymnastic courses outside of that. She always liked how good Keith was with a blade, but she finds the rapiers that fencers use to be a bit more suited to her, given that she’s a petite and zippy build. Engaging in somewhat competitive and physically draining hobbies helps to temper her out quite a bit as she gets older. She’s still a bit of an impulsive right-fighter, but she gets a lot better about assessing a situation before she starts in on the smug commentary.

In regards to her relationships with her siblings, she’s probably the closest with Kaden, but she does get along really well with Newt and Aria too. Well, except when Newt’s being an antagonistic lil’ shit; then she puts on her Big Sis Breeches and reminds him how the pecking order works. She and Kaden like to spare together in regards to both fisticuffs and practicing with blades; while being supervised by an adult, of course. Sometimes Newt will come into her room while she’s doing homework and just sit with her, working on some project of his own at the desk she never uses, music playing and the two of them just enjoying some quiet company. Amber and Aria have the least common ground, but the older Kogane definitely has a soft spot for her baby sister, listening to her prattle about the latest bit of gossip within her friend group and offering advice on how to hopefully diffuse the social situation.

Ironically enough, Amber’s really good at thinking of peaceful solutions to conflicts that don’t directly involve her. Not so good at the practicing what she preaches thing, though.

Amber takes her position as the oldest very seriously; though, sometimes, this leads to her butting heads with the others more than she should. Amber tends to be a bit of a nosy busybody, so if she thinks that something’s up with one of her siblings, she’s gonna shove her nose into their business. More times than not, though, once she knows what’s up, she’ll keep quiet and just kind of keep tabs on them. If she thinks they need her help, she’ll intervene. If she thinks it’s outside of her pay wage, she’ll drop subtle hints to Keith and Pidge that something is up. Typically they already noticed, but they appreciate her concern regardless.

While her abrasive attitude makes her a bit difficult to get along with, Amber does have a small group of friends; most of them being boys. The two she’s closest with are Alfor, the oldest of Lance and Allura’s kids, and Richter, Hunk and Shay’s son. Richter tries to be the voice of reason in their little gaggle but, sadly, tends to get ignored a lot when they’re really young. As they get older, though, Amber really values having him as her friend because he can help to keep her from picking needless fights. She and Alfie are kind of like frenemies and, because of this, the “legendary rivalry” between Keith and Lance lives again.

Only this time, the involved Kogane is an active and willing participant with just as much sass as her opponent.

Hunk’s heart goes out to his son, because he’s been there.

One time, when they were playing hide-and-seek at the park, Alfor accidentally broke Amber’s nose. For the game, they made up only three simple rules; you can’t move from your location once you hide, you can’t hide in any of the family cars, and you can’t hide in the bathroom. Amber was it and had found everyone except him.

“Okay, where could he be?” *Amber grumbling, hand son her hip, glaring around angrily.*

“I thought I saw him heading towards the bathroom!” *Patrick, another one of the kids in their rag-tag grade-schooler gang, chimed in.*

“Are you kidding me? Well, Prince of Dorktea just signed himself up as being it next since he broke the stinkin’ rules!” *Amber, furious, marching her way over to the bathrooms*

“But Amber, that’s are the boy’s restroom! You can’t go in there!” *Richter, fretful and reasonable as always.*

*Amber turns, walking backwards towards the little bathroom hut.* “Yeah, and he went in there specifically to try and cheat to win! If he thinks I’m gonna let him win, he’s got another thing coming!”

“Oh man, she’s gonna give it to him good!” *Curtis, another one of their friends, states with a laugh. He then starts jogging after her.* “Come on! We gotta see this!”

*Cue the small group of Richter, Patrick, Curtis, Kaden, and another kid in their group, Monty, pattering along with her. The other boys are all giggly and giddy because they think Amber and Alfor’s fights are funny. Richter has a Bad Feeling™.*

*Amber marches in and looks down at the bottom of the stalls, seeing a set of electric blue and black sneakers scuffing up the cement flooring in the second stall.* “Alfor, you big cheat! Get out here and take your turn being it!” *She begins pounding on the door to add emphasis to her point.*

*There’s a quiet shift and suddenly the shoes are gone.*

“I already saw your feet, dingus! Standing on the toilet isn’t gonna help you none!”

“Go away or I’m gonna tell your Mom and Dad you went into the boy’s room!”

*Cue all the other kids – sans Richter - letting out a scandalized ‘Oooohhhhh!’*

“Go ahead! I’ll just tell your Mom and Dad that you were cheating!”

*Cue another round of jeers from the Peanut Gallery.*

*Alfor suddenly throws the door open with way more force than necessary, causing it to fly full-force into Amber and knocking her flat on her back.* “Don’t you dare, you dirty-! Hey, where’d she-?” *He starts, then pauses when she isn’t there, and looks around. His eyes get really wide when he sees her as she rolls onto her side and starts to push herself upright.* “Uh, A-Amber, are you-?”

“You friggin’ jerk! What’d you do that for?” *Amber turns to face him, scowling and furious with a few tears prickling her eyes, not realizing that her nose is now gushing blood. She reaches up to wipe at her eyes then freezes when her fingers come back bloody. Slowly lifts her head to look at the other kids, who are now pale and aghast, then glares over at Alfor.* “I am so telling on you!”

*The other boys scatter immediately, darting off to avoid being included in the backlash that’ll most certainly come from the grown-ups. Kaden rushes over to Pidge, Keith, Allura and Lance, who are settled at a picnic table talking. Aria is napping in her stroller while Newt is on the swings with Krolia, who they all call Nana Olia. The little guy is shrieking and wailing like mad as he approaches, causing all the adults to go into Panic Mode. Pidge and Keith dart over, meeting him halfway, and Pidge scoops him up.*

“Kaden, baby, what’s wrong? What happened? What hurts?” *Pidge, trying to remain calm, but her tone just a bit urgent and frantic.*

*He’s way too distressed to understand but they at least manage to get “Amber” and “bad owie” out of it. Keith starts to look around for her, glancing over at the playground equipment and swings to see if she’s there, and then towards the little soccer field since sometimes Patrick will bring a ball and they’ll play out there.*

*And then, when his eyes swipe back towards the direction Kaden came from, Amber has trotted up, still scowling, blood having started to stain the front of her shirt, little arms crossed over her chest.* “Dad, Mom, Alfor is a stupid jerk who cheats and then he went and did this to me!” *She points at her still-steadily bleeding nose.*

Keith nearly has a heart attack. Pidge is absolutely livid. The McClain’s lay the law down something fierce with Alfie once he stops hiding in the bathroom.

This isn’t the last time that any of the Kidgelings get hurt pretty bad and Ho Boi does Amber give them another more severe bout of heart attacks about injuries in the future but it is the first time it happens and it freaks them both out something fierce.

Pretty early on into her pre-teen years, when all her classmates are starting to get past the concept of cooties and start to develop attractions to their peers, Amber reveals that she’s not attracted to boys. She is, though, attracted to other girls. She’d always sort of known because she never really thought any of her friends were cute but there were tons of girls in her classes that she thought were cute, she just never really thought much about it when she was younger. Keith and Pidge are both absolutely supportive and accepting of her sexuality, telling her that she’s their baby girl and they’d love her regardless of her sexual orientation. She also talks a lot about it with Uncle Shiro, since he’s openly gay and happily married at this point.

*Amber, shrugging off her backpack and flopping face down on the couch with a loud groan when she comes home from school.*

*Shiro perks up, pouring himself a cup of coffee since he was over visiting.* “Hey there, Ber-Ber. How was school?”

“Beatrice friggin’ Hollinger!” *She lifts her head just long enough to be heard shouting this before flopping back down.*

“Oh, she’s the cute red-head on the volleyball team with you, right?”

*Another long, drawn-out groan from Amber.*

“Come in here with me. I’ll make you a glass of chocolate milk and you can tell Uncle Shiro all about it, my poor Padawan.”

I’ll elaborate much more on these two in another post I’m planning to make *cough IhaveanaskthisfitsbetterinthatI’mstillpreparing cough* so look forward to more information about that there.

On to baby number two; Kaden Ethan Kogane!

