Sometimes I wonder if I should write my blog due to unsolicited advice and input. It gets me down. I was about ready to write a new post and was halted by this, and then this morning during my run the podcast I was listening to reminded me that laughter is the best medicine. And if you can't laugh at life then it will be a long journey. So lets continue to keep it real and this time with sleeping and children.
Bedtime is the pits!!!! I love bedtime for it is the end of the day and I can finally have a bit of me time, but then also you have to get them to sleep.
Every mom at some point has had trouble with their children sleeping. Either you are a new mom and are unsure or you are more experienced and just when you think you have it all under control you are humbly put back into place. Now if you are a mom that has never had problems, I don't want to hear it. ;)
I strongly believe in the cry it out method. It worked wonders with both kids. At some point they slept through the night and even went to bed on their own. Of course these things change. When we had Eli, Owen started climbing out of his crib. That was my end. So for the past two years he has been in our bed about half way through the night. Recently I started a ticket system and he is starting to sleep in his own bed. Now he has days where he will tell me that he doesn't want to earn a ticket and will just sleep with mommy and daddy. Sure! Whatever! I am too tired to argue.
Let's back track a bit. The boys don't want to go to bed. Of course that would mean all the fun for the day has ended. And of course they have to sleep alone. If David is home we divide and conquer and it is a bit easier but not always. So we will talk as if David is not home yet.
Eli is old enough now to understand that he wants to sleep with Owen. He runs into Owen's room and jumps into his bed. If you walk in he will quickly put his head down on the pillow and pretend to snore. You then say this is not his bed. He scrambles out and runs to my bed. Again, Eli this is not your bed. You then proceed to carry him crying to his bed. He can have a book and a song, but eventually you must leave him to cry and go to Owen. Why does Owen get more attention? One reason: he can get out of bed. He will walk around, open Eli's door, get toys, but not stay in his bed. So you let Eli cry and lay with Owen. Now this is the time of day that Owen has everything to say. He doesn't stop talking. I will say about a thousand times "Shhh" "Lay your head down" "Let's go to sleep." Eventually he will drift off and then I am on to my bed. Of course for this time at night I have all these plans of things to get done while the kids are sleeping, but I am so stinking tired that I fall asleep in no time. Really I am not kidding. David wants to watch tv and I can't seem to keep my eyes open. That's why these posts are so far apart. In fact writing about this makes me want to go crawl into bed instead of writing.
Let's talk during the night: Owen whines in his sleep. He talks in his sleep and sometimes cries. He likes milk all night long and these are things I can do and have done pretty much sleeping. Eli on occasion will cry to where you have to go comfort him. This is probably the worst. You can't just crawl into the crib and go to sleep with him, so you are stuck laying on the floor or standing over the crib. And of course you react quickly going to him so you never think to pee before going in. So now you realize you have to pee terribly and are stuck and extremely tired. Eli will sleep just light enough to know if you are trying to escape and yell "no, no, no!" And from the beginning I have learned to always take my phone with me to either room when they wake. Because you could be stuck for ages and realize you just needed a little something to do while you wait impatiently for them to go back to sleep.
I do not believe their is a great solution for sleeping. One day they will both be in their bed, probably together and sleeping fine and I might get some sleep. For now I am TIRED! Because they must always get up at 6, 7 if I am lucky. For all you more experienced parents. Yes I know I will look back on these moments and enjoy them and will miss the time that I got to sleep with them. But honestly all I see is now through my tired red eyes and completely fine with wishing they could sleep in their own bed and go to sleep easily.
Bedtime is the pits!!!! I love bedtime for it is the end of the day and I can finally have a bit of me time, but then also you have to get them to sleep.
Every mom at some point has had trouble with their children sleeping. Either you are a new mom and are unsure or you are more experienced and just when you think you have it all under control you are humbly put back into place. Now if you are a mom that has never had problems, I don't want to hear it. ;)
I strongly believe in the cry it out method. It worked wonders with both kids. At some point they slept through the night and even went to bed on their own. Of course these things change. When we had Eli, Owen started climbing out of his crib. That was my end. So for the past two years he has been in our bed about half way through the night. Recently I started a ticket system and he is starting to sleep in his own bed. Now he has days where he will tell me that he doesn't want to earn a ticket and will just sleep with mommy and daddy. Sure! Whatever! I am too tired to argue.
Let's back track a bit. The boys don't want to go to bed. Of course that would mean all the fun for the day has ended. And of course they have to sleep alone. If David is home we divide and conquer and it is a bit easier but not always. So we will talk as if David is not home yet.
Eli is old enough now to understand that he wants to sleep with Owen. He runs into Owen's room and jumps into his bed. If you walk in he will quickly put his head down on the pillow and pretend to snore. You then say this is not his bed. He scrambles out and runs to my bed. Again, Eli this is not your bed. You then proceed to carry him crying to his bed. He can have a book and a song, but eventually you must leave him to cry and go to Owen. Why does Owen get more attention? One reason: he can get out of bed. He will walk around, open Eli's door, get toys, but not stay in his bed. So you let Eli cry and lay with Owen. Now this is the time of day that Owen has everything to say. He doesn't stop talking. I will say about a thousand times "Shhh" "Lay your head down" "Let's go to sleep." Eventually he will drift off and then I am on to my bed. Of course for this time at night I have all these plans of things to get done while the kids are sleeping, but I am so stinking tired that I fall asleep in no time. Really I am not kidding. David wants to watch tv and I can't seem to keep my eyes open. That's why these posts are so far apart. In fact writing about this makes me want to go crawl into bed instead of writing.
Let's talk during the night: Owen whines in his sleep. He talks in his sleep and sometimes cries. He likes milk all night long and these are things I can do and have done pretty much sleeping. Eli on occasion will cry to where you have to go comfort him. This is probably the worst. You can't just crawl into the crib and go to sleep with him, so you are stuck laying on the floor or standing over the crib. And of course you react quickly going to him so you never think to pee before going in. So now you realize you have to pee terribly and are stuck and extremely tired. Eli will sleep just light enough to know if you are trying to escape and yell "no, no, no!" And from the beginning I have learned to always take my phone with me to either room when they wake. Because you could be stuck for ages and realize you just needed a little something to do while you wait impatiently for them to go back to sleep.
I do not believe their is a great solution for sleeping. One day they will both be in their bed, probably together and sleeping fine and I might get some sleep. For now I am TIRED! Because they must always get up at 6, 7 if I am lucky. For all you more experienced parents. Yes I know I will look back on these moments and enjoy them and will miss the time that I got to sleep with them. But honestly all I see is now through my tired red eyes and completely fine with wishing they could sleep in their own bed and go to sleep easily.
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