I've been sorting out baby and toddler sleep all over Sydney and have not had much of a breather. I've had a fair few toddler sleep and toddler behaviour issues recently so methinks it's time for a look at toddler sleep.
As a lot of you may know my little sis, Lesley, mum of Freya 2 and Tilly 1 has been having some interesting times with the terrible two's. Even my sister has had some help from the Sleep Guru - moi!
It's tough having 2 so close together and no one can prepare you for it. No sooner have you got one sorted than it's back to the other one for a bit of fine tuning. A bit like a game of tennis and you're there in the middle of a fast paced volley!!!
Freya was getting a bit big for her cot, so it was time for a big girl bed. Everyone was excited and Freya was very very excited. The walls were painted, the decals chosen on etsy (by moi of course!) and the bed.
Now Freya you may recall was a great sleeper. She was sleeping through the night by 6 months and has not skipped a beat until...now...
Of course she had been taught to self settle at 2-3 weeks old by yours truly so her self settling skills were of a ninja level! Haha. Going back to my very first blog and how in the UK, we do sleep promotion. It's a completely different healthcare model to the one we have here in New South Wales - a treatment model.
However it goes without saying that a dream baby may not be a dream toddler!
She started getting out of bed up to 50 times before finally going off to sleep. It was exhausting. My sister was up and down the stairs all evening. Lesley asked me, 'Why does Freya get out of bed Karen?' I answered, 'Because she's 2 and she can!' "No, but why Karen?' 'Because she can Lesley!'
Trying to get inside a toddlers head is very dangerous. You'll never understand their thought processes. Toddlers lack impulse control and the fun of getting out of bed far outweighs any discipline. It's a game and the more we react the more entrenched the game becomes. Hysteria sets in with the second wind and rise in cortisol, that lovely stress hormone that kicks in when they're overtired.
If this sounds like your night time situation then you need help. To try and fix it by yourself is tricky. And yes I did a Skype consult with Sis and sent her my instruction manual. And voila within a few days, peace had descended on the Yorkshire Dales once again. Phew!
Knowing how to manage it is key. It gives you the confidence.
And now the ball is in Tilly's court and she's leading the volley! Sis has sent me a blogpost and that's up next. It's too funny and I'm just waiting for permission before I post it!
As a lot of you may know my little sis, Lesley, mum of Freya 2 and Tilly 1 has been having some interesting times with the terrible two's. Even my sister has had some help from the Sleep Guru - moi!
It's tough having 2 so close together and no one can prepare you for it. No sooner have you got one sorted than it's back to the other one for a bit of fine tuning. A bit like a game of tennis and you're there in the middle of a fast paced volley!!!
Freya was getting a bit big for her cot, so it was time for a big girl bed. Everyone was excited and Freya was very very excited. The walls were painted, the decals chosen on etsy (by moi of course!) and the bed.
Now Freya you may recall was a great sleeper. She was sleeping through the night by 6 months and has not skipped a beat until...now...
Of course she had been taught to self settle at 2-3 weeks old by yours truly so her self settling skills were of a ninja level! Haha. Going back to my very first blog and how in the UK, we do sleep promotion. It's a completely different healthcare model to the one we have here in New South Wales - a treatment model.
However it goes without saying that a dream baby may not be a dream toddler!
She started getting out of bed up to 50 times before finally going off to sleep. It was exhausting. My sister was up and down the stairs all evening. Lesley asked me, 'Why does Freya get out of bed Karen?' I answered, 'Because she's 2 and she can!' "No, but why Karen?' 'Because she can Lesley!'
Trying to get inside a toddlers head is very dangerous. You'll never understand their thought processes. Toddlers lack impulse control and the fun of getting out of bed far outweighs any discipline. It's a game and the more we react the more entrenched the game becomes. Hysteria sets in with the second wind and rise in cortisol, that lovely stress hormone that kicks in when they're overtired.
If this sounds like your night time situation then you need help. To try and fix it by yourself is tricky. And yes I did a Skype consult with Sis and sent her my instruction manual. And voila within a few days, peace had descended on the Yorkshire Dales once again. Phew!
Knowing how to manage it is key. It gives you the confidence.
And now the ball is in Tilly's court and she's leading the volley! Sis has sent me a blogpost and that's up next. It's too funny and I'm just waiting for permission before I post it!
