My daughter has been sleeping with us since the day she was born. When she was about 1 and a half we decided she needed to start sleeping in her own room. We gave her room a makeover with pink walls and a big girl bed. Now she just turned 2 she is excited to sleep there every night but insists on me or my husband laying with her till she falls asleep. If she wakes up she cries for us o we go back in ans lie with her again. Plus she’s still on her bottle and insists on having some when she wakes up in the middle of the night. Its getting tiring for my husband and myself help!
Angela
Well parenting can be a challenge especially when we don’t get the results we want fast enough.
You could try making sure you have a consistent nightly routine. I would suggest a warm bath with some essential oils (relaxing), a nice quiet bedtime story and then finally a massage.
Always remember to quiet the environment down 1/2 hour before bedtime. (This means TV, radio, computer, cell phones everything OFF.)
Then consistency means you don’t change this routine or give up. This becomes her new way of going to bed until she tells you she doesn’t want it anymore. The side effects are it will lower her anxiety give her plenty of one on one time and relax her into a sleep. Even if she doesn’t stop taking the bottle right away or wanting you to lie down with her, DO NOT LET this routine lapse. Eventually she will accommodate you.
Remember she has her own internal emotional and physical clock and it just is not accommodating you right now. You have my assurance she will not sleep with you until she is 16 and she will not go to school drinking a bottle.
The idea is to make this as pleasant as possible for both of you and the secret is you will enjoy it as much as she does!
Best Wishes!
Dr. Mary Kay Keller
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