Ugh, need to vent a little.

[Jennifer13]

Well if you're after 7pm-7am, that almost sounds unbelievable!

My DD is four and has always been a great sleeper - but she still toddles in to sleep with us after 5am, until at least 7am. Some nights she pops in even earlier. I love it, snuggling up to her. I see how quickly she's growing up and I know our snuggling in bed together days won't last forever.

Sounds like you're very happy with the way things are in your household, except for unwanted comments by visitors!

[MummaSue]

Thanks for your support and letting me rant guys.

My mum is very closed minded and her way is the only way - the thing is, every time she tries to give me "advice" she follows up with saying "but I had help" (ie her mother and sisters). I am over in Australia alone with no family. I have friends but that isn't the same. Don't get me wrong, this is a choice we have made and I actually wouldn't have it any other way but geez!! I think that we're doing not too badly!

Plus, when I do something with little one, as in parenting etc, I research it to death - the co-sleeping, breastfeeding etc. Mum just thinks that I am this new age hippy parent who is going to have a small child running rings round us doing whatever she wants. That is soooo not the case - what I am doing is trying to bring up a child who is LOVED, well balanced (unlike me who suffers from anxiety....) and confident!!

Hehe, I'm ranting AGAIN! I just emailed DH at work to tell him about the altercation.
Ugh.
Sue xxx

[sloane]

i hate to think what your mum would make of me then! my DS is 1 & wakes up 5-6 times a night!! and he & i co-sleep on a mattress on his bedroom floor - the horror!!

but seriously, i think you already know that it's not realistic advice & i completely understand your frustration. i think sometimes people have forgotten what it's like to have a baby & even if they haven't, they've forgotten that not only all babies are different but all parents are different too & we do what we feel is right for our families.

seems to me like you're doing a wonderful job

[Snowy Love]

I'm 36 & don't sleep through the night. I also sleep better when being held by someone I love, why should a baby be any different?

[TeniBear]

It's threads like this that make me so grateful for my mum I didn't even know co-sleeping was a "thing" until I joined BB - isn't it normal for babies and young kids to sleep in their parents' beds when they need to? And what'd you mean, sleep through? Babies wake up during the night, it's normal and healthy! (I can't remember where I read it, but waking during the night helps prevent SIDS too!)

PPs are right, you're doing a fantastic job and your little one sleeps amazingly!

[onthefly]

Snowy Love - me too! I never sleep through.
Yeah, tell her about Sloane and me sleeping on the floor with our kids for months on end

[allycat06]

It's threads like this that make me so grateful for my mum I didn't even know co-sleeping was a "thing" until I joined BB - isn't it normal for babies and young kids to sleep in their parents' beds when they need to?

LOL same here...I was like 'oh what is has a special name?' I just thought all babies slept with their parents, that's what my sister and I did until we were ready for own beds.

Don't stress Sue, my son is 13 months and (apart from a brief stint when he was around 4 months) has never slept longer than 5 hours straight through the night. I figure he will do it when he is ready and I'm sure your little one will too How well they sleep is certainly not a reflection of your parenting skills.