Spend the first six months of parenthood in your pyjamas trying to get your baby to sleep, trying to get some sleep and trying to get stuff done on barely any sleep.
Establish a good bedtime routine. This is key to everything. Babies like to know exactly what to expect. So that they can do the exact opposite.
After discovering that, apparently, everybody else’s baby sleeps through the night, take approximately one month to read baby sleep books, search the internet for baby sleep solutions and visit the health visitor on a weekly basis convinced something must be wrong with your child.
After being unable to leave the house for three days due to lack of sleep, decide you will have to sleep train your baby that night.
Too exhausted to sleep train baby. Postpone until the following day.
Still too tired.
Four days later you slightly less tired so decide to start sleep training.
Put the baby into her cot ‘drowsy BUT not awake’ (the golden rule of sleep training).
She immediately screams her head off. Tell her calmly, it is sleep time and leave the room.
Baby screams even louder. Immediately return to her room and pick her up.
Wonder if she might be teething.
Tell husband about possible teething and both decide to postpone sleep training, just to be on the safe side.
One week later commence sleep training.
Husband puts baby down, she screams. He leaves the room.
She screams even louder.
Discuss how long we should leave her. Five minutes maybe?
More screaming.
Tell husband you are going in.
Husband points out it has only been 45 seconds.
Inconsolable crying now.
Discuss possibility that she might have banged her head or been sick.
Go and get the baby.
Both fuss over her and feel guilty for leaving her to cry.
For three minutes.
Decide to research a different sleep training method in the morning that does not involve controlling crying.
Baby then stays awake all night to make it clear she was not happy about the sleep training attempt.
Forget about plan to sleep train baby.
Pass out in Sainsbury’s with exhaustion and vow to definitely sleep train the baby.
That night put baby in her cot sleepy but awake.
Baby immediately stands up and screams.
You pick her up, cuddle her, then just as she is looking comfortable in your arms – put her back in the cot.
She immediately cries.
Pick up, cuddle, put back down.
Repeat this process until you are too tired to stand up.
Text husband. IT IS YOUR TURN ON THE BABY. I AM GOING TO PASS OUT.
Husband continues with the process until he can barely stand (or his smart phone runs out of battery).
You take over until you are on the verge of a nervous breakdown.
Take the baby into your bed for a ‘few minutes’.
You and the baby fall asleep.
Decide to find a sleep training method that involves less effort.
That night put baby down in cot but do not leave the room. ‘Gradually retreat’ to a seat next to the cot.
Baby throws out her dummy, then screams for her dummy. You give her back her dummy.
Repeat ten times.
Tell yourself she is perfectly ok. She can see you are there; right next to her.
Try singing a lullaby but she can’t hear it over her screaming.
Compromise by stroking her head over the cot bars.
Baby is now even more upset because she thought you were going to get her out.
Attempt to fob baby off by giving her a teddy. She throws out the teddy.
Try to give her a cuddle through the bars. Get arm stuck. Baby holds on to stuck arm for dear life.
Baby bites arm.
Finally wiggle arm out and the baby is jumping up and down in anger.
Baby bangs her chin on cot.
You get her out and give her a cuddle.
Delay sleep training until tomorrow due to chin injury.
The next day the baby is a little bit grumpy. Decide she might be coming down with something.
Put off sleep training.
The baby turns one and you celebrate surviving an entire year of barely any sleep by falling asleep before Coronation Street.
Make the decision that you must absolutely sleep train the baby that night.
Husband takes the baby up to her room.
Ten minutes later there is still no screaming. He returns downstairs.
Husband confesses he did not put her down ‘drowsy but awake’.
“She fell asleep on me, ” he shrugs.
Have a row with husband about the importance of putting her down ‘drowsy but awake’.
Decide it is pointless doing sleep training tonight as husband has ‘buggered it up’.
Sulk with husband for two days then decide to definitely, definitely, start sleep training. Seriously.
No. Matter. What.
On the third night of very gradually retreating nowhere baby sleeps for five hours straight.
Believe you have turned a corner.
Announce on Facebook that baby is practically sleeping through the night.
Tell everyone you know baby is practically sleeping through the night.
