Your 1 Year Old Toddler Week 32
When Your Kid Starts a Sleep Protest
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Just when you thought we were all done talking about bedtime routines and sleep patterns, your child throws you under the bus and starts a sleep protest. And sure, you totally want to raise a fist to the sky and scream, “Are you freaking kidding me?!” Don’t worry, we got you covered.
Are you a co-sleeping family? There are so many different opinions on whether or not to co-sleep. If you co-sleep and it works for you and your family, then don’t feel rushed to stop anytime soon. Keep on with your groove, Mama. If your child is keeping you awake at night or has started protesting sleep, though, it might be time to consider moving your night owl into a toddler bed.
Do you have a set bedtime? Kids as young as 19 months need roughly 12 hours of sleep each night. Setting a predictable and reliable bedtime will help set a routine of sleep for your child and may even help to control what time your little ray of sunshine decides to wake the whole house up. Start your routine at the same time each night and do the same series of actions like jammies, brush teeth, read a story and similar wind-down tasks.
Is your child afraid of the dark? Kids around this age may begin to express a fear of the dark. Let your child explore under the bed or in the closet with you while the lights are on to show how safe it is. Talking to your child about fear is a great way to nip this bedtime interruption in the bud. When that fails you can try Monster Spray, nightlights, or reading that last story just one more time.
Scary Mommy Tip: Like most things in motherhood, getting your child used to something new will require great reserves of patience and the ability to repeat, repeat, repeat! When your kid is giving you fresh hell about bedtime just remember that all children will eventually sleep. And so will you!
HOMEWORK:
Monster Spray And Other Shit That Probably Won’t Get Your Kid To Bed