So the fun trivial facts with the little guy! Kaden’s favorite colors are any shade of red and any shade of orange, kind of like the predominant hues of a sunrise. His favorite animals are moose, thanks to his dear friend Bob, and he also really loves fennec foxes. His favorite food is anything with meat and, additionally, he really likes artichokes. His favorite desserts are snicker doodle and gingerbread cookies; he loves things that have a bit of spice and kick to them. This is more something he gets from Pappy Sam, so whenever he goes over to visit them, Nanny Collie will make a little platter of cookies for them to share. His favorite candies are anything with dark chocolate, though he also really loves dark chocolate raisins. Keith is also fond of the chocolate raisins and the two will snack on them together.

Kaden may not be the oldest since Amber became an official member of the family roster, but that doesn’t really change much about him. He’s still a very noble little dude who will eagerly throw down for the greater good of those he cares about. He’s a bit more on the reserved side, his appearance not being the only thing that he got from Keith in this regard, but he’s also quick as a whip like his Momma. He, much like Amber, has also inherited the hot-headed tendencies of both their parents, and with him it’s also paired with a pretty short temper – which is quite a bit longer for members of his family - and is even quicker to launch into Fight Mode than his sister. He and Amber are similar in this vein, which is probably another reason why they’ve got such a close bond, but they are a bit different in how they go about it.

He is better than Amber about going for help to the proper authority, but when he does get pushed to his breaking point he hits a lot harder for a lot longer than Amber does. I’ve addressed it a handful of times before in at least two separate fics, but he doesn’t mess around when it comes to the safety of his siblings and friends. Additionally, because of what Kaden’s seen happen with Newt and Aria, he feels very strongly about bullies. While Amber will go to bat for her siblings and her close personal friends, Kaden tends to be a bit more of a vigilante of freedom for his peers in general. If he sees someone getting roughed up by a bully, he’ll square up with the bully and get them to step off.

He also, however, reminds the people being bullied that they need to make sure they speak out to the grown-ups about what’s going on. In some cases, where the bullied student has reached out to teachers but gotten no help, Kaden will teach them the strictly defensive techniques he knows so they can at least protect themselves when he isn’t around. Keith and Pidge don’t necessarily agree with his approach, but they also can’t say they’re angry that he’s trying to help other kids that need it.

As I’ve mentioned somewhere before, he’s the biggest cuddle bug of all the Kidgelings. All the kids like to get paid some attention and affection from their parents, sure, but Kaden? Getting snuggled is his jam. Even as he gets a little older and starts going to school, he’ll sometimes just walk over to Pidge and, without a word, just hold his arms out. She immediately pauses in whatever she’s doing to scoop him up for hug and, until he gets too big for it, she’ll just kind of carry him around like he’s a koala bear on a tree.

Much like Amber, Kaden ends up participating in a few sports teams as well. He joins the soccer – because he wants to be like his big sis – and baseball teams. Outside of that, he joins the little hobby racer group that I mentioned before, and signs up for martial arts classes. He really enjoys participating in the tournaments and getting to test his skills against equally skilled opponents.

As for his bonds with his siblings, as I mentioned, he and Amber are the closest due to their sparing and shared interest in sports. She’ll give him tips and tricks in regards to soccer techniques, showing him how to balance the ball on his head and such. He tends to be the Newt Wrangler as they grow older just because he likes trying to help with keeping things together and take some of the weight off of his parents. This, however, doesn’t mean that he and Newt don’t occasionally get into dumb shenanigans together, because they do; stealing Garrison ships, doing stupid Jackass-style stunts, etc. He and Aria get along pretty good and he’s rather protective of her. Sometimes when he’s working on homework he’ll go join her while she’s practicing her piano or cello because he likes the quiet background noise as he works, and sometimes he’ll know the song she’s trying to play and will hum along to help her figure out where she may be making a mistake in the tune.

Because of his position as a Pillar of Justice, Kaden has a ridiculous amount of admirers, but only a handful of really close personal friends. Part of this is because he really likes hanging out with Amber and the bigger kids she rolls with. Amber lets him because he can keep up with them and she’s a good big sis who likes to let her siblings be included. Outside of that, he also has six friends of his own that he’s close with that are in his own grade. His group and Amber’s eventually just kind of becomes a Frankenstein-like cluster of kids doing goofy stuff.

I’ll elaborate on this more in the next part, but I wanted to at least touch a bit on this relationship. Lance and Allura have a daughter about the same age as Kaden named Raya. The kids are more mutual acquaintances who look after one another because of their parents/ siblings being friends. This is because they have wildly different personalities/ interests/ and having skewed opinions of one another; Raya sees him as an impulsive reclusive meat-head and Kaden sees her as a loud-mouthed spoiled brat. Unlike Amber and Alfor, who have developed The Frenemiship for the Ages, they opt to just leave well enough alone and run in their opposing circles. The only times they interact is when they’re forced to, and even then the worst they do is a smack-talking session.

Well, until one incident, in specific, where he, his friends, Newt and Aria are playing with a ball and it gets stuck up high in a big oak tree in the Kogane backyard. Raya’s over because Allura is visiting with Keith, but she’s just sitting on the back porch flipping through one of those pre-teen magazines.

*Kaden, staring up at the tree, where the ball is teetering on a limb that’s shaped like a really small wishbone.* “Really? Dude, Emmett, we told you not to kick it so hard!”

*Emmett, one of Kaden’s friends, holds both his hands up defensively.* “Hey, it’s not my fault! You know that I’m a straight beast when it comes to this kind of stuff!”

“Oh, is that what they call it?” *Clyde, another of the group, snorts lightly.*

“Come at me, scrub lord. I’m ripped.” *Emmett, dead serious, staring the other kid down.*

“I’ll go get the Frisbee from the front yard. We can play with that instead!” *Aria, trying to be helpful, before scampering off.*

*Newt points to the other side of the house.* “We could go get the ladder. I think Dad left it over there after he checked that loose panel on the roof.”

“Nah, I got this.” *Kaden says before starting to hoist himself up into the tree.*

“Dude, that thing is way up there. I don’t think you’ve ever climbed up that high before.” *Levi, another member of the group, adds.*

“Just means it’s a new accomplishment I can add to my list of achievements.”

*The other boys all cheer him on as he continues to climb up, making sure to grab the branches closest to where they connect to the tree, since that’s where they’re sturdiest. He makes it all the way up to where the ball is at and, with a quick pivot of his body, manages to grab it. He turns and holds it above his head as his friends cheer louder. It’s at this moment, though, that the branch that he was holding snaps and he goes plummeting to the ground below.*

*And when he hits, he hits hard. And there’s a very distinct snapping sound when he does.*

*The other boys crowd around him as he lays there, the wind knocked out of him and blinking to try and ground himself. They’re all talking super-fast and asking him way too many questions for him to think straight.*

“Back up, now! Give him space, you lug heads!” *He hadn’t even heard Raya approach until she was right there, but he kind of appreciates her. She kneels beside him and looks him over, then lets out a small hiss.* “Newt, go get your Dad. Tell him that Kaden’s arm is really hurt and he’s gonna need to go to the hospital.”

“W-What do you-!” *Newt starts to argue, then pales when he sees a sliver of white sticking out of his brother’s skin. He turns on his heels and tears off for the house.* “Dddddddaaaaaaaaaaaaddddddddd!”

*Kaden moves to sit up and Raya helps him, keeping him from using his hurt arm to try and prop himself up. Meanwhile, his three friends are freaking out.* “Oh man! Oh geez! We’re gonna be in so much trouble!”

“Why would any of us get in trouble? Kaden was the one that went up there!”

“None of us tried to stop him, though!”

“Uh, speak for yourself! I totally tried to!”

“You’re so full of crap, Levi!”

*As they prattle on, the pain starts to register for Kaden and his eyes lock on his injury. His breathing starts to escalate and he looks ready to start freaking out.*

*Raya’s eye has started to twitch and she glares up at his friends.* “If you three want to do something helpful, then shut your mouths! You’re only making things worse!” *She watches the trio for a moment and then, upon them all falling silent, she turns her attention back to Kaden.* “Take deep, steady breathes, okay? Here, watch me and do as I do. In, nice and slow, and then out, nice and slow. In, out. In, out.” *She’s extremely soft and patient with him, taking the time to make him focus on her instead of his busted arm. She then briefly looks up at his friends.* “You can join in, too, if you want to calm down.”