That night the baby wakes up TWELVE times.
One month later you have not gradually retreated any further than the chair beside the cot. And the baby is still waking up most of the night, every night.
Realise you are actually more exhausted than before you started sleep training
The baby doesn’t even scream now. She just stares smugly, throws her dummy out or sings. But should you even think about moving from the chair. She unleashes hell.
Get a more comfy chair.
Try putting baby to bed later.
Still she wakes.
Try putting baby to bed earlier.
Still she wakes.
Quit sleep training.
Stop Googling about the baby not sleeping, stop worrying about the baby not sleeping and accept that your baby is not sleeping.
Resign yourself to that fact that after a two-year battle the ‘sleep thief’ has won.
Happy in her victory (and by now suitably exhausted) the baby finally, finally, finally
SLEEPS…
…But not before teaching her little sister everything she knows about keeping us awake.
This time around we are not sleep training. I am far too tired. Besides, I am rubbish at it.
Instead, we are using a combination of simple techniques including ‘Get The Baby To Sleep By Whatever Means Necessary’ and ‘Sod It. Just Let Her Sleep In Our Bed’.
For more information on how NOT to get your baby to sleep feel free to sign up to follow this blog on email or join me on Facebook or Twitter. If you are struggling with a sleep thief check out my Survival Guide or read this to find out how to sleep when baby actually sleeps or why not relax with a homemade chicken soup. Or, for actual advice on gentle sleep coaching visit www.lovemornings.com. It is too late for me but save yourselves…
How To Survive A Sleep Thief 
Wow! We used the same techniques you guys did, only our son taught himself to throw up deliberately because he know it would cut our sleep training attempt very short, AND it only took us THREE years! Hooray! Then we had a baby who seemed to be more easy going, but soon realized he was just tricking us. That’s when he decided to keep waking up like a new born baby (every three god@*%# hours for milk!) for 15 months!
Yesterday we were invited by some friends for a BBQ. At one point after having completely exhausted myself running after a toddler who enjoys running at full speed towards stairs and pools, I looked over at two of my friends and for a moment, tried to remember how I know these people. I’m serious. It was like my brain short circuited for a second, deleted some really basic information and left me completely lost for a few seconds.
That. Is not. Normal.
Poeple. NEED. Sleep.
Ha ha.three years. Good going!
I know exactly that feeling! I often walk into a shop and find that i not only have no idea why I am in there, but also how I got there. I think it’s called slowly losing our minds….
I cracked up laughing at so much of this! Sound like we ‘train’ very similarly and are all complete softies! I was at the end of my rope recently; baby wouldn’t be rocked, co-sleep, cuddled – had to drive him to sleep every day and evening, for weeks! It’s a lot better now (touches wood), but was on the verge of doing controlled crying as nothing else was working. Convinced my reluctant husband then five minutes before bed time I completely lost my nerve and we decided I just couldn’t do it… Husband quickly agreed – Suckers!!
Ha not just us then!! My babies literally go to ‘total meltdown’ so quickly I just don’t think it would have worked anyway! Even if I have the cheek to go to the loo before I go into her it makes her more determined to stay awake all night.
Sorry that should be decided that we couldn’t do it… Bloody sleep deprivation!
…I’m slightly worried that you might be stalking me…how did you hear about that discussion with my husband about the baby falling asleep on his shoulder (seriously every blooming time)?
As I write I am sat here gradually retreating…gradually retreating towards the changing table, I don’t leave the room until there’s been silence for a good 25 minutes…
…it’s dark in here…and the other day there was a spider…
Ha ha..I know! She would take hours to fall asleep on me… On daddy? Five minutes!!
Oh get out now…before you gradually retreat into madness!!
Still “sleep training” my youngest who’s 4. Who am I kidding.. i gave up a year ago and am just waiting for her to be old enough to just ignore at night 🙂
Ha ha..that is the dream!!!
This would be hilarious if it wasn’t so true! It could be written about my family! My daughter is 9 and we are still sleep training! The only consolation is that our son is the complete opposite and crashes out at any given opportunity most nights! He loves his sleep. I remember the only way my daughter would fall asleep was those electric fisher price swings. Strapped in on the highest speed! The second we turned it off…..
