Sleep Training

Tired… so tired! It’s been two months’ sense I last slept 3 consecutive hours or more, and I miss it oh so much. Sleep when baby sleeps pretty much goes out the window when you have a rambunctious three-year old terrorizing you constantly.

 To be honest I am the last person who should give advice on this topic because both of my kids still sleep with me. My 3-year-old has been in my bed for the last year and a half, she got sick for a week and was having breathing issues so I had her sleep with her dad and I for safety. She eventually kicked her dad out of his spot and has permanently kept it for the last year and a half. We have tried to get her to sleep in her own room a few times but she is strong willed and to be honest I really like cuddling with her and the one-on-one quiet time I get with her at night. That was until her brother arrived and he too refuses to sleep on his own. I know there are many proponents of co-sleeping but I trust my body and my mommy senses so for now he too sleeps on me at night.

As much as I love my night time cuddles I need to get my kids in their own beds and I am sure their dad would like his spot back as well! I have read a lot of articles and they all suggest many of the same things, but before you start to sleep train make sure your kids are ready and you are as well!

Consistency is key

Most mommy’s swear by the four B’s: bottle, bath, book, bed.

No TV or IPad

Experts say to steer away from screen time at least an hour before bed because it over-stimulates kids and they need time to unwind and relax. I can say I do not follow this rule as my daughter watches a program on her IPad before bed that sings her to sleep, but it works for her so I allow it.

Dim the Lights

This works especially well in the summer when it doesn’t get dark until late. Turning lights down low and keeping with quiet time helps the kids to know its time for bed.

Strict Bedtime

Keep the kids at a specific bedtime. My daughter always gets a second wind if I miss her 8 p.m. bedtime and refuses to actually lay down and sleep until after 10. Throwing off the schedule messes everyone up so unless it’s a special occasion try to keep them on the set schedule.

These are only a few helpful hints, read the articles below for more in depth tips for getting those kiddos to sleep:

Sleep Training The Basics

Ten Steps to Sleep Training Success

From 1 to 2

I thought my life was crazy with just a 3 year old and then it happened, a newborn. Life is different after your first kid but it is flipped upside down with your second.

You wake up in the morning (who am I kidding, should I really count those 3 hours of sleep?), attempt to feed the baby, who is quite an angry little man at 6 a.m. You are careful not to wake the sleeping 3-year-old who crawled into my bed at 2 a.m. because if brother sleeps in your room she thinks she should too. On a good day you are lucky to get the baby back down around 7:30 and either enjoy that much needed cup of coffee in solace or attempt to get 30 minutes of sleep before the toddler wakes up screaming because you have left her alone. Yes, my independent 3-year-old has somehow back-tracked and is instant upon ALWAYS being in the same room/within eyesight of you.

Once you have spent an hour arguing with said three-year-old about which outfit she should wear (she ends up in the same Elsa dress she wore yesterday) and that yes she does have to brush her teeth and no she can’t have a brownie for breakfast that beautiful baby starts screaming in the swing in the corner. Navigating the kitchen with only one arm and baby in the other is a masterful art but you somehow manage to efficiently get the toddler breakfast, empty the dishwasher, and put on another pot of coffee.

It looks like there has been a small explosion under my daughter’s chair, as half of the cereal ended up on the floor and thankfully the dog is there waiting to do the job you really don’t have time to do. The baby is sleeping so now you tiptoe upstairs with toddler and computer to build a castle out of blocks (never as good as daddy’s) while simultaneously attempting homework

Screaming, the baby is awake yet again and it is way past lunch time. Swoop up screaming child, grab out a Lunchable for the toddler, call dog over to clean up the mess. You look down to see the baby has not only puked on your shirt but there is brown residue sliding down his legs and on to you. Crap, literal crap is seeping through your shirt, but you pat yourself on the back for deciding to not get dressed today and be thankful it was only an old pajama shirt stained with poop. Your inquisitive toddler runs over to investigate and now all three of you are marked. Two baths later and fresh clothes for everyone you meander back downstairs to stare blankly into the fridge and ponder dinner. Just when you have given up and decided on cereal you hear that magic noise, daddy’s home… you breathe a sigh of relief and proceed to word vomit your long day all over him the minute he walks through the door.  You have a second set of hands to help wrangle the toddler. Prepare dinner and get the kids ready for bed so that you can possibly, if you don’t pass out somewhere, accomplish a homework assignment or get a full load of poop and puke stained laundry done.

Transitioning From One Child To Two: Hello, Shit Show

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