*The other three do, picking up on the rhythm as well. She keeps this up until Keith comes running out, Newt and Allura not far behind. Keith is aghast and gently pulls Kaden to him, reassuring him that an ambulance is on the way, and carries him through the house to the front yard. Allura instructs the other boys to head back to their houses, and ushers Raya and the other Kidgelings inside so she can look over them. Thankfully, it isn’t a long wait for the ambulance and Keith and Kaden are ushered in. The EMT in the back carefully settles Kaden on the gurney they have and starts getting him all settled. She ends up having to reset the bone, and warns both he and Keith of how bad that’s gonna feel.*

*She lets out a small whistle once he’s settled back down a bit from having the bone reset.* “You did a pretty clean break on this, huh, buddy?” *She’s polite yet playful in her words.*

“I-Is that b-b-bad?” *Kaden sniffles, starting to get worried at her words.*

“Not at all! This typically means it’ll heal faster!” *She then carefully picks up a alcohol wipe and begins clearing off the blood and the cut.* “How’d this end up happening, if you don’t mind telling?”

“I-I was climbing a t-tree to get our ball back.”

“Oh yeah? What game were you playing?”

“Kickball.”

“That’s a really fun game! Is it one of your favorites?”

“Y-Yeah. I’m really good at it, too.”

*The EMT keeps him chatting the whole ride to the hospital, which helps him calm down a lot. This experience sticks with him for a long time afterwards.*

After he gets home with his cast, he thanks Raya for her help. She shrugs and tells him that it was the right thing to do. He decides not to press her or ask how she knew that’d help, and offers to let her be the first person to sign his cast. Excluding his Dad, since Keith signed it at the hospital once his heart palpitations settled down.

Now that we’ve got the older two down, let’s get down to the third musketeer, Oliver Maxwell Kogane, A.K.A. Newt! With his facts, I kind of jumped around a bit so it doesn’t quite follow the same structure I had for Amber and Kaden, but hopefully it’ll all still make sense!

I’m still going to start with the trivia nonsense, though. Newt’s favorite color is blues, regardless of the hue or shade of it. He just thinks it’s a super mellow, calming color. He doesn’t actually have any specific favorite animal, despite what he said when he found the newts. He loves all animals, though he does admittedly have a soft spot for canines and amphibians. His favorite foods are pizza and garlic bread, all day every day. His favorite desserts are banana cream pie and carrot cake. This is something he actually gets from Keith’s dad, which immediately endears Nana Olia to him and she’ll occasionally treat him to one of them. He’s not really fond of any specific candy bar and likes all of them pretty even; he does, however, adore having ants-on-a-log as a tasty treat. Pidge is always willing and able to make these for him and enjoy a few with him.

Newt is a smart little trouble maker who marches to the beat of his own drum, leaning towards being a bit more interested in more in-door hobbies like video games or reading for the most part. He’s incredibly curious, eager to learn and, once you get to know him, he can be a really caring little guy. He, however, doesn’t suffer fools gladly and he has a very forward approach to sharing his own opinion; this is not helped by the fact that he is A Notorious Shit Talker. He has very little grasp or regard for social graces or tact when it comes to correcting someone about something. This isn’t due to him not caring about other people’s feelings, though, but because he himself would rather people tell him honestly when he does something stupid. He probably gets this from watching his Momma break down some of the Garrison officials she works with when they try to correct or dismiss her.

In regards to his relationship with his siblings, he’s the textbook-definition of a little brother in regards to Amber and Kaden. They all get on well enough but sometimes Newt just has to go and poke the bear, just because his brother and sister get So Extra when they’re angry. He and Amber find more common ground through the camping trips with Keith, as they grow to admire and respect each other’s respective nature knowledge. He and Kaden play video games together, as well as the aforementioned Jackass-style shenanigans and other highly illegal typical boy-stuffs; these are normally ideas from Newt, modified by Kaden and his friends, and then put into action by the older boys while Newt stands off to the side and observes. He insists that this is for someone to see the science behind their stunts; he is a liar. As for his relationship with Aria, he remains a constant source of antagonistic behavior towards her up until the point they start going to school. He starts to back down and will actually humor her games more often than not, and sometimes he’ll let her play his video games with him. As they get older, though, they get much closer, but I’ll elaborate on that later.

The way he is perceived by his peers’ causes two assumptions about who he is to become prevalent among his classmates; that he’s either a total jerk, or a bratty know-it-all. The second interpretation is typically what leads to him getting bullied as often as he does, and the first is why people don’t normally speak out on his behalf; and, furthermore, the situations aren’t helped remotely by the fact that Newt has a mouth that tends to write a lot of checks his sorry tail can’t actually cash. Kaden and Amber are always willing and eager to stand up for him, but as he gets older, it starts to bother and really hurt Newt how none of his classmates are willing to do the same. Regardless of if they like him or not, they should be speaking out because what’s being done to him is wrong, right?

Hey, know who we haven’t talked about a lot? Resident Good Boi Cosmo!

Because of his issues in dealing with humans and his interest in wildlife, Newt actually ends up being really good with animals in general; especially Cosmo, who is his most favorite animal in the whole known universe. And, I mean, can you blame him? Cosmo is basically just a Pokémon brought to life! He’s ridiculously attached to the cosmic wolf, and the feeling seems to be mutual. 9 times out of 10, Cosmo’ll sleep in Newt’s room with him, and if Newt’s just chilling on the couch stooging out, he’ll jump up and plop his head in the kid’s lap from some ear-scritches.

One time, Newt proclaimed that Cosmo was his best friend because he liked Newt just the way he was and never got mad at him for saying something harsh. It broke Keith’s heart two-fold; on one hand, he was glad that his son cared so much about the family wolf, but on the other hand it hurt to know that the other kids weren’t willing to give him the chance to befriend them.

Because of his actually tender heart, Newt has a bad habit of finding abandoned animals and trying to bring them home. Keith and Pidge will typically keep the animal for a night or two before taking them to the local shelter where they can get proper treatment and a good home; in the case of wildlife like rabbits and such, they’ll take them to a nature preserve. Every time Newt begs them to let him keep the animals but for the longest time Pidge and Keith are concerned that he’s just too young for the responsibility that would come with a pet.

That changes shortly after his ninth birthday. Pidge notices that someone’s been sneaking out some of the leftovers at night. She also notices that one of the pails that she occasionally uses to drain fluids when she works on Keith’s bike – which he still occasionally uses – or some new engine block she herself is building, as well as some of the old tattered up towels she kept in case of a big spill, are also missing. She has an idea of who is doing it – as well as why – but it takes her an extra day or two after she pieces it together to catch him in the act. She spots him sneaking out the back door, into the backyard, and watches him carefully scale the fence, tossing his messenger bag over before doing so.

And, because she’s gonna get an answer, she follows after him.

*Newt creeps over to a large tree in the small forest area behind their house, tossing the flab back on his bag.* “I’m sorry I’m late. I know you don’t like to be left alone for very long. But I brought you some treats! I even got some leftover bones with some meat and gristle on’em for the steak we had last night!” *He kneels down and rummages through the bag, pulling out an aluminum foil bundle.*

*A quiet little whine is heard from whatever he’s talking to as he fishes a bone out and carefully offers it to it.*

“I also brought some stuff to try and get those ouchies you have a bit cleaner. I’m pretty sure hydrogen peroxide is safe for dogs. And, I mean, Neosporin should be fine, too, I think? I looked in to it and all the sources I found said that it’ll be good. I mean, not as good as the actual stuff that vets use, but at least this way maybe it’ll hurt a little less for now.”

*Pidge carefully creeps up behind him to get a better look at the dog in question. There, stretched out on the towels, is this mottled little mutt pup. Can’t be older than six, maybe seven, months, judging by how small it is. The little thing is mostly light grey but has little cloud-like splotches of tan-orange and white spots all over. In specific, she notices there are two tan-orange spots right above it’s big brown eyes. It’s left ear looks pretty ragged, with a good chunk taken out of it. The cut is too smooth to be an injury from another animal, though, which is a bit distressing. Additionally, there are some marks on its hind quarters and tail like it got clawed up by something. The pup lifts it’s head and stares at Pidge, letting out this quiet little rumble, trying to be threatening.*

*Newt cocks his head at the puppy.* “What’s wrong, buddy? Do you see something?” *He turns and then freezes when he sees her.* “Mom…”

“Hey, buddy. Wanna introduce me to your friend?” *She makes sure to be calm, betraying nothing, as she indicates the pooch with a tilt of her head.*

*He looks at her and then back at the pup, his shoulders slumping but still reaching out to lightly scratch behind the little guy’s good ear.* “You’re gonna call the shelter to take him, aren’t you?”