Yep. My other daughter will happily fall asleep on me…however as soon as I dare put her down…game over!! 9?? You must be shattered!
Brilliant! I remember this well…. And although Mushroom sleeps through the night, I am still aiming for the glorious day when I can creep quietly out of the room and not need to stay there in the chair until he’s fast asleep… (he’s 3)!
Ha I feel your pain. I have to get in bed with my littlest then sneak out once she is suitably coma-like…
Oh my god laughed so much – thank you!! We’re 9 months into ‘sleep training’ – never knew I could function on so little sleep! She’ll do it one day I’m sure….
Ha thanks! I know what you mean – a few years ago I would have stayed in bed all day if I had been up all night!
I remember those days. Giving up on sleep training and just letting my son be my son definitely worked for us!
Some kids want to sleep, others don’t, there’s not loads you can do about it – it’s not parenting technique, it’s biology!
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/131/6/e1874.abstract?sid=e2189262-2135-4960-8911-0f2aeb205eb0
Yep, they get there eventually- I just wish I had realised that with my first baby and been more relaxed about it! Oh well we live and learn…eventually!
good job
thak you guys
this is hilarious . We’re 18 months in with a non sleeper early riser . I don’t know my name half of the time
Ha thank you! I forgot my phone number last week..a number I have had for 15 years, so you are not alone!
I really do sympathise. I had four under five and the third one used to wake around 10-12 times a night to have the juice in his bottle topped up. We ended up with the last two in our bed by default (falling asleep while breastfeeding for the first two years and feeling bad about it! However my children are attachment parenting and co-sleeping. The babies wake often but just latch on and feed and everyone gets to sleep more and no-one is stressed or ever screams. Maybe, just maybe our babies really do need to be near us all the time for the first three or four years. My Grandchildren have successfully transferred into a bed in their parents room and then their own bedrooms by the age of three to four. Kids will survive and grow up ok whichever way you do it, so why not do it in a way that minimises upset for everyone? I wish I had known what my children know all those years ago!
I agree! With my second baby I am far more relaxed and the only way we can get some sleep is by co sleeping! Plus she is still breastfeeding at bedtime at 18 months which is the only way she will sleep. Hoping she’ll get there in her own time!
Hilarious… Not sure though why people allow their kids to take over their health and well being to quite that extreme and yes before everyone decides to lay into me i have had children and fostered children too. Parents your children will sleep eventually if you dont keep going into them every time they kick off. Naturally illness or breastfeeding is a different issue
This is hilarious!! I will show hubby later as it mirrors a lot of our experiences. She is currently 15mths old do only 9 months till she sleeps!!
Thank you! Glad we are not the only ones! Ha nine months and counting!!
I can’t believe what I am reading.
From the beginning be clear, and consistent. Night is for sleeping, not cuddles, not endless drinks, stories etc. Put the child in the bed, switch the light off and go away. If you have not followed this method from the beginning, sadly you may have to deal with screaming, crying throwing up etc. Eventually the child will sleep – so don’t give in. If they don’t sleep for as long as you need to then they can play in their cot until the household is awake.
Our first child slept through the night before the midwife stopped visiting. In fact we were waking him up for a feed until the midwife looked at us as if we were mad and told us not to wake him (he was our first baby , we didn’t know any better). Granted this seems to be unusual and so apologies to all parents who are struggling. For baby number 2 I don’t remember any issues – followed the method outlined above.
Parents you need to get a grip and be PARENTS not slaves to your child!
Neither of our children ever screamed in the supermarket or succeeded in ‘pester power’. The deal was we were there to shop, if the child played up it was told we would go home immediately and it could look at an empty plate as there would be no dinner as we hadn’t bought any.
Eventually the children learnt that I meant what I said and pretty much didn’t bother misbehaving. I never actually had to carry out any of the consequences they were told would happen (I think I did start wheeling the trolley towards the door first time they played up in the supermarket), but I would have done – so be careful what you threaten as if they don’t cooperate this method depends on you carrying out your threat.
Only on very very rare occasions was it ever necessary to bribe them. They knew that the default was that they were expected to behave. That’s it. If they were extra good then they occasionally got a reward.
