It Works!
This is an update to a previous post. I did try the "tough love" method last night with my youngest son. We're trying to get him to sleep in his own bed now that the remodeling in our house is almost done. We've moved into our room and he has his own room. He did sleep until 4 this morning. That was a relief. When he woke at 4, the fight was on though. I went in and laid him down and tried to calm him. He wanted to be rocked back to sleep. I had to let him know who's boss (well, I know he's boss, but I have to make him think that I am, right). I comforted him for a couple of minutes (remember it has to be less than two). So, afterward I just told him night night and I loved him. I turned around and walked out. OHMYGOSH, you would have thought the world had ended. He cried and cried and cried...I patiently sat on the living room couch and counted down the seconds of my five minute time period. When I went back in there after the five minutes, he calmed a bit. He did actually lay down this time. I stroked his cheeks lightly and talked sweetly to him. I wanted so bad to pick him up and rock him, but I didn't give in to that motherly urge! I went out of the room and he didn't immediately start crying. It took him a good 30 seconds to one minute. He cried for about five minutes. Then I heard him lay down. He was whining a bit. He cried out for daddy several times. I went back in after 10 minutes and he was still crying. I stroked his cheek some more and he was almost asleep. I never made it to the 15 mark. He was out by the time the fifteen minutes rolled around! :)
So, we'll keep trying this method in hopes that maybe there will be no worries, just lay him down and he'll go to sleep eventually.
2 comments, add yours here:
That does sound like a good plan. Glad to see it is working.
It's hard, isn't it? But it totally works!! And in the long run, everyone sleeps better!
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