What not to do. A BURST is a really big test.. its kind of a make or break. At these times its when you teach your baby how things are going to be. If i abandoned my training and went in to pick DD up then i have failed my own test and she has tricked me.. the burst will turn into a habit. She just learned how to get what she wants.
A few weeks ago we were having some pretty tough naps.. DD is almost 9 mos and we were on the cusp of dropping to 2 naps a day. Im not one to want to move through my schedules fast as i really don’t like change. I want set that she really needed the change and i felt she was testing me. She started this “burst” on a monday and woke early from her 1st nap, again from her 2nd but took her 3nrd fine. The next day she cried over an hour for her 2nd nap with my DH. He’s normally pretty good with training her but he ended up ending her nap leaving me with a cranky tired baby. The next day she tried it with me… She didn’t win. Even though my DH kept trying to tell me i was fighting a losing battle (a battle of wits i call it). Here’s the thing… yes she could have been teething.. so i offered meds. IT STILL SUCKED! i was at my computer typing away trying to distract myself from running up there immediately and picking her up. My DH came down to kindly ask me “um, cant you hear her?”. Yes of course i can, the monitor is right in front of me. Ive been watching it and rooting her on. I know she can do it. She’s being stubborn like only MY daughter knows how. After 4 days of her TEST, she gave up… back to her normal sleep patterns. If her test lasted a week, i would have gone to a 2 nap a day schedule. Next time she tests me, i know it will be time.
In the last 9 mos my sleep training journey has been amazing. Amazing, but tough. I’ve experienced more hiccups with my daughter then with my son. Interesting because i knew NOTHING when i trained my son. I was a client. Nothing more. I know so much more now and thats most likely why i question everything.
This is just a reminder that bumps in the road happen.. EVEN to me. Its how we handle them that matters.
Sleep training is the initial process… after your child is trained… thats where maintenance kicks in… JUST like a diet.. once you lose the weight… you gotta keep it in mind always or you will just end up back to where you started.. keeping the weight off is hard… gaining it is easy! Its something to keep in mind when you experience your own BURST!
Stay tuned for my next blogs…
-Milestones being made… time to drop the crib (uh oh)
-WE HAVE TEETH!
-Why you cant compare children … no 2 are alike (Especially mine)