My children were nice well behaved children and are now pleasant well adjusted adults.
Thanks for the advice. However, I expect it is too late and my children are destined to be juvenile delinquents because I did not leave them to cry until they were sick!! I also bribe them often. With biscuits. So there is no hope for me.
Wow. With my first child I stuck to your method as he never slept and by the time he was 2 we were exhausted. Enough was enough. However after 8 weeks of your so called being consistent I ended up with a baby that woke upmore and more at night. In the day I couldn’t even walk out a room for 2 seconds he was so frightened I wasn’t coming back. It wasn’t tantrums or naughtiness it was pure fear and he was able to verbalise it too. It took a year to undo the damage. In the end cuddles love and security was the best way. With my second we didn’t even bother ‘training’ and had no problems. As for those poor parents that are ‘slaves’ to their children it’s not there fault that you had easy babies. For all you exhausted parents some encouragement…..remember for all the times your baby is awake and others are sleeping she/he is learning, developing and taking the world in 🙂
It definitely depends on your baby. I know plenty of people who had the same problem as you because their babies did not take to ‘consistent’ sleep training. Thankfully, my eldest is living proof that by NOT leaving her to cry and instead making her feel secure and safe in her own bed – she now goes to sleep confidently and happily! Just hoping her sister will go the same way!
Did you leave your babies to cry alone in their cot at night? This is really not recommended…I agree with the supermarket bit for older children. But when babies are little they need response from parents when they cry.
This is a troll, surely?
It often staggers me that people who leave their babies to cry assume that us ‘spineless parents’ will continue the same behaviour when the child is older. A small child who cannot understand why they are being left alone at night is different to a child throwing a wobbler in a supermarket, or kicking off in a restaurant or pushing another kid over in the playground. We do know the difference.
My twin girls are 2 years old and still not consistent in sleeping. The problem is that I can’t leave one to cry for long because they wake the other up! (Whether in same or separate rooms! We’ve tried both)! 😮 Normally ends up with me sitting on the floor in their bedroom holding Amy’s hand whilst Hayley is in our bed with my sleeping, snoring husband! When will it ever calm down!
Ah yes another problem with ‘sleep training’ when you have more than one! It will get better…this too shall pass…so I like to think!
My two girls share a room. The 6 year old is fine. My two year old iS the duracell bunny. Only way I can get her to sleep now is by getting in bed with her. Then I fall asleep too. I invariably stumble out at some point in night and whenever I do she is awake within 30 minutes. If I stay there all night she sleeps. Hallelujah! Doesn’t give much adult time but who cares when you can sleep?! In the meantime husband has perfected the starfish move in the double bed which he now has to himself by and large. Sigh.
You are so right! Sleep becomes the ultimate priority when you have a non sleeper. Mine often ends up in with me and daddy is relegated to the settee!
My two year old still falls asleep on me 6/7 nights! I was ‘strict’ on the older two – to little avail – and like you say, do what works!! Besides, it’s an excuse for 10-15 minutes of quiet cuddles before he wakes at 5am!
Exactly! I sometimes think they will only sleep when they are good and ready no matter what!!
Of course, every baby is different. I read the books, obsessed over other people’s babies who slept through early and finally did the controlled crying method with both- took one session each and they both then started sleeping through. It doesn’t, of course, happen that way for everyone who tries CC, but it saved my frazzled, addled, labile ass. Of course, it’s not a forever cure- it just taught them that they could sleep through without needing milk. They still wake up now (age 3 and 5), erratically- one or both, but have phases of being blissfully asleep for 12 hours too. Good luck whichever way you survive.
Thank you! Glad you found a way! Like you say there is no solution fits all as they are all so different! X
Loved this!
Ah thank you!
There are others?! Mine turns two at Christmas and while she now goes down easily, I’m still up two or three times a night and she refuses to nap more than an hour during the day. She’s a very light sleeper and her baby sister arrives at the end of the month. I’ll sleep when I’m dead…..
Congratulations! If it makes you feel any better my eldest did get slightly better once her sister was born…she still wakes up a few times but goes straight back to sleep after a cuddle/dummy/drink.. However, her little sister has taken over the Sleep Thief title!! Good luck my friend!
