How do I begin sleep/crib training with my baby?

Hello parents and readers,

The following blog addresses the question of
How do I begin sleep training or crib training?
I have provided my readers with a glimpse of what a sleep training routine may look like. For this particular family, they came to me in a state of crisis. Mom was breastfeeding and working full time with hardly any sleep at night. Their 5 month old did not know how to stay asleep so she constantly cried out every 1-2 hours throughout the night for mom to rock her back to sleep. The parents had not shared a bed in over 3 months. They wanted a big change.


Sarah has Difficulty staying asleep between 7pm-10pm:

This will be the first phase of crib training. She needs to learn that once she is asleep in her crib and fed, she needs to put herself back to sleep.
If she wakes up…
1st time: one of you may go into her room, pat her belly, say “time to sleep Sarah” “shhhhh” after 5 min. Walk out of the room and let her cry up to 10min. If she does not fall asleep….
2nd time: do not speak to her. Pat her belly say “shhhhh” after 5 min. walk out of the room. Let her cry up to 15 minutes. If she does not fall asleep….
3rd time: do not speak to her. Pat her belly no longer than 5 min. “shhhhh” walk out of the room. Let her cry herself to sleep. (maybe between 20-45 min)

This is hard for all parents. Your family is in crisis mode and Sarah needs to know that she can fall back to sleep on her own as soon as possible. She will only learn this through time and practice. The main goal with infants is to develop trust within the first few months so that their brains understand that you will meet their needs and they are safe. She cries when she wakes up because she does not know how to put herself back to sleep. She has only been rocked, nursed, and coddled back to sleep since birth. Now she knows she is safe and she knows you will come to her. But now she is in control. Your goal as parents is to get back the power. Set boundaries for her. Support her through kind words and soft touches as she learns to put herself to sleep, by first crying herself to sleep. She will be ok. It is harder for parents to hear their infant cry than it is for her to cry. Just remember…She knows she is safe. She knows you both love her. This is teaching her a valuable tool, self soothing. This is important for your family. You need your bed back for the marriage. You need to have family time for Luke before bed. Give this routine 1-2 weeks with consistency and I promise you will be happy with the results. Babies need a routine and they need to be taught how to sooth themselves to sleep. You can do this.

Good luck:)

Sincerely,

Michelle

Michelle Chrastil, MA CPD NCC
Honest Family Services, LLC.
www.honestfamilyservices.com

How to Introduce Discipline to your Toddler.

Hello readers and parents,

I wanted to take this opportunity to introduce myself as I begin this journey helping parents through this blog. As my profile mentions, my name is Michelle Chrastil and I am a master level therapist who specializes in working with children and families. I am also a certified postpartum doula and have been working with families for more than 10 years.

Yesterdays post was a report I wrote up for a family who contacted me to help them with their 21 month old. As you may have read, I discussed the method of discipline I recommend and provided a step by step guide on how to introduce the technique to your child. There comes a point where every new parent needs to decide how they are going to guide their child through difficulties. Some parents may not feel comfortable with the term "discipline" and interpret it as harsh. The discipline I am referring to is simply a consistent system that teaches children boundaries through expectations, consequences, and rewards. Every child needs guidance. They need to be taught the rules and consequences of their choices. They also need to be praised when they behave and sometimes rewarded. This is the most age appropriate and clear way to guide your children.

I welcome families to write in with their questions. I love the opportunity to share helpful information with parents and to encourage networking between the struggling families as a source of support.

Look for more posts that address common infant and child rearing related problems.

Sincerely,

Michelle

Michelle Chrastil MA CPD NCC
Honest Family Services, LLC.
www.honestfamilyservices.com