Sleep Forum
This is a group for all parents who have questions or concerns about sleep. Newborn waking up too many times at night? Toddler STILL not sleeping in her own bed? Not sure if you should give him another bottle before bedtime? Come and ask the experienced moms at the Sleep Forum.
432 Members
Club type:
Common Interest
Leader:
pattireis00
Created:
Aug 18, 2007
Location:
Camarillo, CA
Talk
Another positive update (and a funny story)
I am happy to report that the sticker plan (to give my daughter a sticker on a poster each time she stayed in her bed all night) has been a success. Last Thursday night she earned her 20th and last sticker and earned a nice prize. The great thing was, though, when we were talking about her success as she put on her last sticker, I said to her, "And now you're going to stay in your bed every night, right?" And without missing a beat, she tells me simply, "No, I got 20 stickers." Ha ha ha! Now, had I not already been prepared for just such an argument, I very well may have been devastated by the response. (All that hard work for nothing?) But I was ready. I just told her that she'd lose a sticker every time she didn't stay in her bed, and eventually she'd lose her prizes if she lost too many stickers.
So, aside from one night when I was just too tired to get out of bed at 1 a.m. and I let her in our bed telling her she wouldn't lose a sticker that night (bad me), she's stayed in her bed every night since. Not only that, but she's going longer and longer stretches now without waking up. So yes, my fellow co-sleepers, it can be done. Your child will not sleep with you forever! So enjoy those snuggly nights and mornings, and know that when the time is right, the habit can be undone.
Patti
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6 Comments
Great news Patti- thanks for the update! I've been so busy lately, I haven't had much time to get online- I miss the group
My 2 year old continues to be a good sleeper- although we are all now suffering with this cold that's going around. She woke up a few times last night, but actually put herself back to sleep- yeah!
Now, if only things were going as smoothly with the potty training
Maybe we need a group for that too 
We finally tried something different and it seems to be working for us. We took the front panel off of his crib and turned it into a toddler bed. I sit with him until he's asleep and then I go to bed. He then walks into our room at around 3, and then we let him sleep until morning. The plan is to go into his room and sit with him later on, but right now, he's going to just hang out with us for a while. I think we can try the sticker thing, but we'll have to wait until he doesn't want to eat them!
Anita Burnham
www.anitaburnham.com
Anita Burnham
www.anitaburnham.com
Yogamom, welcome back! I was missing you so I was glad to see your post.
Glad to know your little one is still doing well. She is definitely self-sufficient when it comes to sleep! After all our (self-inflicted) struggles, to me there is nothing better than hearing my daughter wake up in the middle of the night, followed by silence, meaning she has *actually* gone back to sleep on her own. Ahhh...
Anita, what you're doing with Robbie now is almost exactly what we did with Emma when we first started transitioning her into her own bed. The only difference was that, because my MIL and by extension my husband were nervous about her falling out of bed (sigh), we had her on a mat on the floor for a long time. Eventually I had enough of that (especially since I would constantly fall asleep lying down next to her) and took the side rail off the crib. It's a good first step and it's great that he's already coming into your room at a consistent time. You're already on your way!
Patti
SAHM in SoCal and administrator of the Sleep Forum group, http://www.mothersclick.com/group/sleep-forum
Patti
SAHM in SoCal and administrator of the Sleep Forum group, http://www.mothersclick.com/group/sleep-forum and Tri-Counties Moms, http://www.mothersclick.com/moms-club/tri-counties-moms-sb-ventura-slo-c...
P.S. Yogamom, what a great idea to start a potty training group! I see tons of questions about p-training, I bet it would be very popular. You should do it! We are doing well on that front. Emma is probably about 80% trained. She just needs to be really consistent for awhile and then I'm not sure how long it will take before she no longer needs pull-ups or whatever at night (those suckers are still pretty wet in the mornings). Other than that, she's got all the basics down. What stage are you at? I know some people like to have it done all in one fell swoop, but for us it was more of an ongoing process, with her taking charge in the beginning and only gentle prodding after that, and it's worked well for us. Good luck!
Patti
SAHM in SoCal and administrator of the Sleep Forum group, http://www.mothersclick.com/group/sleep-forum
Patti
SAHM in SoCal and administrator of the Sleep Forum group, http://www.mothersclick.com/group/sleep-forum and Tri-Counties Moms, http://www.mothersclick.com/moms-club/tri-counties-moms-sb-ventura-slo-c...
Hi Patti,
We are at the "I know when I do something in my diaper, but neglect to tell anyone before hand stage"
She realizes what's happening and even that it's good to go on the potty, but we just need to be more diligent about getting her on there more often! It's tough, but I'm hoping within the next 2 or 3 months (before she's 2.5) to have her trained. But they really do work at their own schedules, so we'll see.
Maybe after the holidays I can start that group, it's just a little nutty right now
I'd say you're right about where you should be for her age. I think we were right around that point with Emma too. She actually used the toilet a couple of times around 18 months but then decided she wanted nothing more to do with it for awhile, and I didn't push it. Then she was doing well right before we moved, and sort of regressed after the move and we got off track. Now, however, she is going in to the bathroom and actually sitting down and doing her business by herself. I pretty much just have to do the finishing touches (wiping and helping her wash her hands). She actually got to this point within the past week! She knows when she has to go, but I do check in with her several times a day just in case she gets busy and forgets.
One thing I read that really stuck in my mind was that parents have to be ready to start the process just as much as kids need to be ready. If you're busy (like now, with the holidays, or you're moving, etc.) you just may not have the time and patience. You'll get to the right time that works for all of you. The less pressure you put on both yourself and your daughter, the less stressful the whole process will be. Just remember, there's no magical timetable, take a deep breath and get your sense of humor ready! (We've had some very funny moments with the comments my daughter makes as she learns about her body. It's great!)
If you do decide to start that group, make sure you let us all know!
Patti
SAHM in SoCal and administrator of the Sleep Forum group, http://www.mothersclick.com/group/sleep-forum
Patti
SAHM in SoCal and administrator of the Sleep Forum group, http://www.mothersclick.com/group/sleep-forum and Tri-Counties Moms, http://www.mothersclick.com/moms-club/tri-counties-moms-sb-ventura-slo-c...