*Pidge watches him for a moment, shifting to kneel beside him. She slowly offers her hand to the pup, who sniffs before giving her fingers a timid lick. She smiles a bit. The little guy is highly apprehensive, and has seen a lot of awful things, but he clearly trusts and cares about Newt.* “Did you name him?”

“I like calling him Smog, because of how his spots look like puffs of smoke.” *Newt’s voice cracks a bit and his eyes get a little watery, already anticipating the heartache of letting him go.*

*Pidge takes a deep breath before pulling out her phone, dialing a number, and waiting as it rings. She reaches out and gently rubs between his shoulders with her free hand but he doesn’t relax at all, staying focused on his furry friend.*

“Hey. I was just about to call; where’d you go?” *Keith, sounding a bit confused.*

“Sorry, I just needed to check something out. You’re not busy right now, right?” *She hums, trying to keep the smile off her face as Newt jerks to attention at hearing his dad on the other end.*

“Nah, just finished verifying the budget Adwru sent me. Why?”

“Can you do me a favor, and make sure the back of the van is cleared out? We need to make a trip to Dr. Valencia and I want to make sure Smog is comfy.”

*Newt’s eyes get wide at the mention of the doctor, as he’s the vet they take Cosmo to.*

“Wait, Dr. Valencia? Smog?”

“I promise I’ll explain everything in a bit, but can you just make sure the van’s ready?”

“Need me to call Dr. Valencia, too?”

“No, I can get that. Thanks, babe.”

*The minute she hangs up Newt throws himself at her, hugging her and saying “Thank you” over and over. She smiles and gently kisses the top of his head, giving him a squeeze back. After he’s a bit calmer, she calls Dr. Valencia’s office and they agree to take them in once they get there. Smog doesn’t have any damage to his paws, so he can walk just fine, and he pads along beside Newt like a little duckling.*

“Now, Newt, I want you to understand that you’re gonna be responsible for him. You’ll need to train him, and feed him, and you’ll need to make sure that he doesn’t mess with his scrapes and stuff, okay? This is a big responsibility, but I think you’re ready for it.”

“I will! I’m gonna take really good care of Smog!” *He’s absolutely giddy, the happiest she’s seen him in a while. It’s clear that she’s just made his whole year and she can’t help but be incredibly glad. She likes it better when her kids are happy.*

She explains everything to Keith when they get home and, after taking a look at the little guy, he agrees that they can keep him; he does, however, state that in exchange for keeping him, Newt’s not allowed to beg them to keep any other injured animals he might find. In the end, turns out that Smog is, indeed, only six months old. The injuries on his flank and tail, Dr. Valencia surmises, are most likely from getting caught under a fence trying to get away from wherever he was before. He has to wear the Cone of Shame for a while, to avoid him biting at them as they heal, but Newt is attentive to looking after him, just like he promised.

Once he’s well enough, Newt starts working on training him, and he includes Cosmo in it. Cosmo had been mostly ambivalent to the other canine when he arrived but had been a bit stand-offish with how much attention Newt was lavishing the little pup with at first. Once Smog’s all clear, Newt makes sure to give them as equal amounts of attention as he possibly can, and he includes Cosmo in Smog’s training so that he doesn’t feel ignored. He’ll have Cosmo do a specific trick a couple times – and receive pets and treats for his good examples – and then try to get Smog to copy him. Training Smog takes some time, but Pidge and Keith are floored by how diligent and patient their son is with his new pet. When he said he was going to take good care of the pooch, he meant it.

Once he has Smog and Cosmo to look after, he starts to do a bit better about coming out of his shell and interacting with other people more. He takes both dogs with him to a nearby dog park on the weekends and, through this, he makes friends with some of the other doggy parents over their shared status as animal lovers; a few of which are actually in his class and allows them to finally see past their own preconceived notions about him. Keith thinks he might have had mild social anxiety due to his bullying that is quelled a bit by having a point to better branch out and forge friendships through.

Now, in regards to Newt’s social life, he’s always been included by Amber and Kaden’s friends, but he never really considered them his friends. He always just felt like they were his siblings’ friends and they were just humoring him. Additionally, he always did have one friend in Hunk and Shay’s daughter, Morganite, but this was another friendship that he always thought was kind of forced by their parents. In all actuality, Morganite actually really admires Newt’s intelligence and willingness to so openly speak his mind; while she isn’t as timid and easily-unnerved as her older brother, Richter, she is a much more docile sort.

As Newt’s social circle expands to friends of his own, independent of his siblings, he realizes that she really is a great friend and actually apologizes for ever thinking less. She happily accepts and the two just kinda fall into their usual routine of amicable silence with the occasional break for playful banter.

In regards to additional activities Newt ends up participating in, he joins the local scout troop for a whooping two days before realizing that there’s a lot more outside to the activities than research on animals. He’ll occasionally refer to himself as an ex-scout, which results in Kaden making teasing comments about how quickly he was dispatched. Aside from that, he ends up helping out at the local shelter as often as he can, joins the Yearbook Committee, and ends up on the Debate Club. The only problem with the Debate Club is how verbally vicious he gets when proving someone wrong; despite this, the school still lets him compete because he’s their star team member.

There’s this one kid, named Zane, on the other top team that he can’t stand, because the kid is so pompous and arrogant and thinks he’s unbeatable. One time, at a match against Zane and his team, he showed up wearing a shirt with writing in Galra on it. He proudly informed both Zane and the referee that it said, “Dear Zane, Your mother wishes she swallowed you.”

Pidge thinks it’s hilarious. Keith gives not only him, but Nana Olia, a lecture about sportsmanship and respect. This is not the last time Keith has to direct this lecture at his youngest son.

That’s a wrap on him! Now let’s get on to the resident songbird, Aria Emma Kogane!

So, what kind of goofy trivia do we have on this girlie? She loves all colors but she specifically loves pastel hues of anything. Her favorite animals are tigers and bats, but she says that Muffin is her most favorite animal in the whole wide world. Her favorite foods are chicken wraps and pork chops. Her favorite dessert is rice crispy treats with chocolate drizzled on top. She shares this soft spot with Nanny Collie and loves getting to make them with her. Her favorite candies are Red Vines, which is something she actually has in common with Great Uncle Coran.

In regards to personality, Aria is an absolute heel-turn for the family. Where her siblings and parents are both vocal and strong personalities, she tends to air a bit more on the timid, modest side of things; at least when you first get to know her, anyway. Once she’s comfortable with you, or you ask her the right first question, she’ll be more than happy to talk your ears off. She inherits the excited rambling from the Holt side of the family, obviously. Additionally, she’s incredibly sociable and extremely transparent about her feelings. When she’s upset, everyone knows it and, depending on the severity of her distress, it can take quite a while to get her to cheer back up. Being the youngest, she tends to get a bit more coddled by not only their parents, but her siblings as well.

Excluding Newt, of course, but we’re gonna put a pin in that fact for now.

Her preference towards pacifism tends to make her a target for bullies, for the opposite reasoning as with Newt. The kids that go after Aria do so because they expect no retaliation; and, if they choose to bully her away from the watchful eyes of any of her siblings, they’ll typically get away with it. She really hates conflict and violence, and she dislikes making any of her siblings upset. She knows that telling them about what’s going on with her will only make them mad and lead to big fights between them and her bullies, so she typically tries to keep her mouth shut. Despite being bullied every so often, Aria gets along with most of the kids she goes to school with. Most of her bullies are bigger kids looking for easy targets, so she’s able to find solidarity and companionship with some of the other younger kids that get the same treatment.

As she gets older, her opinion and approach to conflict changes a bit, but that’ll be something else to remember for later times.

She’s an incredibly creative kid, with a vast imagination and a deep passion for the finer nuances of playing dress-up. She’ll create intricate, elaborate backstories for all her stuffed animals before the start of every play session and, as implied before, she takes it very seriously. Whenever a member of the family gets roped into playing with her, she’ll give them the full run down of all the specifics behind the inner workings of the stories she has crafted into one another. It’s a little exasperating, but her family also finds it incredibly endearing. Her favorite game to play is Detective Fairy Princess Aria, working as a magical detective with the help of her faithful dinosaur partner, Deputy Muffin.

