Well, my dad arrived yesterday afternoon. He's already told me so many things that I *need* to do. But he also fixed a light and light switch. I just have to keep him otherwise occupied, and then bribe him with food.
This morning, when I was going in to nap nurse Bea down, he told me "You need to get her in her crib. It's just going to get worse."
And after that statement, while I was laying in bed with her thinking, I realized the paradigm shift between him and me.
I think it will get better. I think Bea will learn new things. Just because she is not napping well now (hey the world is way too interesting) doesn't mean she will be a terrible sleeper all through life. Or even next week. Or maybe I'll actually learn her cues.
We didn't teach her to make noise, we didn't teach her to smile, we didn't teach her to scoot around. I think children will develop on their own path and that we are there to show them the world, by example mostly, and with gentle guidance when needed. Safety and social norms are important, sleeping in your own crib or being force fed are not. I think she will sleep more/more easily/without me when she is ready.
In the meantime, I just enjoy my new companion. And let her lead the way on her own progress.
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6 comments:
Good for you sweetie. This is a good thing to realize.
Beautiful post. And you're absolutely right.
Ha! Looks like you will get a lot of household projects done for you this week!
I like the sound of your plan to work with Bea instead of make her do your will for things that are not really important. You will have to provide updates on how this gentler path of parenting works out (since I'm hoping to follow your lead someday!)
You're doing a fantastic job. Don't let anyone tell you any different.
xo
I think it will get better. But it sounds like it's pretty good now, too.
You're doing wonderful! And from a child development stand point I can say you are definitely right! She will learn everything on her own, and I coslept with Skyler until he was about 9 months and started to kick us out of our own bed literally. He showed us he was ready to have his own space, so I wouldn't worry too much about what your parents say.
Whenever C's parents criticize us I just say "things are different now than they were when you had kids" that seems to do the trick most of the time. Or I say "It may have worked for you, but every child is different". Something like that, usually they take the hint that I don't care about their advice and we're going to do it our own way.
You just keep right on with what you're doing, Bea is a lucky little girl.
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