I think you either have good sleepers or you don't in most cases.

The one of mine that wasn't (that would be the 3yo from and about 9 months of age) I have spat it and left him to cio and it didn't work and only made it worse. He is a needy and clingy child anyway and leaving him to cio made him moreso.

Leaving them to cio was what I expected was the done thing due to the way I was raised so I totally get the pressure from the rellos. I didn't like it and it didn't help us achieve a full nights sleep.

:yeahthat:

I can vouch for that. DS was a horrible horrible sleeper and DD is amazing. Only problem with that was DS was my first so I constantly questioned myself, my methods, what I was doing wrong. I was in tears over it.

DH and I were so used to rocking a baby off to sleep and a baby that woke constantly, never slept for long stretches etc that we didn't quite know what to do with DD, who settled beautifully, slept through from 3 months of age, and actually prefers to be put in her cot and go to sleep on her own (she screams and fights being cuddled off to sleep).

We have not approached her any differently - she's just a different personality entirely. Right now we are still marvelling at how she eats whatever she's given, even FRUIT and will try anything new, unlike Mr Picky.

It's only now I'm realising how needy and atypical DS was - he was far from textbook, but I could not be more glad that we gentle-parented him. A strict and unbending approach would not have made any difference and even now the same is true. Hindsight is 20-20 and looking back, I know we did it the right way with him.

I promise it pays off.