Aria, much like the rest of the family, has quite a lot of smarts that she makes use of in the most bizarre of instances. One time, she used two devices Pidge invented – one being a device that magnified the gravitational pull of whatever it was attached to, and a small gun that fired a spider web-esque material – to trap Newt under a spare laundry bin and stick Kaden to the ceiling during a game of play-pretend. Her brothers were absolutely gob smacked. Her parents and sister were rather impressed. Additionally, she has perfect pitch and can much more easily adjust her own singing to match, as well as being very skilled at picking up new languages as she gets older. Before the age of twelve, she’s well-versed in French and Italian, dabbles in a little bit of Galran, and really wants to start learning Spanish.

In regards to her musical prowess, she learns how to play piano from Keith, as well as taking an interest in the cello. Due to her having perfect pitch, she learns how to tune her instrument by ear pretty quickly so she can practice much easier at home. She loves taking the time to tinker with the tuning and correct the sound of her cello, then losing herself in practicing her sheet music. She also likes to practice her pieces for the choir as well.

In regards to extra-curricular activities, Aria ends up going into orchestra and choir, as predictable as those are. She also, however, ends up joining the drama club and cheer-leading squad once she gets to middle school. Participating in these helps get her out of her shell, making her more confident, and makes her significantly more outgoing. She ends up being in the top-ranking choir the school has and auditions for any solo that she can so she can test her skills. She also enjoys participating in the drama club productions, but she tends to audition more for secondary roles just because she’s a little less confident in her acting chops compared to her singing pipes; she will, however, audition for the lead in the cases of them doing a musical.

So, her relationship with her siblings! I know I’ve already talked about it with all the other kids, but I want to keep talking about it here because, as I’ve already established, I have no self-control. She goes to Amber a lot for advice about her friends and such as she gets older and, in her younger years, Amber will occasionally indulge in her elaborate games of pretend. Aria and Kaden have an incredibly close bond, with the two of them able to enjoy one another’s companionable silence. Once she starts getting more interested in her drama club activities, he’ll also help her most often with her line-reads. She and Newt have a strange relationship up until two specific points; Newt starting to develop more friendships due to his having both Cosmo and Smog, and Aria becoming more self-confident due to her musical performances.

The triggering event for their dynamics chance occurs during a weekend where the kids are left home alone while Keith and Pidge are out of town for their wedding anniversary. They leave Amber in charge as a test, since the kids have been insisting that they can handle themselves without the need of a babysitter. The kids are 17, 14, 12 and 10 respectively. From the moment they’re gone, however, Kaden and Newt take to being absolutely terrorists. They refuse to listen to any of the rules in place, or take Amber seriously when she tries to rein them in. This all comes to a head Sunday morning when, after the two tearing up the house with their friends all weekend and throwing a huge party with said friends, they refuse to help with cleaning when Amber wants to get started.

Some nasty things are said because, while they’re all close, they are still siblings and that’s just something that occasionally happens. Newt is particularly awful in the snide comments he makes, going out of his way to undermine Amber.

Amber, who had been struggling to maintain composure throughout the weekend between upcoming exams and other obligations which we’ll get into in the next part, ends up having a breakdown and locks herself in her room. This is the point where Aria breaks and steps in, taking charge and showing she has more of that Kogane-Holt spirit.

*Aria watches Amber disappear upstairs, a trash bag in one hand, then turns and glares at the boys.* “What is wrong with you two?”

*Kaden blinks then turns and heads towards the kitchen.* “Oh, calm down. We’ll clean up after breakfast.”

“Yeah. I need some cereal before I do anything to help out pwecious wittle Ber-Ber.” *Newt agrees, cupping his hands beside his cheek and batting his eyelashes as he speaks.*

*Kaden snorts a bit as he gets two bowls down.* “You’re acting like we have no intention of making sure that Mom and Dad come back to an intact house. If we don’t, they’ll never let us go sitter-free again for a weekend.”

“And they still aren’t going to. I’m telling them about all of this.” *Aria gestures to the scattered bits of junk food, spilled drinks and other such mess in the living room.*

*Kaden and Newt exchange glances before they start busting up laughing.* “Yeah, right! You won’t do anything!” *Newt’s sneering when he says this, leaning a bit closer to her.*

*Aria’s eyes suddenly spark with a new fire, blazing as she glares at him more ferociously. Instead of saying anything, she turns on her heels and disappears upstairs as well. The boys think that things are totally fine and have themselves a celebratory bowl of cereal. Meanwhile, Ari is making a very important call.*

*Keith perks up in the driver’s seat when Pidge’s phone starts chiming with the lyric-less version of The Cell Block Tango.* “Huh. Wasn’t expecting to hear from Ari so early.” *Pidge comments before accepting the call.* “Hey there, sweet pea. What’s up?”

“Mommy? I-I don’t want to bother you when you’re not home yet, but I didn’t know what else to do.” *Ari lays it on thick, adding sniffles and faked hiccups as if she’s crying. In actually she’s just sitting on the edge of her bed, kicking her feet lightly in the air.*

*Pidge sits a bit more upright immediately, adjusting the strap of her seatbelt.* “No, it’s okay. What’s going on? Are you and the others okay?” *Keith perks up and looks over, mouthing a quick ‘What’s going on?’ Pidge holds one finger up at him as she waits for Ari to elaborate.*

“W-Well, it’s Kaden and Newt. They threw a party last night while Amber was at a study session with some of her classmates. I told them not to, but they wouldn’t listen! They made a huge mess of the place, too! And then, this morning, they said awful things to Amber when she told them they needed to get it cleaned up before you two got home! Amber’s really upset in her room and they’re just laughing about it! I know I should have called Nana Olia or Nanny and Pappy but I just-!”

“Oh, sweetheart, no. It’s okay. You did the right thing calling us. We’ll deal with your brothers. For now, you just check on your sister and make sure she’s doing alright, okay? Dad and I will be home in less than two hours, judging the traffic, so you two just stay out of the way until we get there, okay?” *Pidge speaks in a soft and reassuring tone. She looks over at Keith, holds up her middle and index fingers – they’ve developed a code using their fingers, sans thumbs, to signify which kids they’re referencing – and then makes a slit throat gesture. Keith lets out a small swear, knowing this means the boys are in trouble. He’d been hoping the kids would behave themselves while they were gone.

“Thank you, Mommy. I love you both.”

“Love you too, Ari. We’ll see you soon.” *The minute they’re off the phone, Ari darts to the basement to put the next part of her plan in motion. Meanwhile, Pidge loads up her phone and sends a request to Kaden for a video call.*

*The boys see the phone lighting up, see who is calling, and immediately start losing their shit. They know that they probably shouldn’t answer it, because they’re thinking that Pidge tried calling Amber first and didn’t get an answer, which means they’re already going to be on high alert. But if they don’t answer the call, then they’re gonna get in even worse trouble for not answering and making their parents worry even more.*

*Newt is the one that bites the bullet and answers, making sure to turn the phone so that Pidge can only see the boys.*

“Hey, Mom. S’up?” *He asks, plastering on a tense smile.*

*Pidge, meanwhile, has a much better fake smile on her face.* “Not much, sweetie, just doing a check-in. How have things been this weekend at the house?”

“Oh, they’ve been – you know – uh, great! Absolutely great!” *He’s trying so hard to sound normal.*

“Oh yeah?”

“Totally! We know how to behave when you guys aren’t around, you know!” *Kaden chimes in, sounding only slightly less terrified than his brother.*

“Good, good. Been making sure to keep up on your chores?” *Pidge’s smile twitches at the corner, the only sign the boys get that reveals what’s actually going on.*

*The boys briefly exchange glances, because they know what this means. Kaden and Newt Kogane realize, in this moment, that they have made a grievous error in judgment.*

*Pidge makes them pan the camera over to how the kitchen and living room work, leading to her tearing them each a new one. She makes it clear they’re both grounded for two weeks from the television, the gaming consoles, and having free time on the computer; one week for being so disrespectful to their sister, and the other for the mess they have. She makes sure to let them know that they’ll get a third week tacked on if they come home and the house is still a pit.*

*The minute they get off the call, two sets of rubber cleaning gloves are tossed at them. They turn to see Ari leaning in the doorway, looking smugly satisfied as she examines the chipping green nail polish on her hand, five differently colored little drones floating beside her.* “Well, boys, sounds like you two should get to work. And don’t worry; the Rover Squad will be here to help keep you motivated.” *She says, her tone sugar and sweet and so devious it’s unnerving. The Rover Squad have been given the command to make sure they keep working until every spot of the house is immaculate and, if they stop, they’ll start blaring an ear-splitting noise until they start working again.*

While they get to work, she makes some waffles for herself and Amber, then takes the plates upstairs and joins her older sister in her room. They have breakfast, occasionally snorting at the sound of blaring alarms downstairs, and, once they’re done eating, Amber repaints Aria’s nails for her.

