You are not underachieving
I read a short article recently that said new research reveals ‘it’s important to sort your children’s sleep problems as soon as possible to improve their ability to settle at school’. I have read neither the full article nor the research so cannot comment on that and I am sure there are some tips for parents therein.
There is no doubt that sleep is up there as one of the essentials.
I’m just not sure about the language. Ie ‘to sort your children’s sleep problems’. Sort means you do indeed have a concern, that you need to intervene, and the word problem reinforces the fact that you are in trouble.
It’s enough to make you jump and wonder if panic is the next step!
It takes babies and toddlers some time to get used to lots of things in this world. Some take longer to toilet train, some take longer to sleep well, some take longer to feed well and the list goes on.
I absolutely agree that sleep clinics are well worth it for those who feel they cannot go on without help. There is no shame in putting your hand up and calling for help – I’m the first to do it.
I don’t believe though that there is any baby or toddler out there thinking ‘I’m going to cry all night just to annoy my parents’. They’re just not that malicious, far from it.
And I don’t believe that any parent is failing because every other friend’s child is sleeping 8 or more hours every night and yours in not. You become exhausted, there’s no doubt, and often you need help from a nanny, mum or friend. But there’s no problem and it’s all perfectly normal.
Like morning sickness in pregnancy – it’s horrid, however doctors will tell you that it is a normal part of the condition.
So is lack of sleep when your little one arrives.
My first piece of advice is to sleep or rest when you baby or toddler does. Nothing else is more important.
Don’t worry about whose babies are sleeping through. Hold your head high because you are not underachieving and neither is your baby.
Next blog, my baby and toddler sleep tips!
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