I am not an advocate for controlled crying at all. I co slept with DD and she moved into her own room when she was almost three. I was also blessed that she never had sleep issues. I cannot remember one time when I was up during the night with her screaming (don't hate me!!!)
That said, when she moved into her own room, there were nights she wasnt happy about it. I settled her for hours, but as soon as I left she would be wide awake and screaming. There were times I did let her scream (not for a prolonged period). Then i would go into her and reassure her. She learnt to self settle and sleep on her own (which, dont hate me, I think is important).
I think there is a difference HotI between infants, toddlers and pre-schoolers and how we parent them, as long as the constant behind that parenting is love and security. I think some of it is luck (having a good sleeper, etc) but I also think some of it is conditioning.
Last edited by nothing2lose; March 10th, 2013 at 11:00 AM.
: Typo
I also agree that to a huge extent it is the child that governs how sleep goes. My first two didn't sleep for the first few months. Hours and hours of walking floors with them, rocking them, pushing and shushing them. I've never done CC'd crying and I copped it from anyone and everyone that I was spoiling my girls and making a rod for my own back. Then at about 3 months DD1 started sleeping through - 8+ hours at a time. DD2 took until about 5 months but then she was on the sleeping bandwagon too. Now at almost 5 and almost 6 they are still awesome little sleepers.
Then along comes DD3. She is an absolute angel from two days after birth. 5 and 6 hour sleep blocks all night every night. No settling issues either - she'd wake, I'd feed her, she'd be asleep within a couple of minutes. Then she hit 3 months and that all went out the window and I now have a 9 month old who except for one cruel week recently where she teased me with the hope of getting some sleep hasn't slept for longer than 1.5 hours at a time since 3 months. I do nothing differently with her - I've tried sooo many different things now and after visits to sleep school the only thing left is their advocated crying it out (I was told to just put her in her cot and simply not tend to her AT ALL when she cried so that's not going to happen). I'm just hoping that sometime soon she will find that magic sleep button her sisters have found.
and i think there is a need to be firm as well especially at the 4 yr old mark....as my kids are all great sleepers once they get to sleep.... sometimes it is the old fashioned 'im going to be naughty as i know it is nighttime etc etc' and it is hard work but im talking 8 30pm and i have been trying since 7 30pm.... and oh routine is get home from daycare/kinder play/tv dinner bath and bed with the toilet cuddles love you's and then there both out for the count BUT when the 4 yr old wants to play up he plays up and thats when the 'control crying/whinging/ grizzling' comes into play at my house !
Teeki, just wondering if you "worry" it won't stop at four years of age?? I know plenty of people who have their 7, 8, 9 year olds crawling in to bed with them every night. I just couldn't function like that, which is why I knew I had to help DD learn to self settle earlier.
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