We've been having a few struggles in the Tbaugh household lately. Nothing out of the ordinary for a family with two very spirited, stubborn and sassy (not to mention stylish!) children. Typical power struggles, tantrums, screaming matches, etc between the girls and with us. And some major sleep issues with the little one. We're all a bit worn out and grumpy. So we figured it wouldn't hurt to call in the experts.
No, not Mary Poppins. Although I wish I had her on speed dial. Then I could call her in the midst of the crazy and yell: "Mary Poppins! Spoonful of sugar, STAT!". And she would float down with her kind of creepy parrot umbrella and shabby chic carpet bag, sing and dance while shoveling sugar into our mouths. It would be wonderful.
Alas, Mary Poppins is not at my disposal. But Amazon is. A perusal of parenting and toddler sleep issue books lead me to these two choices:
Peaceful Parents, Happy Kids. How to Stop Yelling and Start Connecting
The No-Cry Sleep Solution for Toddlers and Preschoolers
After I've had a chance to read the books, I'll come back with my thoughts on both. We're not looking for any magic answers, but for some ideas and suggestions that we may not have already heard and/or tried. Chris and I both have quick tempers and we really hate that we've reached a point in our parenting where we seem to be yelling more than listening and talking. It's waaaay too early in our parenting careers for that. Let's save that for the teenage years.
And regarding Pen's sleep (or non sleep, as it is), there may not be an answer. She may just be a crappy sleeper that wakes and screams and cries and thrashes and crashes every hour. If that is the case, I will just start counting the multiple (multiple, multiple!) times I get up and adjust covers, put her back in bed, comfort her during a bad dream/night terror/after she bangs her head against the wall as my daily exercise. And stock up on coffee.
Oh and p.s. Jake has been feeling neglected. Please admire his cute face.
Have you read either of these books? What are your thoughts?
I've read the NCSS for babies and the one for toddlers/preschoolers. There are some good ideas in there. Few things that help significantly at our house:
ReplyDeleteroutine.
exercise before 4pm.
meeting needs during the day, vs. leaving them until nighttime.
super duper limited screentime in the afternoon.
Kids + adults alike.
I havent' read the other book....
Good advice, thank you. For the most part, we do all of the things you mention. I think we need to tweak her bedtime routine to involve more quiet/relaxation time so she can start winding down earlier. It's just hard to fit it all in when she's ready for bed by 6:30!
DeleteLike Kristin, I read the baby's version of NCSS and did get some great ideas. Looking forward to the reviews!
ReplyDeleteAlso looking forward to the reviews. Our house is definitely heading in the same direction as yours...right down to a dog who feels neglected.
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