This reminds Kaden and Newt to not underestimate their baby sister. Despite being on the receiving end of her wrath, Newt realizes how clever his sister is, causing him to have further respect for her, and this is the point where his attitude towards her starts to shift.

Unlike her siblings, Aria is by far the most sociable of all the Kidgelings. She starts out befriending other kids that are bullied, but as she and the kids get older, she just ends up being the kind of person that others gravitate towards. It’s mostly because Aria’ is just so genuinely kind and sweet. She’s a charming little kid with plenty of admirers, both male and female. She has a couple of friends that she’s significantly closer to than others, naturally, but she does her best to be polite and respectful to everyone she meets.

In specific, she gets is really close to Raya and Coriander, two of Lance and Allura’s daughters, as well as Morganite, her older cousin Hikari, the daughter of Shiro and Matt. With Raya and Coriander, they bond over the typical “girly” hobbies, such as fashion and make-up and such. With Raya, she bonds over both fashion advice as well as Raya helping her with her cheerleading moves. Raya is the head cheerleader of the older girls’ squad and she’s always eager to help teach Ari higher level steps and moves to help her with her auditions for the next rank up. With Cori, it’s always fashion advice and helping her to determine what’s in and what isn’t. As they get older, Cori also helps her with doing her hair and make-up for her performances. Morganite is really skilled at making jewelry and other such accessories, which is something she helps to teach Ari to do as well. Hikari is a huge shutterbug, who loves taking pictures, recording videos and also does art/animation in her free time. She’ll always record Ari’s performances and, when she does animations, Ari will help her with voice acting/ composing original scores for her animated shorts.

That’s all for now! Keep an eye out for the continuation of this, and thank you so much for taking the time to give this a read! x3

[ourlittledinosaur]

How I slept 7 hours: Sleep Saga Continued

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How I slept 7 hours: Sleep Saga Continued

Co-Sleeping 

There’s a lot to be said about co-sleeping. However, this post isn’t to hash out the safety precautions or to rave about the family bed. I simply want to write to share that co-sleeping is how I was able to sleep 7 hours last night. 

Seasoned co-sleepers will be nodding their approval I’m sure while others may cringe upon reading the words “family bed”, but my hope is that some where out there another tired Mama might be able to use one more suggestion to help her get a little more rest.

Milestones and Growth

My son is going through many milestone changes all at once.  It’s taking what seems like forever to cut his first tooth. Due to the drool and chomping, we’ve been expecting it for over a month now.  He’s recently hit 6 months and this past week, his constant eating and excessive night waking surely indicates the 6 month growth spurt. 

And now, my 6 month old is mobile! What?! Oh yes! He’s not full on crawling (yet!), but he is army crawling everywhere! It’s incredible. So we quickly did the baby-proofing shuffle. (I attribute this early progress to all the floor and tummy time with Daddy.)

If you’ve searched the web for anything like “why isn’t my baby sleeping? ” and insert the age of the baby, many times you’ll be reminded that during milestones, they just don’t sleep all that well.  Needless to say, my baby is feeling a little more clingy than usual.

So while I want to curse the lack of sleep, my “joy comes in the morning” as I realize all the amazing things my son is learning and has achieved. (Praise God for the fleas.)

Our 7 Hour Night

Usually I put my son to bed in his crib around 6:30pm. Then my husband and I are able to spend some time together and relax for the evening. My son wakes up to eat between 10:30 to midnight, then wakes up again a couple times in the early morning light sleep but can usually quickly be put back to bed.

Well, last night was a horse of a different color! He woke up at 9 pm and ate like he was starving! Then we went through the routine of burping and laying him back in his crib. No way, he wasn’t having it. Upon his head (or foot or hand) hitting the sheets, he immediately woke up and fussed. I don’t know how many times over the next hour I tried to lay him in his crib. It was a lot. He was perfectly content and asleep there on my shoulder.

So finally, I gave in to my own need for rest and went into his room to lay down on the mattress (on the floor) we use for his nap times. He stayed asleep. Until 5 am. What?! Oh yes! I didn’t know he could do that either!

Well, I may not have seen my own bed last night and I did miss my husband but getting to sleep without interruption for the first time in 6 months was incredible!

Decisions

I’m not really sure what’s around the bend. My husband and I discussed it this morning and we think we’re all finally ready to move our son’s crib into HIS room instead of in ours. We considered it at 4 months when he was growing out of the bassinet, but I told my husband I wasn’t ready, so we moved his crib into our room.

We also laughed as we realized, this probably means we’ll all be camped out in his room while he makes this transition. My son, me, my husband, who doesn’t want to sleep alone either, and our two dogs are moving into the nursery tonight! 

Go ahead and smile and laugh as you picture it. You know it’s funny. 

Right or Wrong

As I continue to post about our sleep/no-sleep adventure with our firstborn, (I say “our” because my husband is definitely in this “together” with me.) it dawned on me all the opinions that MUST be floating around out there.

Every parent does things differently (and from what I hear, differently from child to child as well), but it seems many people want to “put their oar” in without actually listening to the desires of the parent they’re trying to mentor.

There’s so much differing information about child rearing and it can be difficult to sift through it all, and very easy to feel like a failure once you chosen a path and then hear something different or read an article with a differing perspective. It can be downright stressful!

The fact is, God didn’t make us all from the same mold. Throughout creation you can see God’s appreciation for the unique. The individual characteristics and strengths He created in all of us is evident in our very children as we watch them grow. We appreciate these attributes in others, except perhaps it may seem, when it comes to parenting? 

Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE to tell my story. And I love to give advice to others. In fact, I’m known to apologize in advance and give permission for the other person to tell me “thanks, but, no thanks” when I want to give advice! 

What I want to encourage here is that the advice we are giving is given out of love. And may I also suggest that the advice given is for the benefit of the other person and not for our own parenting knowledge gold star or feather in our cap. 

This isn’t a plug for everyone’s “truth” is right for them. God’s truth is the only truth and He has made that very clear when it comes to right and wrong. God didn’t make us all the same, though he did gave us commandments about certain things. 

I think we can all agree that those commandments don’t cover what color I should wear today anymore than whether I should breastfeed one year or two (or, dare I say it, more. Gasp!). I mean look at how different we all are from one another! Naturally we’re going to have different parenting styles as well. 

Wisdom in a Multitude of Counselors

Don’t go it alone. There is something to be said for asking for godly advice in all aspects of our life. Proverbs says, there is wisdom in a multitude of counselors. So choose a few people you trust and ask for their perspective. They may come up with some good ideas you haven’t thought of yet! 

And for those unsolicited advisors, don’t tune them out completely. You may be able to glean some gold nuggets from their experiences. Be encouraged, that their intentions are most likely good, they just aren’t very graceful about how to tell their story or offer advice that doesn’t sound judgmental. Chances are they don’t know how it makes you feel.

So wherever you are in your journey, whatever your challenge, take heart that although we are all different people, you can surround yourself with loving and encouraging people to help you through it. Even if no one else knows what to suggest in your situation, you can always ask them to pray for you. 

“Bear one another’s burdens…” Galatians 6:2a

“Where there is no counsel, the people fall; But in the multitude of counselors there is safety.” Proverbs 11:14

“…Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning.” Psalm 30:5b

Let us hear from you!

What advice might you have for my situation? What, if any, sleep challenges have you had with your children?

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[yoursleepingbaby]

3 Sleep Training Myths 

Most sleep coaches use CIO

Sleep Training creates attachment issues

Sleep training could cause long term issues

Becoming a new parent is a bit like being sent into a foreign land where you don’t speak the language, you can’t figure out what people want from you, and you’re barely surviving from a rather severe case of jetlag….Welcome to Parenthood!

