Friday, April 07, 2006

sleep training the kiddos

I have noticed something lately while browsing the many blogs i visit: The topic of sleep-training children has come up quite a bit lately. on Dooce, Blurbomat, Reign of Ellen to name a few (that i can remember anyway)

I have been amazed at the amount of controversy this can stir up. People apparently feel very strongly about the different ways to go about it all. Some people are extremely judgemental and i just dont understand how they can be so rude about it all. My view has always been to do what feels right and works for me & my son. I know that my way isnt the way for everyone and every kid, but i wouldnt expect anyone to come right out and tell me it was wrong. They did it their way because that was best for them. I am appalled at the number of parents out there willing to chastise and criticize other parents for the way they chose to raise their kids. If the child is not in any danger, or being truly hurt in any way, where do they get off being so judgemental.

That being said, heres our story. *the condensed version*

When we were putting Logan on a bedtime schedule (which we did right off the bat, and we sleep trained him at 4 months old. Lemme tell you something: Routine=happy kids) we decided that somewhere around 4 months he would learn to fall asleep on his own. I have too many friends that are still having to sit with thier children at the ages of 3-5 to get them to sleep. They tell me how hard it is, and frankly, i didnt want to have to do that. SO: one he hit about 4 months, we began putting him to bed while he was still awake. Tired, but not sleeping. He has Baby Tad, which plays music for 6 minutes. I would set him in there, turn on Tad, and leave the room. Once tad stopped playing, i would smoke a cigarette (outside for those of you getting ready to yell at me) and that would bring us to about 10 minutes of him being alone in the crib. if he was still crying (which for the 1st few weeks he would be) i would go in, re-situate him, without picking him up, reset his music and repeat the process, adding 5 minutes each time before going back in. The 1st few nights were the hardest. He is one stubborn kid. i wouild have to sometimes repeat this process 5 or 6 times. And sometimes, i would give him a bottle of water. That usually was a last resort and it did the trick. I just always went in when time was up and told him i loved him, rubbed his belly or back and told him it was night night time and i would see him in the morning and then i left the room again. Within a few weeks, he would fall asleep before tad turned off. We still follow the same routine. Now that he is almost two, i need to stop giving him that bottle of water when he fusses, but that is the only part of our night time routine that needs adjusting and we have already started the process of giving him less and less water each time. (i have to get everyone who watches him on board with this (like his dad and aunties who babysit) before this will be successful.

My son goes to bed with pretty much no hassle whatsoever. And its been that way since we started. I dont see whats wrong with letting them cry a little. If they are crying, that means they are alive right? And they are tired. I cant be rocking my son to sleep forever. All of us were sleep trained in some way and we are no worse off for it. I have no regrets over my course of action and would do it again in a hearbeat. And i recommend it to anyone who asks. So there. thats my sleep training post. I feel better now.

-k-
Kristie :: 1:24 AM :: 3 comments

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