Re: Feel like a mean mommy - OT

[Guest guest]

Oh poor Kellie

I feel for you & know how you feel. Although I would LOVE to

actually have Abby sit with me & fall asleep on my lap . She's not

much into cuddling, never has been. I don't know if you remember the

sleep problems I had with Abby one year ago at this time. From about

age 12 mos - 18 mos Abby would wake in the middle of the night

wanting to get up & play. So stupid me let her do this for 6 long

mos becuz I was such a sucker! Everyone told me to let her cry it

out but it broke my heart hearing her in there so upset calling for

me. I finally had enough of 2 - 3 am playtime so I let her cry it

out......it took a good week or two before she finally stopped waking

at night. But it worked . Most experts agree that you have to let

them cry it out. When Abby woke up, I would go into her room and

tell her it was " night night time " . She would calm til I left, then

she would flip out again. I would then wait 10 more mins & repeat

the same process. Eventually it did work & trust me, Abby doesn't

hate me today for it. You aren't losing his trust in you at all.

is old enough now to fall asleep on his own. Close all your

doors, turn on your fans & try your hardest to tune him out. I

remember doing that last summer along with putting a pillow over my

ears! I couldn't take it any more.

Hang in there - I know how you feel

Debbie Abby's mom DOCGrad

MI

> Hi everyone. Do any of you have problems putting your little ones

down to

> sleep without them falling asleep prior, like, say, in your arms?

is

> 15 months old and I have yet to be able to put him to sleep for a

nap or for

> the night just on his own. He lets me know when he is tired and

wants me to

> pick him up, upon which I hold him or rock him until he falls

asleep, and

> then I put him down. However, if upon putting him down in his crib

he wakes

> up, he will not go to sleep. He stands up and wants to be picked

up again.

> This happens all the time, and until now, I was just going along

with it and

> waiting for him to show me his is ready to go down by himself.

THIS IS NO

> LONGER WORKING. Can you tell I am definitely a first-timer at

this? I have

> heard that you just have to put them down and let them cry it out,

and until

> today, I haven't been able to do this. Hearing my baby cry is not

something

> I am fond of, and I cave in easily, and he knows this! Especially

at 15.5

> months, he is turning into a very manipulative little boy and knows

how to

> push mom's buttons. He has even developed a fake cry with the

added pout.

>

> If it were not for a rush transcript order, I would be caving right

now. He

> fell asleep in my arms, but twice when I put him down, he woke up

and started

> crying. The second time, I said, " Enough is enough, " and I gave

him his

> teddy bear and walked out of the room, closed the door. I have

been working

> on my transcript ever since and just patiently listening to him.

It started

> out as screaming, and now, going on a half hour in there, I hear

soft little

> cries and " Mama, mama. " I know eventually he's gotta fall asleep,

but I am

> afraid to look in there because I know he's probably standing up

and waiting.

> I want this to be kind of a learning experience for him, because I

can't

> rock him to sleep forever, but is he going to hate me or not trust

me anymore

> after this? I feel awful. How have your experiences been with

sleeping

> problems? If it were not for this rush order that has to get out

in about an

> hour, I'd be holding him right now, but I have no choice. I

figure, crying

> to sleep is not going to kill him and I will make it up to him when

he wakes

> up, but why do I feel so awful right now? is he going to just cry

until I go

> in there, or will he ever fall asleep?

> (sigh!)

>

> Kellie, mom of

> Tacoma, WA