do you sometimes find gentle parenting disheartening?

[MummyNaomi]

I agree, sometimes I wonder if its all worth it, but usually when I think this my LO will remind me why gentle parenting is worth it with a returned cuddle

I sometimes wonder if there are any gentle parents who have good sleepers??

To give you hope - Yes!! - although it only took 8.5 months for us hahahaha! I've tried CC once, didn't work and it left DS and myself very upset, so the gentle approach is definately worth it and if I had a dollar for every time I get told what a happy little man I have I'd be a very rich Mummy - and I sincerely believe a lot of it is because of our parenting style (and DS's temperament CERTAINLY plays a big part too). But anyhoo, DS has been sleeping 7pm - 6am since NYs, so gentle parenting and sleeping can definately go hand in hand! I've certainly put in many middle of the night cuddles, feeds, rocking - you name it Anyway now that I have said all this you know I will have jinxed myself and DS will wake tonight LOL

I've heard all the cliches re our parenting techniques - "You're spoiling him" (when picking up a 2 week old crying baby , "He's manipulating you" (again responding to a crying baby), "Crying exercised their lungs" - WTF? And then the same people have told me what a wonderful happy baby I have months later........!!!

I TOTALLY agree that at times its bloody tiring but it sure pays dividends when those cuddles are given in return

I think the biggest gift you can give your child is to teach them love, confidence, respect give them a healthy start - and IMO gentle parenting is the best way to teach these things. When our babies grow into well adjusted loving adults, perhaps it will be then when we will see how worthwhile it all was

Naomi x

[Shanti]

MummyNaomi - congrats on your little man sleeping through for you now.... that's great... lucky thing hope he stays like that for you from now on.

We too have put in lots of cuddles, rocking, patting, MANY wake ups thru the nights for feeds etc (gentle parenting style) but I think at the end of the day, our babies will only sleep through all night for us when they are developmentally ready to.... I've been reading that alot lately and it does make sense.... I guess like all the milestones they all do it when they are all ready to.
It just sucks waiting.....

[Kailani]

I feel horrible I was trying to get DS dressed into his pjs after his bath and he was crying and stiffening up and rolling around. I was soooo fed up that I threw his clothes on the floor and yelled at him, but it was more like a bellow, I even shocked myself with how loud and angry I was Of course he got so startled and took a deep breath in and howled and howled - he was so upset at me!!

I wonder what the big deal is with being changed??? Why does he make it so difficult. It is seriously impossible to change him. He just fights and struggles to get away

Eta...sorry I changed my username, confused??

[Ca Plane Pour Moi]

Hi Kailani. Yes, confused, but that's normal state of play here.

With DS, I find distraction helps. (It always helps, no matter what.) I let him pick his top and ask him to put it on while I change his nappy. He can now fully dress and undress himself, just from a distraction technique! He also loved to pick his own outfit out, which is why I started that. He is getting picky about pyjamas too.

We also have a travel border next to the change table - so he can point to the plane, tractor, car, train, helicopter, bike, ship... he loves it. I'm putting a Bob the Builder poster up later! He also has a flying parrot mobile above him, so he will start the parrot flying then lie down himself.

Other thing is having him tell me how to do it (which will be far too early for you!). But I take off the nappy, then ask what to do. DS rolls onto his shoulders to lift his bum up and tells me that I put a nappy down.

[MummyNaomi]

To give you hope - Yes!! Anyway now that I have said all this you know I will have jinxed myself and DS will wake tonight LOL

And wake he did - LOL, had a tummy ache poor mite, when will I learn NOT to even slightly brag about good sleeping, sleeping karma will get you EVERY TIME LMAO

[Olive]

hehe so true naomi!!

[Heaven]

I have been thinking about when we'll TTC number 2 lately and thinking about how I'm actually going to handle them both. Does gentle parenting usually mean you have a larger gap between kids?? I've been wondering if I can be the parent I want to be if I have them too close together iykwim? Especially in regards to sleep. I'm not willing to let DD CIO so who knows when she'll start sleeping through and I just could not cope with 2 kids waking up 3+ times per night. So I'm feeling disheartened with that atm. I would like my kids about 2 yrs apart but does gentle parenting mean I can't do that (well, without going crazy, LOL)??