I went in to pat her briefly once but it made her cry even more for longer so I won't be doing that again I don't think even the books say that it is a more gentle approach than "cold turkey". I had to leave the house to be able to let her keep crying. She fell asleep on her own after half an hour. Even though it turned out well (i.e. she didn't cry for hours, and she got good sleep last night, seemed like her happy self this morning and is now taking a good nap) I still pretty much cried myself to sleep last night. I just felt guilty and sad. It is important that Avery get enough sleep, and this is the only way to make that happen, but it was kind of an awful experience. Being a mom can be extremely difficult emotionally. Loving another person this much is wonderful, but can be so painful sometimes.
Oh, sweet Rachelle! Hang in there.
ReplyDeleteI remember this well. My stories with each of my kids, while similar, are not the same as yours, but I have shared the aching heart.
Parenthood is a fantastic journey. At least we have all the ups to help us get through the downs. You are a great mom.
we just sleep trained james (it's kind of ongoing too) a week or so ago. i read healthy sleep habits, happy child and was convinced. it's not really sleep training but allowing him to learn HOW to put himself to sleep-a very valuable skill. i think that saying 'he'll put himself to sleep when he's ready' is very similar to 'he'll do algebra/write/talk/read when he's ready'. it is our job as parents to allow the process to happen. i hate the process but love the end result. you aren't alone!
ReplyDeleteIt is SO hard to let your kids learn things on their own. Dads seem to be better at this. Call me anytime you need validation for being tough. i certainly wasn't very good at it... Mom
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