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.