Tag Archives: bedtime

Anger Shows Us Where Change Is Needed

Lately, bedtime at my house has been more frustrating than it has been in months. Actually, frustrating is too mild of a word to describe what it has felt like. I have actually been feeling enraged. The two hours between dinner time and bed time have somehow morphed into three. It’s not the length of the time that is getting to me, although it is a contributing factor because my “me time” does not happen until the kids are asleep. The issue is more about what goes on during those three hours. At our house, the time in between dinner … Continue reading →

Two Possible Causes of Toddler Bedtime Battles

A good bedtime routine is helpful in getting your toddler to bed at a decent hour every night. Some combination of a bath, books, cuddling, or other quiet and calming activities for about an hour before bedtime is essential to help your child unwind so that he can fall asleep. That said, the bedtime routine is not the only factor that determines whether your toddler will actually go to sleep at bedtime. One thing that can affect your toddler’s willingness to go to bed at bedtime is that he simply is not tired. This can happen for a couple of … Continue reading →

The Power of Sleep

As a parent, lack of sleep just comes with the job. From the time our little ones are born until they are out of the house we are losing sleep over them. As babies we are up feeding and changing them throughout the night, as teenagers we are up waiting to make sure they’re not past curfew. Either way, being sleep-deprived is part of the game. The first symptoms of sleep-deprivation are irritability and moodiness. No surprise there; I know I can’t be the best mother I can be when I’m tired. My patience wears thin and even the smallest … Continue reading →

My New Mom Obsession – Old Children’s Books

I’ve got a confession to make – I am thoroughly obsessed with old children’s books. When I read to my boys at bedtime, we choose from a varied selection of books that we borrow from the library and books that we own. Some of the books I like, others not so much. Then there are a few that are just amazing, and those tend to be the ones that were written and published years before I was even born. I am unsure why those older books are so captivating, but they are. Dylan seems to enjoy them too, and for … Continue reading →

It’s Always About Bedtime

Are you a strict parent or a lenient parent? Do you parent differently single than you did as part of a couple? I think so many things change when you get divorced it’s hard to know what to do. When I was first divorced I tried to figure out how to parent Hailey, I wasn’t sure if the way I had parented her up to that point had been what I really wanted or what I felt like I had to do. While I was trying to figure that out, guilt made me lenient. I let Hailey pretty much decide … Continue reading →

Crying to Sleep: It Worked

For a couple of weeks, naptime and bedtime were a bit of a challenge with my baby. She wasn’t falling asleep easily on her own like she used to, but she also wasn’t falling asleep while being rocked or held very easily either. One day I was at my wit’s end and decide it would be alright if she cried for a little while before falling asleep, as long as the crying didn’t get out of hand. She cried softly on and off for about 15 minutes before drifting off to sleep. I tried the same thing the next naptime, … Continue reading →

Crying It Out vs Crying To Sleep

Crying it out and crying to sleep: is there a difference? To me, there is. My interpretation of these phrases probably won’t match every other parent’s interpretation, but I’m going to tell you about it all the same. To begin with, I am not a supporter of the “cry it out” method. I never have been, and I don’t think I ever will be. Sure, there are times when I am really tired, feel like I have no patience left, and put my daughter in her crib, thinking, “I don’t care how long she cries – she’s staying in there … Continue reading →

The Sleep Game

There’s a new game being played in my house lately. It’s cute, it’s endearing, it makes us laugh, and we like it. It also is probably going to get really old really quickly. It’s the sleep game. I’m sure you all know what I’m talking about. It’s the game children play when they’re obviously tired, often over-tired, and want to fool their parents into thinking they’ve finally given in to slumber. Sleep has never really been an issue with my daughter. For the first 5 ½ months of her life, I always held her while she slept during the day. … Continue reading →

Bedtime With Baby

I go back and forth a lot on how to handle bedtime with our daughter. Up until this point, I’ve been very relaxed with our routine. If she seemed tired, I’d let her sleep. If she woke up and wasn’t happy being in bed, I’d take her out and hold her, feed her, or do whatever else it took to make her happy. In the last month, she settled into a routine by herself. She took naps about the same time each day and went to bed about the same time each night. However, things haven’t been so consistent lately. … Continue reading →

New Baby = New Holiday Experience

Ah, the holiday season. So full of fun and exciting activities! For me, the best part of the holidays is getting together with family. I do not have the privilege of living in the same state as my family, so I really look forward to the times we get to be together. Now that life is returning back to normal, I’ve had some time to reflect on our experiences this year. A big thing that sticks out in my mind is that nothing is the same with a baby! For example, flying without a baby is nothing like flying with … Continue reading →