Trip, Trip, Trip... Here Is Your Night Visitor Again!
Night Visits From Your Child In the middle of the night you hear, trip, trip, trip and your bedroom door opens. It's not hard to imagine who it is and when you feel your little one climbing into your bed, you are sure. Rest assured, this behavior is both common and healthy. Your toddler or preschooler is searching for comfort and security and you are the one in his or her mind that provides for it. Plus, nature has a built in mechanism that, almost automatically, causes you to provide for that need. When you and or your toddler are really losing a lot of sleep because of these night visits, it's a different story. Using one of five proven methods to encourage your toddler to stay in his bed throughout the night. Find the one that works best for you by experimentation. However, before I explain these methods, it's important to remember this: Don't send mixed messages to your toddler. Learn from the following example about a woman who very gently and responsibly taught her child to stay in his own bed all night. Although she wanted her little one to sleep in his own bed, she also enjoyed the closeness with her child. What happened? She couldn't sleep and in the middle of the second night she got in the little ones bed! So, back to square one. Before you decide on a plan of action, get in touch with your own feelings about the matter. If there is one thing that children are very good at picking up, it is your uncertainty. Have you ever told your child, No when he or she wanted a cookie? If you really meant no way, chances are that your child realized that No was the end of it, but if you thought, Oh well, one cookie.., then all was lost. Your child easily picked up your emotions through your hesitation. Children are experts in picking up your emotions! Therefore it is very important not to sent mixed messages. Know what you want and stick to it. If I got a dime for every time one of my childs started to "negotiate with me" (and often won), I would now have a nice sum in the bank. Also consider: - Is your sleep or your partner's sleep interrupted because of your night visitor?
- Are you and your partner still able to enjoy your privacy? Lack of privacy can be a killer for a relationship.
- Do you really want your child to stay in his own bed or are outside pressures (school, neighbors, parents) the cause of your concern?
Lets say you and your partner agree that it's okay that baby stays in his own bed. So, how do you proceed? Allow your child to come into your room at night, but you don't allow him in your bed. Tell him gently to go back to his own bed. If necessary, an intermediate solution is to set up a sleeping place for the child in your room.Tell your child that it is okay to come to your room and get in bed only if the lights are on. An alternative is to set a radio timer and tell him or her that it's all right to come in if the music is playing. Make it a privilege. Allow your child to sleep with you only during the weekends or other specified days. However, you may experience problems with this tip. First of all, the days of the week are not always clear to children and secondly (and again very important), you and your partner need private time. Still, fun in Mom and Dad's bed on Sunday mornings will create memories that will last your child a lifetime!This one is difficult at first but often has a good result. If your little one comes in, gently tell him or her that he has to sleep in his own bed. Remember, it's safety and warmth with Mom and Dad that kids want. Bring your toddler back to his or her own bed and explain that you all need to sleep in your own beds, otherwise you'll all get grumpy. If the child returns, repeat the process. Bring your toddler lovingly back to his own bed and. do this without exception. Tell the child Mommy/Daddy loves you, but now it is night and we have to go to sleep. Rub your baby's back and you may even lay with him for a short while. Make exceptions only if your child is sick or extremely upset. However, even in this case, gently escorting your toddler back to bed may be enough.Reward your child. Hang a calendar in plain view and for every night he or she stays in his own bed, mark the calendar with a cross or a sticker. To start, after three stickers reward the child with a special treat like a trip to McDonald's. These methods are by no means the Holy Grail. Try those that suit you best and you will definitely notice a huge improvement. Always remember to be patient. In teaching little children, things often take longer than they do with adults. Whatever you do, be firm but loving. Don't leave your child out in the cold. Let your child know that his or her well-being is your main concern. Linda is mother of two, she is an inspired author of theBaby Strollers Guide and theBaby Products Guide
MORE RESOURCES:
Gaga over yogaCalgary Herald, Canada - 5 hours agoNot that an activity that is this much in vogue needs me to defend it, but I've actually heard people slagging yoga. There is no shortage of Garfield types ... |
Johnson turns to yogaThe Press Association - 2 hours agoManchester City midfielder Michael Johnson is having yoga sessions in a bid to cure his nagging pelvic problems. Johnson, who signed a new five-year ... |
Stressed out execs seek relief in YogaEconomic Times, India - Oct 12, 2008Corporates too are becoming proactive and invite yoga consultants to hold workshops and classes in offices. “Such activities help build a good working ... |
Yoga vs. Pilates -– what’s the difference?Fort Worth Star Telegram, TX - 6 hours agoPilates is more than just movements on a mat, and yoga is far more than stretching. Both are considered mind-body exercises because they require those who ... |
Yoga - Google News
|
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Parenting Your Teenager: How to Say NO!
