Making the Crib to Bed Transition

I've had a couple of parents talk to me lately about making the crib to bed transition with their toddlers.  They were both having problems getting their toddlers to stay in their beds.

I went through this recently with my Boo.  I used the Supernanny method.  You start by doing your bedtime or naptime routine: tucks, hugs, kisses, books, songs, etc.

When he got out of bed and started banging on the door to be let out, I went back in his room, put him on his bed, said "time for night-night", kissed him, and left the room.  If he got out of bed and banged on the door again, I went back in and put him in bed.  After the first time, I didn't say a word or give him any kind of attention.  You don't want to reward undesirable behavior with attention or you'll just encourage that behavior.

There was crying, and sometimes he was out of bed again before I even left the room.  I just put him back in bed without a word.  There were a couple of times he fell asleep behind the door.  But as long as he wasn't trying to get out of the room, I just left him.

The first two days he fell asleep behind the door. 
I love watching him sleep.  It's so peaceful.

The first time I used this method, it took almost a full hour of putting him back in bed until he stayed there.  But he learned in just two days that Mom is not going to give in.  He'll occasionally have days where he'll try it again, but it only takes putting him back in bed once or twice to realize that Mom (or Dad) mean business and he's not going to get away with it.

I'll be honest: it can be hard on Mom and/or Dad.  The crying can be hard to deal with.  You may feel like you're torturing him/her.  But engaging in positive self-talk (This is only for his good; He's only upset because it's not what he's used to; He's learning a new skill and sometimes that can be hard; It's best for him in the long run) will help get you through the hard parts.

Book Review: The No Cry Sleep Solution

I read this book solely because an awesome Mom that I know relied on it for getting her kids to sleep.  I was knew I already liked The Baby Whisperer, but figured it wouldn't hurt to expand my repertoire and possibly add a few tools to my arsenal.

The No Cry Sleep Solution by Elizabeth Pantley is written for parents who don't like their babies to cry at all.  She tested her theories on 50 babies, guiding their mother's through her plan.  Most of the mothers had very good experiences in teaching their babies to sleep without crying.  These babies ranged in age from newborns up to babies who were over a year old.  The mothers were frustrated and were ready for help.  Their experiences are included throughout the book.

Most of Elizabeth's methods are very gentle, but aren't going to have immediate results.  Her methods are slow, and if you're really sleep-deprived and desperate, you might not have the patience to wait it out.  But if you're dedicated to teaching your baby to sleep without crying, it's going to be a great resource for you.

I would even recommend it for parents before their baby is born.  Some of her methods can be used to teach a baby to sleep on their own from the beginning.

My only problem with the book came towards the end.  She passed judgement on a mother who chose to have her baby in a stroller instead of out, socializing and being held.  It felt very "holier than thou," and left a bad taste in my mouth about her and how she views parents who parent differently than her.

Other than that, I think it is an awesome resource to add to one's parenting toolbox.