We had an undercover sleep thief. He did the normal baby shenanigans, nothing too bad (helped by co sleeping with him – I perfected the art of breastfeeding lying down whilst asleep). I think we got him mainly sleeping through at about a year. Great. He continued to mainly sleep through most of the time. Then age 6 1/2 he stopped. He started waking in the night and refusing to settle back to sleep. He would come into our bed and wiggle and kick us so we couldn’t sleep. Usually half an hour to an hour after we’d fallen asleep and had just got into deep sleep. If we put him back in his bed then he would get out again and back into ours. If we repeatedly put him back to bed then he’d get in his sisters bed and wake her and then we’d have both of them awake at 2am. Fighting. My mum said helpful things like “you just have to be firm with him” and “just put him back in his bed”.
After 2 or 3 months of this he switched from middle of night waking to not going to bed at night. He would mess around and wind himself up at bedtime, then not stay in bed. We would be repeatedly be putting him back to bed every 5/10/15 minutes until 9/10/11 o clock at night. Nothing got done in the evening, we were just sitting there waiting for him to get up and need putting back to bed.
People said helpful things like “have a routine” (we had a routine, it had worked fine for 5 1/2 years, we hadn’t changed it), “be firm”, “don’t let him eat within 2 hours of going to bed” “don’t give him processed food”.
By this stage we were all over tired. There were a lot of tantrums, mainly, but not exclusively from him.
Then after about 6 months of sleep deprivation, he started going to bed and sleeping through again. Nothing had changed, just like it hadn’t when he stopped.
Then we had 6 months ish of good sleeping. And then he decided to give up sleeping again. For a few months again.
We’re in a better phase at the moment, not perfect, but better. I’m not holding my breath that it will last.
I think the worse thing is that whist their are always smug people with methods around, I think it’s more accepted when babies don’t sleep through (maybe I have rose tinted glasses, my youngest is now 6 1/2 and those years long behind us). It’s kind of expected that parents of babies are sleep deficient, even if not fully appreciated. But by the time they’re 7 it’s not expected that they won’t stay in bed and it feels very firmly to be considered a parenting issue. At the same time, the options are less (whatever you’re views on controlled crying, when you have someone that can climb tree’s, ride a bike, unlock doors, you cannot make them stay in bed, there is no cot side, no stair gate, the only way is to physically hold them in bed (assuming they’re not fighting, in which case they will get away, if not you whereupon fall asleep yourself and they get up, I kid you not) or by some illegal/immoral means of tying/gaffertaping/locking them in (which I don’t condone, have not done, but sometimes I feel I would sympathise with why someone might be tempted).
Phew, that was a bit of a rant, sorry. Think you may have touched a nerve!
Ha It’s Ok i love a good rant! Besides it made me laugh! Is that bad!? You must be shattered!!
Gaffer-taping?! Hmm my sleep-deprived mind is now considering this option…
Laughing is fine. It’s the unsolicited parenting advice (often from men without children) that assumes I’m an idiot that grates.
The gaffer tape option does feel tempting when sleep deprived….
Reading this had me reliving the first 2 years of hell I went through with my son. I was Sleep deprived and feeling failed that I couldn’t get my kid to sleep in his own bed. You nailed the description of the living hell.You are not alone. 🙂
Thanks for the comment! Always good to know its not just me!!
Here’s the thing… your baby is not going to be waking you up for ever. Being a parent is a wonderful experience, and before you know it, they will be flying the nest. Learn to embrace them when they need you, you can get by for years without enough sleep; it’s all about paying it forward!
mother of 5 speaking!
Well said! Despite all the tiredness I have a feeling i will miss those 4am cuddles when my youngest starts sleeping through!
Ha ha! Been there with my first four kids, you have my sympathy and total understanding, but finally cracked it with number five. Hope it’s a relatively short phase for you.
So three more babies to go and I might just get some sleep!!
Reblogged this on queeneekat.
I love this! Mine makes the EXACT same expression. How do babies know exactly what expression and decibel screams to get their way? Awesome post.
Thank you! I know… The sad face cannot be resisted! They are cute little geniuses!