Q: Whenever we tell my daughter "no," she just bugs and pesters until we give in. I know it's wrong to give in, but she makes things so unpleasant that we give in just to make peace.
Income that PAYS Your Child Support WITHOUT Increasing Your Child Support
Child support is defined as that part of your income you would spend on your children if they lived with you. Custodial parents do not pay child support, because it is assumed that they are spending money on the children, either directly (clothes, entertainment, etc.
We All Wish That Our Children Have Good Virtues, But... Are We Setting A Good Example Ourselves?
We all wish that our children should not smoke or drink, should not speak lies, should not steal, should not have a violent nature, etc..
Parenting Your Teenager: Back to School Blues
Q: Our son has been in honors classes all through school up until his junior year last year, when his grades took a dive. What could be going on and what can we do about it?A: The cause of suddenly declining grades in school can often be found in one of seven categories.
Valuable Parenting Tip
Very often, new parents rely on a parenting tip or two which is passed to them by their own folks, who are now grandparents and usually have plenty of reliable advice to share. If this sort of parenting tip and advice is not available however, new parents could run into all sorts of problems while trying to raise a healthy baby.
10 Signs That Your Teen Is Using Drugs
Did you know that over 75% of teens aged 16-17 report that obtaining marijuana is "easy or fairly easy?" Or that 25% of youths between 12 and 17 say the same of crack?When children start using drugs they usually exhibit many different signs that parents need to watch out for. Unfortunately, many parents often write-off these signs as normal adolescent behavior and as a result they don't realize that their child is into drugs until it is too late.
Elephants and Teenagers
Something eerily familiar happened in KwaZulu-Natal's Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Park in Africa recently.The adult elephants were taken away and the orphaned youngsters were left to fend for themselves.
Whine Oh Whine Am I The Only One?
I thought I was the only one in the world with a whiny 5-year-old. All the other 5-year-olds that I know of are either well-behaved or are total monsters! My elder child is a cross between the two - most times he's well-behaved and sometimes a total monster.
A Call For Fathers
Dads, please let me encourage you to change some things in your life. A recent University study found that the average father in America spends less than sixty seconds per day in conversations with his children!
The actual number was 47 seconds per day.
Old Wives Tales and Other Things That Just Might Help with ADHD
Here are some tips that I have picked up from parents that I have met over my 15 years working with ADHD kids and their families. These are not clinically tested.
Marriages May End But Families Are Forever
It was at that time when our marriage was falling apart and we completely hated each other when we needed to work constructively as parents, as our child's world was crumbling too.I have been divorced for over five years now and have a beautiful eleven year old daughter.
Parenting Your Teenager: How to End the Curfew Battle
Q. Things have been relatively calm and OK with our 16-year-old son so far.
Winning The Whining War
Jason Meridith's two-year old son whines when he wants more juice. Brenda Kreuger's eight-year old daughter whines about having to take piano lessons.
Breaking the Cycle of Emotional Blackmail
Family decision-making is an intriguing phenomenon. Many factors become part of the decision-making process.
Parenting Your Teenager: Truth or Lie?
Attention all parents of teen-agers. Here is an important, groundbreaking and even shocking bulletin for you:According to research conducted at the prestigious-sounding Josephson Institute of Ethics in, of course, California, here are two startling pieces of information:1) 92 percent of teens surveyed admitted to lying to their parents at least once in the last year.
Develop Your Childs Genius: The King of Games - the Game of Kings
Many people still think that the game of chess is appropriate for old people. In their mind's eye, they see 2 elderly people sitting across from each other in the park, playing a game of chess.
Parents, Teach Thought-Stopping! Fix Crooked Thinking Caps
Does your child pout, blame and brood? Does he gripe, groan, and grumble? Do you worry about your child's attitude? If so, maybe your child's thinking cap is crooked. If it is, you can help.
Parenting Your Teenager: Teens and Violence
I have a bit of a different response than most therapists to the often asked question:"How can all this teen violence be happening?"My questions are:"How could this not be happening"and"Why doesn't it happen even more often?"Here's what I mean by these questions - although there are many more factors involved, just consider these three:1) kids listen to increasingly violent music, see increasingly violent movies and TV shows, and play increasingly violent video games. All of these without any focus on the real life, long term consequences of violence.
Be Serious With Your Child Future
As a parent your biggest responsibility is to prepare your child for the future , physically emotionally and mentally.The first big Intellectual Challenge your child will face is the Entrance Test for KG and later for the First Standard .
Public Schools Can Waste 12 Years of Your Child's Life
For over fifty years, public-school officials and politicians have tried one education fad after another. They have all failed.
|
