Early Birds, Coffee, And The Secret To Parenthood.

While most people in the little town of Bellingham are sleeping my children and I have already been awake, had coffee, enjoyed breakfast, taken showers, and mediated at least two fights between the boys. All of that by 7 am. Am I proud of this? Feel superior to other parents. Heck. No. I wish I had the secret other parents must be hiding. How in the world do you keep your kids in bed past 7!? I will pay you. I will bring you coffee. My aunt has to drag her five year old out of bed most mornings. I even have her over all the time to have her rub off on my kids. Never works. Instead my kids fall asleep first and wake up first. They wait by the door until she begrudgingly drags herself out of bed. I'm always asking moms out there what time their kids wake up. Once in a great while I will be pleased to hear a similar story to mine, but usually I leave bitter.  Then someone told me a little secret to help keep early birds in their beds. The clock. Not a clock. THE. CLOCK.This clock is brilliant, if you couldn't catch that from the name. It was also 50% off which thrilled the cheap side of me. This clock glows yellow at night and then turns green at the time of your choosing. Liam is thrilled waiting for the green light. The best part is that it keeps my kids in their bed all night. All I have to do when they creep into my room in the middle of the night is ask Liam what color it is and he stomps back to bed. Then I hear them in their beds in the morning talking while they wait for the infamous green light. I heard the chattering start at 5:30 this morning. Mommy isn't nice until at least 6 am. I'm getting them used to the light by setting it at 6:10, but as soon as they get the routine down... Mwuahahah. (evil laugh) Then I start changing the time slowly. Maybe I can actually get them to sleep in until 12. Come on a mom can dream right. Fine. I'd be happy with 7. Especially with baby number three coming. If Liam and Levi actually think they can convert this new, impressionable child to become an early bird.... They. Will. Pay. 

The Terrible Sleep Training Mama

One thing I have learned over my "extensive" two years of parenting is all parents think their way is the only way. If you ask for advice on any topic concerning your children, get ready to hear that your terrible for even posing said question, ridiculous advice that you'd never follow, hilarious remarks from friends, and a few good ideas. 

 

One thing that's extremely important to my little family is sleep. If my children don't get enough sleep, they are monsters the next day. If my husband doesn't get enough sleep at night, he acts like the world is over. Literally over and can't proceed with his day. If I don't get enough sleep... Let's just say, stay away from mommy. 

 

We learned very early that sleep training is key to our sanity as a family. Ah sleep training. The controversial topic that causes riots amount at mothers.

 

I've heard it all. Letting your children cry it out won't hurt them. You are traumatizing your children and making them feel abandoned when you let them cry. Lay with your kids until they fall asleep. Lay them back down every time they get up in bed. 

We'll, I've tried it all. I don't think there is a universal way to sleep train your child. I think it depends on your child. You know what your child needs, as their mom. It's completely ok if you don't agree with this post. Let's just remember to keep the comments friendly. :)

 

We have chosen the cry it out method with both kids. We were very strict with Liam for the first year and it went perfectly. He cried for thirty minutes the first night and he cried less and less the following nights. Then Joel and I lost our minds and thought it would be sweet to let him sleep with us in bed sometimes. This turned into him climbing into our bed in the middle of the night. It was cute at first. Then we had Levi. I'll never forget the first night we brought Levi home. Liam woke up in the middle of the night, Joel brought him into our bed, and he was utterly betrayed when he found Levi in our bed nursing. It took about a week straight of working with both of them to share. 

 

It got worse from there. They both go to sleep in their own beds to start out the night. Then they both mosey in around three in the morning. How do we fix this? Put list back in his bed and let Levi cry it out. However that is much easier said than done. My husband and I are delirious I the middle of the night and don't realize we're giving I until the next morning whenwe wake up with no blankets and a child's foot in our face. 

 

I guess we have eight months to fix this. Otherwise we will have five people in our beds every morning. No thank you.