Brilliant post as usual. Congratulations on a well-deserved Freshly Pressed. I look forward to hearing repeatedly in the comments here about how you (and I) could have avoided years of heartache and fatigue simply by leaving our infants to cry until they (deliberately) vomited. Because a kid who can’t yet control its bowels is totally capable of wilfully manipulating its parents like that.
Thanks for the follow, too! It’s a compliment to me to be read by such a warm, funny, human writer. Wishing you a synchronised nap from your girls today. 🙂
Thanks so much! I have had a few such comments already…trying to remain diplomatic!! I love your blog by the way. It seems we share a few experiences!
Thanks! I hope for your sake you haven’t also recently attempted to kill a giant undead spider though!
A perfect solution: Co-sleeping 🙂 baby girl and I both sleep like a dream and I’m very rarely tired during the day! Love napping with her if I am 🙂
http://www.tealtomato.com
I wish I had tried co sleeping more with my first but I was too worried about it! My second always ends up in our bed…and when it works, it is the only way I get a few hours sleep!
I read this with my 4 month old next to me (despite ‘never’ co sleeping). Woke him and my husband up laughing so hard! It’s 4am. I was not popular!
Ha oh 4am the worst of the waking hours…too close to morning. I hope you all got back to sleep!
My first slept through the night, I put her to bed drowsy but awake…it was a dream. I didn’t know any better, I just thought that was normal. My next three…… let’s just say they MORE than made up for the rest I got way back then. My husband keeps telling me that the baby must be schizophrenic….My magic number is 3. At 3 years old…there is a chance for me to sleep the night through. Because I’ve long since decided I’m just too damn old and tired to bother trying to train anyone to sleep…. it ends up taking way longer than just giving in and holding them, or sleeping with them anyway. My youngest is almost 2….so I’m really really excited, and keep telling my husband we’ll be all set in just one more year. I can hang in there…. and I hope you get some sleep over there too!
Ha ha..I ran out of stamina at baby 2. I do not know how you manage..you must have your hands full day and night! One more year here too…or so I hope!
Despair not! Just wait until your beloved babies reach the age of 13 or thereabouts, and, lo and behold!, you will not be able to get them out of bed. In the mornings, that is, for school. Getting them in to bed in the first place may be more of a challenge, I admit.
Ha thanks! just oooh 12 years to go then!!
You know what: Both of our kids slept in our room for a while and I feel they suddenly were ready and it was never really a struggle from then onwards. Saved both of us many sleepless nights. In the end: whatever works best for you. And you need sleep…
Yes our littlest normally ends up in my bed…if she actually sleeps and doesn’t try and start a pyjama party, I can get a few blissful hours!!
Sounds so familiar 🙂
Reblogged this on LUWAGGA ALLAN and commented:
New borns
Saw this one is freshly squished (as someone once said). Well done! Deserved.
Ah thank you!
Ah yes, I remember it well! 😴
I have a two year old that slept 10 hours in the hospital and did that every night since we got home, so, yeah nothing to complain about. I don’t know if it’s her personality or what but when she was in the hospital I kept the door open to my room so we let the noise in and she went to sleep with that, so when we got home no noise kept her awake, maybe that helped. I think you have to treat each baby differently, they will all have different things that comfort them and make them feel secure enough to sleep, the same with a child, one technique won’t necessarily work for all of them. Follow your instincts, it’s your kid, chances are if you think about what helped you sleep as a kid that will probably help them sleep.
Good advice! Thanks
So accurate! My 16 month old still falls asleep on me…ah well it won’t be forever right..?
This too shall pass…I hope!!
Good luck, my twenty three year old first born still stays mostly awake 6 days out of 7 despite trying everything available to us for about 20 years. She moved out to live in the dorm at age 18 and I still haven’t caught up on my missing shut eye. Some humans don’t require as much sleep. Despite what the research says.
Ha so only another 22 years until sleep time then!!!
Well…only if you just have one! Love your profile pic “sleep is for the weak”. May I share it with her?
