baby
Don’ t: Keep your baby up late for‘ quality time’
This one surprises a lot of parents. You miss your baby when you’ ve been apart all day, so of course you want extra cuddles in the evening.
But Kelly warns that this often backfires:“ By the time the parent picks them up, they’ ve been awake for hours … parents feel guilty, so they keep them up later – but the child is overtired.”
The result? Less bonding, more meltdown.
“ You can have two hours of chaos and a tough night,” she explains,“ or an hour of delight and a good night’ s sleep.”
Don’ t: Tiptoe around or make sleep conditions too perfect
A house that descends into total silence the moment the baby goes down? Not necessary. Kelly has worked with families everywhere, even“ in New York City, with sirens every two seconds”. Babies can adjust, and they should.
Shielding them from normal noise means they’ ll struggle later. Everyday sounds( the dog, the neighbours, the kettle) should be part of their world, not sleep sabotage.
Don’ t: Rely on gadgets, motion, bottles or white noise to do the heavy lifting
Here’ s where well-meaning habits accidentally become sleep crutches.
Kelly explains that over-reliance on rocking, motion devices or feeding-tosleep can become patterns the brain expects every night.“ Some parents have a 22-month-old who still falls asleep on a bottle,” she says.“ That trains the brain to need the bottle to sleep.”
She’ s not anti-gadgets or anti-rocking – just anti-overuse.
“ Small interventions are fine,” she says,“ but don’ t overuse them, or it backfires.”
www. babysandbeyond. co. za
So what should you do instead?
Thankfully, the solution isn’ t complicated or high-tech … it’ s routine.
“ A key part of healthy sleep is a consistent bedtime routine,” Kelly says. No surprises. No guessing. Just a predictable pattern: bath, lotion(“ Mustela is one of my favourite brands; I use it with all maternity babies.”), pyjamas, story, cuddles. That wind-down tells the brain what’ s coming next.
Routine helps with: Travel Developmental leaps Illness
Your own sanity(“ If your child is on a routine, you can plan your day,” Kelly says.)
And most importantly: it creates positive associations with sleep. The dream? Your toddler happily dragging their favourite bunny to bed, ready to snooze.
Sleep doesn’ t have to be a battle. Keep it simple, stay consistent, and trust that your child is capable of sleeping well. As Kelly puts it:“ Ideally, children should look forward to nap and bedtime.”
Still feeling a bit lost? Keep an eye on Kelly’ s Instagram for more tips, and our friends at Mustela often bring her back to South Africa for her Sleepy Stars workshop – specially designed for expecting parents and those with little ones under four months. �
Kelly’ s must-have bedtime essentials
For baby:
• Mustela Musti Eau de Soin( 50ml, R325,95): A soothing, alcohol-free fragrance with chamomile and honey for fresh linens and gentle baby comfort.
• Mustela Vitamin Barrier Cream 123( 100ml, R275,95): Triple action protection against irritation, keeping delicate skin calm and healthy.
• Mustela Skin Freshener( 200ml, R215,95): Hydrating mist to refresh skin and style baby’ s hair between baths.
• Mustela Baby Oil( 100ml, R269,95): Fast-absorbing blend of natural oils for bedtime massage and relaxation.
For mom & baby:
• Mustela Organic Universal Balm( 75ml, R379,95): Nourishing relief for dry, sensitive skin.
• Mustela Cleansing Wipes( 60, R159,95): Gentle, compostable wipes for quick clean-ups anytime.
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