A while ago, I was wise enough to tell the internet about my incredible feat of parenting; my then almost toddler was sleeping in his own cot at a reasonable hour without major drama or fuss and for the most part staying there. A few nights in a row, I’ll add. I should have shut my mouth; we are right back where we started (regretting ever buying the useless piece of furniture he’s meant to be sleeping in).
I will admit I am “that mother”, I allow him to fall asleep cuddled into me, on the sofa and definitely could be stricter about routine. But we had it cracked, and then we didn’t. The routine stopped working and we got hit with this wave of toddler drama all at the same time.
I am trying to tell myself that it is one of those godforsaken leaps. These are essential for the future doctor/lawyer/millionaire entrepreneur he is going to become to give his Mama one hell of a lifestyle in her old age. This will be the stuff that will give him useful skills, but right now I’d nearly forfeit some of them for a battle free bedtime. I hear these tales of wonderful 7-7 sleepers, who are happy to close their eyes and go to sleep the second their head hits the pillow. Instead I’ve got a tiny wrestler, more interested in escaping the cot/bed, or grabbing any phone/tablet that comes his way. With a touch of hair pulling, of course.
We’ve tried different things. Bath time before bed. Super active day (a “He’ll sleep tonight” day) – no joy. Going down early. Delaying bedtime. Co-sleeping. Pretty much everything bar Cry It Out because that’s a strike too far for me, but nada is working. He doesn’t want to sleep in the cot and it is an absolute battle to get him in there in the first place.
I’m left googling “Is 13 months too young for a bed” and wondering just how likely he is to wander out of it at night time if he wakes up. I’m wondering if Fireman Sam bedding might make the bed more appealing. Pinterest is showing me gorgeous bedroom designs that I’m praying might make his room a nicer place to sleep than in between Mammy and Daddy, or rather, on Mammy’s pillow, kicking her in the collarbone as she attempts to find a corner of the bed to sleep in. My parents, instead of doling out sage advice from their 24 years of parenting and three kids to get to sleep, laugh and tell me I’m getting my just desserts for my own collar-bone kicking as a toddler. It seems karma is indeed at play here, and I’m not a fan.
Hopefully he’ll learn bed is a nice place to fall asleep and stay asleep soon. In the meantime, we just have to keep trudging on. For someone who doesn’t sleep well, he’s so full of energy during the day it can be hard to keep up. If I could bottle that energy I’d make millions.
It’s just as well he’s cute. Really.
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