For many of us, we spend a lot of time half-asleep, googling all things baby-related to figure out what’s normal and what’s not.. In your pursuit of a quiet night, you’ve probably come across sleep training.

Whether your bundle of joy is a newborn, 4 months old, 8 months old, or even a toddler- there are many methods and approaches to sleep training. With SO much information out there, it can be quite overwhelming.

There are a few common themes I see surrounding sleep training and it’s easy to become confused. Let’s tackle some of these issues and hopefully I can help give some clarity.

Contrary to popular belief, sleep training does not equal “crying it out”. Sleep training has gotten a bad reputation, but in reality, that method isn’t the go-to solution for most sleep consultants. (Unless, however, you’re talking to your pediatrician, then yes, that’s typically the only tool he has in his toolbox.) That’s why the majority of pediatricians say you can’t sleep train until your baby is 6 months old. (What they really mean is that your baby can’t Cry it Out until 6 months old.) The low down on pediatricians is this…Infant Sleep is hardly even touched upon in medical school. Yes, as crazy as this sounds it’s true!

The CIO method is an old-school approach to getting your baby to sleep through the night. You put the baby in the crib, close the door, and don’t return until the next morning. That is NOT reality and that definitely ISN’T what I recommend as a sleep consultant.

Sleep training is an umbrella term that covers all sorts of methods, practices, and theories concerning how to create an independent sleeper. The goal is to condition your baby to fall asleep and back to sleep on their own. And trust me there are plenty of ways to do this that don’t involve CIO! So let’s put that “cry it out” myth to bed, so to speak. 🙂

Attachment style parenting is popular these days, and many first-time moms are scared away from sleep training or sleep shaping because they are under the impression that any sleep shaping or training will either 1. Cause them to ignore the needs of their baby, or 2. Their child will become detached from them and feel abandoned.

Attachment style parenting sounds amazing on paper, and there are certainly plenty of amazing aspects to it. Obviously holding, rocking, soothing, babywearing, contact naps, and even co-sleeping at times are all part of caring for your baby in a healthy way that feels good and IS natural and instinctual.

HOWEVER, living in a way that completely ignores your needs as a human being, for months or years on end will eventually become unsustainable and many times creates resentment and a feeling of utter and complete exhaustion. Many moms simply cannot sustain the daily reality of this type of parenting. This is NORMAL and not something you should feel guilty about!

Here’s my Philosophy….

Your beautiful, wonderful bundle of joy is a welcome addition to your family- and for the first 3 months of his life, you’re going to center it around caring for your newborn. This is normal and healthy. However, there has to come a time when you begin to transition away from that high maintenance care and start to bring some balance back into your life. This can happen slowly but it DOES need to happen. Things should begin to get easier right around 3 months of age. Your baby goes through a big developmental leap at that age and slowly transitions out of the newborn stage. Remember, You are still a wife, a sister, a friend, a business owner, an employee etc. You have other relationships that also need nurturing and that you need, in order to be nurtured yourself. Now having said that, I do really love some of the elements of attachment style parenting. Just know, you can also implement healthy sleep habits for your child as well, WITHOUT sacrificing attachment and bonding.

The silver lining? These things can co-exist!

We all know that sleep, specifically QUALITY sleep is vital. Not just for babies, but for humans in general (that includes YOU, mom and dad). While there are plenty of people out there fear-mongering about CIO and its negative impacts, there is substantial research that sleep training is EXTREMELY beneficial to the family as a whole.

Studies have shown that critical-brain-development periods are based on adequate sleep for babies and concerning this particular claim- that sleep training has no effect on long-term emotional or behavioral health. Yay for studies that support healthy sleep!

I know many parents are concerned it will affect parental attachment down the road as well, but studies have proven it does not affect that bond either. In fact, it actually promotes that bond.

A study done in Australia measured the stress levels of the babies in three different sleep training groups by analyzing their saliva for the stress hormone cortisol. The groups that were sleep trained showed slightly lower cortisol levels than the babies who had no sleep training. This suggests that the babies had less stress, and anxiety and were more rested. Yes, sleep lowers cortisol. What’s more, the babies that did follow a sleep training method fell asleep more quickly and woke up less frequently in the middle of the night. This truly shows the significant benefits of sleep training or sleep shaping to the family as a whole.

I hope that dispelling some of these myths has put your mind at ease. The whole goal of sleep training is so your baby can learn to self-soothe, fall to sleep easily, and back to sleep upon coming to partial awakenings in the middle of the night.

Minimize your sleepless nights and improve your family’s wellbeing as a whole with consistent routines and methods that are gentle and effective. Bottom line: Don’t believe every mom’s rant on the internet. Sleep training doesn’t ruin your bond with your baby, it doesn’t mean abandoning them and letting them scream, and it doesn’t affect their emotional or behavioral wellbeing. Studies actually show that getting adequate rest promotes bonding and wellbeing for BOTH mom and baby.

You have the power to choose what’s best for your baby and your family. Don’t let guilt, fear or unproven claims guide that decision process.

Learn more at https://yoursleepingbaby.com 

[walnutmontessori]

Is Your Baby Sleeping Enough for His Age

If you have a toddler at home, you should understand his sleeping pattern. How much sleep does a newborn require? What can obstruct a restful night's sleep? How can you assist your child in adjusting to a restful night's sleep? All your questions have been answered.

You've probably heard horror stories about insomniac babies and sleepless evenings. Some of it is unquestionably correct. However, with a night-time schedule in place and a little luck, you should be able to look forward to pleasant nights within a few months of bringing your newborn home.

Here childcare experts of Walnut, CA have shared some important tips to help your kids sleep better at night.

  A newborn need how many hours of sleep? What could be preventing you from getting a good night's sleep? What can you do to assist your child in transitioning to a restful night's sleep? Find all your answers here.

You've probably heard horror stories about insomniac children and terrible evenings. Some of it is, without a doubt, accurate. With a night time schedule in place and a little luck, you should be able to look forward to pleasant nights within a few months of bringing your newborn home.

Deconstructing Baby Sleep Childcare going babies, like adults, go through sleep cycles that range from tiredness through light sleep, deep sleep, and dream sleep (REM - a state in which his eyes are active behind his closed eyelids, but the rest of his body is still) and then back to awake. If there are no distractions (such as an empty stomach) when he wakes up, he falls back asleep. Some newborns can comfort themselves and fall asleep on their own, while others may require patting or feeding before falling asleep again. It's typical for a baby to have hypnagogic startles when sleeping quietly. The quick movements of the baby's body in calm sleep are referred to as hypnagogic startles.

Co-sleeping Co-sleeping has long been encouraged in India, and it does result in greater emotional ties between parents and children. You can, however, shift them from the crib to the bed if you find it unpleasant, especially if you have numerous babies.

Daycare experts have shared here a few pointers to make your child’s nights easier.

• Create a relaxing atmosphere. Remove any bright colours or toys that make a lot of noise. • Soft toys, heavy blankets, and cushions are not recommended for little newborns since they can cause suffocation. • To avoid sudden infant death syndrome, the mattress should be firm, and the baby should be placed to sleep on his back (SIDS). • Swaddling the baby with his arms inside the blanket provides him with a sense of familiarity and helps him sleep longer by simulating the pressure he feels in the womb. • It's a good idea to start a night-time routine between the ages of two and three months. • Parents do not need to be concerned about restless nights; with a little patience and work, you can resolve your baby's sleeping issues. • Parents do not need to be concerned about restless nights; with a little patience and work, you can resolve your baby's sleeping issues.

[morganboulevard]

Wishing that your baby would fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer? In my Dreamland baby review you'll find out how this is possible! 

Shop Dreamland Baby Co here: https://shrsl.com/2nha2 

In August 2020, Tara Williams went on ABC's Shark Tank to pitch her product. She accepted an offer from Lori Greiner and the company has taken off since. Dreamland Baby's products include weighted baby swaddles, weighted sleep sacks, and weighted blankets. 

Weighted baby swaddle - https://shrsl.com/2ntkn 

The Dreamland Baby weighted swaddle is size 0-6 months, 8-18lbs. You can use this baby weighted blanket as either a swaddle or a sleep sack. To use it as a swaddle you’ll wrap your baby’s arms in the wings. When your baby is ready for a sleep sack, you’ll wrap each wing around their waist instead. 

