"Public service announcement, they lied. My child is three and is still very much part of the non sleeping club"
Public service announcement, they lied. My child is three and is still very much part of the non sleeping club. I'll admit that things have improved. We've accepted the things we can't control and take each day as it comes. We've found our groove and this is normality for us now. When the going gets tough I often console myself with the fact that I am not alone. There are so many other parents whose children are not sleepers. Perhaps less who have toddlers in that department but there are still a LOT of us.
If you are part of this club these might sound familiar to you. You know your toddler is not a sleeper when.
- Everyone is talking about the fact that naps are “long gone”. You, however, are in the annoying place of having a child who is exhausted (because they won't sleep at night) and needs a nap. But the bloomin' nap makes night-time even worse. If you go without the nap they fall asleep at 3/4 in the day and it's worse again so you are stuck between a rock and a hard place.
- You hear other parents talking about a “bad night” (and for them, it really is!) and acknowledge that this would be a very good night for you.
- You take to bed with your phone (and know how bad this is, don't worry) but there is regularly a long stint every evening where you lay in bed trying to help your child get off to sleep and when it finally happens you only have energy to participate in the social life which exists on the internet.
- You become obsessed with the things your child eats and drinks after 4pm because it “might affect bed time”. It rarely makes a different because things are pretty dire anyway but it gives you a bit of daily comfort to at least try.
- You don't want to be that parent but sleep, in some way, comes in to 90% of the conversations you have with other humans.
Written by Tracey, mummy blogger and staff writer at www.familyfriendlyhq.ie.
Check out her own blog at www.loveofliving.ie
Check out her own blog at www.loveofliving.ie
