Sometimes it is hard to tell if your screaming toddler just had a bad dream or a night terror. It is easier if you know the difference.


Frequency:

Bad dreams for nightmares occur more frequently than night terrors. Most children experience at least one episode of night terror during toddler days or preschool years. When night terrors are very common there usually is a family history of such episodes. Some children undergo this as early as six months of age (usually characterized by thrashing and extreme restlessness).


Timing:

Night terrors usually occur in the early hours of the sleep, most often between one and four hours after a child goes to bed. Nightmares strike later, during the second half of the night sleep.


Stage of sleep:

Nightmares occur during the REM (rapid-eye-movement) or dream, sleep which is the light sleep phase. Though the child sleeps through the dream, she wakes up terrified. Night terrors are a partial arousal from a very deep (non-REM) sleep. Children experiencing them usually don't wake up fully unless they are roused.


Manifestations:

During a night terror, a child perspires, has a rapid heart beat and appears frightened and confused. The child may call for you, scream, cry, moan, talk and even seem to hallucinate, sit, stand or walk around. The eyes may be open or staring even bulging but the child is still asleep. Night mares on the other hand may cause restlessness while the child is dreaming but it is not until the child is fully awake that the panic with plenty of crying and screaming begins. The child is likely to cling to the parent. A verbal child may try to describe a nightmare but will not recall a night terror.


Duration:

Night terrors can last from 10 to 30 minutes, after which a child continues sleeping. A nightmare is usually brief and is followed by waking. The duration of the period of panic varies from child to child and episode to episode.

Creative play


Useful drawing equipment for drawing and painting includes: non toxic paints and crayons; pencils and felt-tip pens, paint brushes of various sizes, cotton reels, potatoes, sponges of various shapes for dip painting; non spill paint pots; wipe clean table, cover for clothes such as an apron or overall, supply of paper of various sizes, textures and colors for painting and drawing, chalks and blackboard; cardboard; drawing blocks and coloring books.


Homemade finger paint

In a saucepan dissolve 225 g cornstarch in a little cold water. Add 900 ml boiling water. Return to heat and stir constantly until it thickens. Remove mixture from the heat and stir in 40 g pure white soap flakes or powder. Divide the mixture into smaller containers and let it cool. Add poster paint, water crayons or food coloring for color. To vary the texture, liquid paint can be thickened with cornflour, flour, salt, or crushed breakfast cereal.


Homemade glue

Bring to boil 180 ml water, 2 tablespoons of corn syrup and 1 teaspoon of white vinegar. In a separate bowl, mix together 125 g cornstarch with 180 ml water. Slowly add this to the hot mixture while constantly stirring to avoid lumps. Let it stand overnight before using.


Homemade dough

Mix together in a saucepan 300 g of plain flour, 325 g of salt and 2 dessertspoons of cream of tartar. Add 600 ml of water, 2 tablespoons of oil and a few drops of food coloring or powder paint gradually to the mixture and blend together with a wooden spoon. Cook the mixture gently over a low heat stirring constantly until it begins to thicken and become very stiff. If mixture is lumpy rest assured these will disappear when the dough is kneaded. Scrape out the dough onto a clean surface and let it cool. Test before using to ensure it is not hot inside. The dough can be stored for several weeks in an airtight container or a plastic bag in the fridge.
Playing with modeling materials gives your child lots of opportunities to practice her manipulative and creative skills. Modeling clay can be bought in toyshops or you can make your own at home. At first your child will just poke, squeeze or roll it but soon she will make shapes that she perceives as animals or shapes even if these cannot be made out by anyone else. Show your child to make simple shapes such as balls and sausages which can be pounded into other shapes or she can make faces by pushing in beans or rice grains for eyes and mouth, etc.


Travel sickness

Many young children experience travel sickness when traveling in cars, trains, boats or planes. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, dizziness, sweating and headache. Your child may go pale and turn quiet before being sick. Travel sickness is caused by the repeated movements of the vehicle affecting the body's balancing system which is situated in the inner ear. Other causes include anxiety and excitement, a stuffy atmosphere, smells such as petrol or smoke, a too full or empty stomach, and focusing on near objects such as books. Here are some tips to prevent this situation from arising or to make the aftermath more pleasant.


• Give your child a light meal before the journey; avoid frizzy drinks, greasy foods and chocolates.


• Drugs are available to prevent this but you need your doctor which product is appropriate for your child's age and how long the relief will last. Medications which can cause drowsiness may be useful for a long journey during the night. If your child is under two, it is advisable to obtain a prescription from the doctor. Alternatively you can give your child a homeopathic travel sickness remedy.


• Keep your child busy but avoid games that involve reading


• Keep the car well ventilated and avoid smoking


• Stop for short periods whenever you can to let your child have some fresh air and stretch his legs


• Keep a plastic bucket or bag, moist wipes, tissues and towel handy.


• If your child is sick a damp cloth sprinkled with bicarbonate of soda will take away the worst of smell


• Keep a change of clothes handy.


The brief on Hygiene


There is more to toilet learning that learning to use the toilet. Learning what to do after using the toilet is also important; get your toddler started on good lifetime habits of good bathroom hygiene.


• Teach girls to wipe from front to back, to prevent the transfer of bacteria from the anus to the vaginal area where they could cause infection.


• Encourage gentle wiping; rough wiping can irritate sensitive skin and open it up to infection


• Include hand washing in the potty routine. Even if you do the wiping and washing for your toddler, both of you should wash your hands after each toilet use. That way hand washing will become a habit by the time your toddler takes over cleaning herself.


• Encourage particular care in public toilets. Before sitting on one (even if it looks clean and dry) be sure to cover it with toilet tissue; advise your toddler to never sit on a strange seat without first covering it. Also encourage your child to unroll and dispose off the squares of the toilet roll that has been exposed before using it.