We swaddled our twins Milo and Violet until they started rolling from back to belly. The reason why is because we read that Rachel Y. Moon, MD from the American Academy of Pediatrics said, “when your baby looks like he or she is trying to roll over, you should stop swaddling.” 

Weighted sleep sack - https://shrsl.com/2srrm 

The Dreamland weighted sacks come in sizes 6-12 months and 12-24 months. Size 6-12 months is for babies who are 15-26 lbs. Size 12-24 months is for babies who are 20-30 lbs. The weight is evenly distributed and will not restrict movement. 

These are the baby wearable weighted sleep sacks that we got for our twins and they are the reason we wrote this Dreamland Baby review. The first time we put this product on our babies they became so calm right away. It’s such a cute weighted blanket and we love that it’s gender neutral. 

It’s white with little grey stars on it. It has a quilted look to it and zips up onto the baby. They’re really cool wearable weighted blankets. It helps babies fall asleep faster because it makes them feel like they’re being hugged, which makes them feel safe. This is really important for Milo. 

We’ve noticed that he has to feel safe and know that we’re nearby for him to fall asleep. The gentle weight of this wearable weighted blanket helps babies self soothe, stop moro reflex, increase melatonin, increase serotonin, decrease cortisol, sleep longer, and help stop sleep regression. 

The transition from swaddling to using sleep sacks was a little rough for Violet. She had been swaddled every day and night for almost 6 months, so it was hard for her to fall asleep with her arms out. We just had to be patient with the transition for a few nights, but now she’s doing great. 

Dreamland Baby Co’s baby weighted sleep sacks have really helped us! I also love how they have dual zippers. It’s so easy to zip our babies up in them and the dual zipper makes it so easy to change diapers without having to completely take them out of the sleep sack. 

It’s the best when babies also have an outfit that zips from the top to bottom because that will make diaper changing even easier. We are so grateful for products like this that help our babies sleep! We hope other moms will benefit from them and love them too. 

Weighted blanket - https://shrsl.com/2ntkv 

The Dreamland weighted blanket was just released and we are so excited to have ours! The size is 36″ x 48″. It is for kids who are 30+ lbs and is recommended for ages 3-8. The weighted blankets should not be used when your little one is sleeping in a crib. 

My babies are not old enough and don’t weigh enough to sleep with this blanket at night. We love to use them during the day and snuggle in them. My babies always become so calm when we have the toddler weighted blanket on us. 

Concerned about the safety of these products? Make sure that you are following the American Academy of Pediatrics’ safe sleep recommendations. Dreamland Baby Co’s products are safe when used correctly. 

Make sure your child is in the right weight range for the sleep sack or swaddle they are using. With these weighted sleep sacks your baby can still roll, stand, sit-up, and sleep on their back, side, or belly. 

The International Hip Dysplasia Institute has acknowledged that these products are hip healthy when used right. If you have any concerns, please talk with your doctor first about using these products. 

Dreamland Baby has two bundle options that will help you save money. They have The Bundle and the Baby Shower Bundle. The products are designed in the United States and responsibility manufactured in China. Sometimes the company offers free shipping. 

The products are machine washable. You can return and exchange the products. I hope you've found this review helpful! Dreamland Baby has average star rating of 4.7 out of 5. 

Shop Dreamland Baby here - https://shrsl.com/2nha2 

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. At no cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. 

[ispyyounet]

How Do I Transition My Baby From Co-Sleeping to Crib

How Do I Transition My Baby From Co-Sleeping to Crib

Everyone knows that the transition from co-sleeping to a crib is not easy, especially if your child is used to bed-sharing. But this doesn’t mean that you can’t do anything about it. In fact, it is in your best interest to find a way to make the transition possible. Fortunately, we have a couple of tricks that you might find useful. At What Age Should You Stop Co-Sleeping? The first thing we need…

[awesomeparenting]

How To Transition From Co Sleeping To Cribs: A Comprehensive Guide

It’s been said that sleep is the most important meal of the day. And for many people, it’s hard to get enough sleep. One common cause of insufficient sleep is working late at work or from school. 

When you’re working long hours and you don’t get enough rest, you can start to feel exhausted and sluggish the next day. This can lead to a number of problems, including bad posture, poor productivity, and even accidents. 

To help you on how to transition baby from co sleeping to crib more easily and efficiently, we’ve put together a comprehensive guide that includes everything you need to know about this new way of sleeping.

What is co sleeping?

Co sleeping, or co-sleeping, is the act of sleeping with your child. It’s a common practice in some cultures, especially those who believe it strengthens the relationship between the parent and child. It can be beneficial for children in a number of ways, such as by increasing their sleep time and improving their learning capabilities.

Unlike traditional sleeping arrangements where a child sleeps in a separate room, co sleeping will allow your little one to spend more time with you while they sleep. They'll feel safer and closer to you while they're sleeping because they're right next to you.

There are different types of co sleeping methods that parents use:

Co-sleeping - where both the baby and mom or dad sleep together on the same bed.

Bassinet sharing - where someone else (usually the father) sleeps with baby so dad can take care of other things like going to work, cooking dinner, or running errands.

Co-Sleeping with a gate - this is when someone else takes care of baby during nap/nighttime so parents can rest without worrying about them getting up from their bed's safe place.

What are the benefits of co sleeping?

For some parents, having their child sleep in the same bed is only natural. However, for others, it can be a huge struggle to make that work. And what's more, changing your child from co sleeping to sleeping in a crib can lead to many problems.

When you have a baby, there are a number of things that happen. For example, the physical and mental health of both parents and children changes. Parenting practices also change once you bring your baby home. 

With all these changes happening around you, it can be hard to remember why you wanted to put your baby in a crib in the first place--especially when they're still so young!

How do you get comfortable in a crib?

One of the most important aspects of transitioning from a bed to a crib is getting used to sleeping in your new bed. This includes getting comfortable with everything that goes with it, the mattress, sheets, and pillows.

First, take measurements of your bedroom:

Length: Measure the length over the headboard of your old bed.

Width: Measure the width of your old bed both in front and behind where you would be lying down on this side.

Height: Measure the height of your old bed (from the floor up) both in front and behind where you would be lying down on this side.

How do you transition from co sleeping to cribs?

Cribs are great because they prevent you from rolling over and smothering your baby. And though co sleeping is perfectly safe, it can be difficult to adjust to crib life.

The most important thing to keep in mind when transitioning from co sleeping is that it’s a process. You need to slowly reduce the amount of time that you spend sleeping with your baby and start spending more time in their crib.

Another important factor is figuring out how long it will take for your baby to wake up when placed into the crib. Just like with any other adjustment, this takes some trial and error.

It's also very important for parents to know what signs of readiness a child might sign of before transitioning from co-sleeping to cribs, as well as how often he or she will sleep in the crib each night before becoming fully awake and alert.

Where can I find cribs?

First, you’ll need to decide what type of crib you want. You have a couple of options: classic cribs and convertible cribs.

Classic cribs are traditional beds with a mattress that can be laid in for sleeping or taken out for use as a playpen. Classic cribs range from $75-500 and up, so it may be less expensive to buy these than to rent them.

Convertible cribs are more like a toddler bed, with the option to lay the mattress flat or convert into a playpen. If you plan on using this as your main bed for years, it may be worth buying a convertible now rather than renting until your child is ready for the next size.

If you're looking for something different, there are also wood, metal, and fabric baby beds that can be used as furniture or converted into a crib at any time. These generally cost $150 -$600 or more and are not recommended for infants due to safety hazards associated with an open surface area.

Another option is purchasing used nursery furniture and converting it

What should I do if I don’t get enough sleep?

If you don’t get enough sleep, there are several things you can do to improve your sleep quality:

Get plenty of exercise during the day.

Avoid caffeine and nicotine after lunch.

Nap for a few hours during the day if possible.

Try supplementing with melatonin or other natural sleep supplements as needed.

Conclusion

There are many benefits to co sleeping, but transitioning to a crib is not always easy. With the right set of strategies, however, it can be done.

First of all, decide what you want in your life and how much you are willing to compromise. Ask yourself how much you are willing to sacrifice for your child. 

You may have to spend a lot of time in bed with your child before they will sleep in their crib or bed. If you can’t handle this, then you should consider finding a day care or a nanny.