Ha! Of course!! X
Thanks for the feedback. Check out my blog, I would love yours.
http://getresurgatized.wordpress.com/
I will look forward to reading it! Thanks x
I feel extremely fortunate after reading this post – our little girl has been sleeping through the night since 7 weeks old. She was getting up at 4am first (8pm bedtime) and now sleeps until 6 or 7 (7 or 8pm bedtime) although we do have another one arriving in March next year so I’m thinking we’re definitely not going to get it that easy again!
Great post, will save ready for March! ha 🙂
Ha my sister’s baby was the same!! They are all so different. I hope you wont need this in march! Good luck with baby two! X
Good grief I am back in 1991 when I had my Son! I went through the same as a single parent (I had three kids with him but it didn’t work out – he was a cheat and still is lol) It was so hard to leave him screaming like he was dying, little sod! It doesn’t get any better, the drunken nights etc. Love your blog, thank you for the reminder!
I have got so much respect for single parents since becoming a mum. It is hard enough with two of us…especially when you have non sleepers! Oh I am not looking forward to the teenage years!
Thank you, that is verykind of you. There is always a little prejudice in the world for single moms but I was having none of it – I worked full time and helped them grow up as best as I could, picking the pieces up when their dad let them down. They are lovely and I wouldn’t be without them, wouldn’t want teenage years either!!!!
Love this! Nicely done. My body is still catching up on lost sleep and it’s been over two years now since the little guy stopped waking at night!
Thank you. I have heard once you finally start getting sleep you just can’t get enough!
Thanks all, I’m writing this from my bed roll which may be on the couch or on our daughters bed as I long since gave up the right to shared sleep so my wife might get the benefit of co=sleeping (my snoring prevents my participation) My wife keeps promising its the last night but I;m way too wise to believe that!!!
Do what ever you have to do for the benefit of your child, that’s what being a parent is and it never stops, I have a 27 year old that is testament to that fact.
In hope……….
Thanks Doug. That is so funny, it sounds like the conversation my husband and I have most nights. His snoring also means he spends many nights on the settee while our daughter enjoys his side of the bed!
How crazy is this!! haha. And the sleep training is only the beginning. Toddlers will behave the same with that kind of ‘training’. Tantrums in STORES and other public places and AT OTHER PEOPLE’S HOMES. How embarrasing. Then it continues until teenage years. Oh nooo! I didn’t have to deal with that! It stopped quickly with toddler’s first attempt to take us that far into ‘training’. haha.
Ha I had no idea how hard this parenting game would be! Got a tantrummy three year old who seems to be having belated terrible twos!
This too shall pass. You made me laugh hard when you said “too late for me for save yourselves”. Someone needs to write a blog to help you with the 3 year old because they learned after the fact. You have a talent in making a hard story sooo funny!!
Thank you. I am just glad to hear from people in the same boat – it makes me feel better to know it is not just me!
Brilliant. My son is a week away from turning 13 months and 2 nights ago for the first time slept for 6 hours straight, only waking and feeding once. Magic. Last night? woke. and. fed. every. two. hours. This post was like you’d documented our lives.. I bet you were told your girls were “alert” – which the midwives said to me the day he was born and it was the thing everyone said… had no clue this was code for “won’t sleep sucker!!”
Thank you for the laugh – my husband and I were crying with laughter (instead of sleep deprivation) reading this. We’re assuming we’ve got 11 more months of the madness. Our routine has been solid since 4 months and makes no difference whatsoever. Stuff it. Our little man is happy, funny and gorgeous – and I’ve finally realised I am not a failure,… he’ll sleep when he’s ready. In fact I’ve decided anyone with a none sleeper is actually a “better” parent – because we are loving and laughing despite the torture. (Jokes – I am not a competitive mum and I salute every single parent out there.)
Thanks! Yep, we were told our babies were ‘so alert’ from day one! She would not even sleep that first night on the labour ward. Sleep deprived parenting is hard work but I found it so much easier once I accepted it and like you, realised I am not a failure. As a result I am far more relaxed with my second child who has escaped any form of sleep training and instead just ends up in our bed every night!
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Ha this is great. So happy when my little girl started sleeping through the night. I remember the first morning after, I was nearly late for work because I was used to her waking me up throug out the night and very early. lol. Great share!
Thanks for the comment! Glad it is not just me! Sleeping through the night…what is that like!?? One day….