When it comes to parenting, we believe that there are a variety of parenting methods that are useful and beneficial to both the parents and children. Largely, it becomes a matter of what works best for your particular children and you particular family. Some people ban their kids from TV, others temper their exposure. Some people love to baby wear, others find their babies hate it. As my dad always says, “There’s more than one way to skin a cat.” That’s why we love articles like the one below because they provide a different, fresh, and equally legitimate perspective on important issues. If you’re having trouble deciding how to handle your baby’s sleep schedule, or if you have fears about baby sleep training, this post is a must read!
“Awhile back, I decided to speak up about my experiences with attachment parenting. In short, I was lead to believe that this style of parenting was the only way I should raise my babies. I then struggled with co-sleeping and baby wearing – many days, to despair. When I was finally emotionally ready to move beyond attachment parenting, baby sleep training seemed like a daunting task.
Sleep training my first was intense, but by the time baby #2 came along, I was good and ready. I had done my research and had experts on speed dial to help make baby sleep training a success without destroying us all in the meantime. Whether it was because I was prepared or because I just lucked out with an easy sleeper, we were able to get my little one sleeping through the night by 9 weeks with very few tears shed.
Since then, readers and patients ask me all the time for baby sleep training advice, but to be honest, I certainly don’t feel like an expert. So I was super stoked when Devon Clement, founder of Baby Sleep Club, agreed to answer some questions. Devon is a baby sleep training expert whose gentle yet fool-proof approach to baby sleep training instantaneously resonated with me – and I think you’ll like it too.
Here’s what Devon has to say to help take the fear out of baby sleep training…
Isn’t baby sleep training bad for development, confidence, and bonding?
There’s a big difference between a few nights of brief crying while getting used to a new routine, and weeks of misery for everyone. Also, the baby’s age is a huge factor – my strategies for parents of a newborn are very different than those with infants or toddlers.
If we’re talking about age-appropriate baby sleep training, in my experience, families come out on the other side of the brief process with ALL members happier and healthier, and I’ve never seen a baby suffer long-term emotional distress from sleep training done correctly, with confident, loving parents. Most of the time, the amount of crying that’s involved is no more than has happened in the car seat, stuck in traffic, and no one suggests you not use a car seat!”
Leave a Reply