3-31-07 (44 minute show)
We all know the mantra of 'more sleep is better.' But we American's tend to like survival mode and as long as no one dies, we figure all is good enough. But, we want our kids getting good grades, not getting sick, performing in sports, and most importantly...BEHAVING. Selfishly, that's our motive. We don't like cranky, misbehaving kids. Or kids who won't go to sleep so we can have 'adult' time. We cite a book that we got called 'Preparation For Parenthood' that was a great tool in helping for infancy. The book is now called 'Baby Wise' and if you search you'll find some reports that diss the book. Calling some of the ideas 'dangerous.' But we aren't telling folks to run out and buy it, and I'm sure we didn't follow it like it was the Bible. But the idea of giving your kid some structure as it relates to bedtime...we've tested with our five kids and have had friends do so as well...and it works! Listen to hear our take on it.
Never miss a new show or a new blog by subscribing to the Email Alerts! You'll get a quick email alert within minutes of a new posting!
Comments (3)
The Babywise book definitely has some good points about not letting an infant rule your life and create chaos. Personally, it just didn't click with me at all. I hated it. My personality couldn't sync the tyranny of their schedules and all that hour counting -- feed them 2 hours, make them sleep, wake them up. That drove me crazy. If I was exhausted at night, and the baby was still awake I'd just lay down on my bed and nurse him to sleep. If he woke up in the middle of the night, same deal. Nursing was my sleep guarantee -- a trump card. Sounds lazy, but it really worked for me. Is that bad?
Posted by boymom | April 25, 2007 9:03 PM
Posted on April 25, 2007 21:03
I totally agree with boymom. Scheduling an infant's sleep seems completely unnatural to me. As I watch our cat with her brand new kittens, it reminds me how instinctive it is for an infant to cuddle up to mom in bed, nurse and fall asleep. I always feel like I get plenty of sleep, even with a new infant, because the baby's sleep cycle very quickly syncs to mine, and because it is possible to breastfeed in a halfawake state. Lazy maybe, but it works for me as well.
Posted by moomom | April 25, 2007 10:15 PM
Posted on April 25, 2007 22:15
boymom & moomom -
I agree, in those first few "infant" weeks, nursing whenever, just to survive & get as much sleep as possible is practically instinctive. However...after a couple of months at the most, baby should be settling into some semblance of a routine, with about 3 hour gaps between feedings. At this point, I believe from experience with 5 very-different-personalitied babies, it is in the best interest of the entire family to start some sort of schedule. Creating a schedule sets a pattern for baby to go to sleep on their own without pitching a fit or having to rock/nurse/bottle-feed for 20 minutes, and sets a pattern for consistency that brings peace to everyone. The thing is...it takes effort and there is a "price to pay"...but in the long run it is SO worth it. We live in such an instant-gratification society, and good parenting doesn't happen instantly, and certainly isn't gratifying right away. It requires perseverance and faith in the process. For us, it wasn't always easy, but all 5 of our kids settled down on their own & slept through the night (10pm - 6am) by about 6 months, they all sit down at meal-time and enjoy a healthy & varied vegetarian diet, they all do chores & schoolwork daily with nary a complaint...and I am convinced it stemmed from the scheduling & consistency & peace they experienced even from infancy.
Posted by momOfive | April 26, 2007 10:46 PM
Posted on April 26, 2007 22:46