Today I'm going to write about something that I've come to feel quite strongly about. I am aware that not everyone will agree with me on this but this is my blog so I'll write what I want.
I'll start by saying that it has taken a while to get my little ones to sleep through the night. It seems that just as they get old enough to sleep without a feeding at night, they start to teeth and it throws everything off, and every time I've mentioned our sleep issues, there is always someone who is quick to say "just let them cry it out".
I'm sure the so called "professional" that came up with the idea of letting a baby cry it out was not a mother, but probably a man with little understanding of babies. I tried this method with both of my boys and found it not only cruel and neglectful, but ineffective and complete torture for me. There is no amount of schooling that can take the place of a mothers instinct, it is a gift given to mothers by God so that we can raise these precious children properly. I find it incredibly sad that so many mothers are second guessing their instinct because of the advice of "professionals".
So why don't I believe in this method? Well, imagine your 3 year old comes into your room crying at 2:00am and says "mommy, I had a bad dream, I'm scared", I would guess that most mothers, rather than saying "suck it up and go back to bed" would say something like "I'm sorry sweetie, come cuddle with me until you feel better". So why is it that we'll disregard the feelings of a baby just because they can't tell us what's wrong in a language that we understand?
Russ has been working the graveyard shift for about six years now, so five nights a week for the last six years I've slept alone, and there have been some nights when I've felt lonely, and even cried, not because I necessarily need something, but because I want the comfort of knowing I'm not alone. My belief is that babies have these same feelings.
As mothers, we make many sacrifices for our children, and if losing some sleep for a few years will make my babies feel safe, secure and loved, that's a sacrifice I'm willing to make.
I'm a little bit sentimental (my husband calls it sappy) but one of my favorite songs is called "Let them be little" by Billy Dean, and the chorus is as follows;
Let them be little,
'Cause they're only that way for a while.
Give 'em hope, give them praise,
Give them love every day.
Let 'em cry, let 'em giggle,
Let 'em sleep in the middle,
but let them be little.
My babies are growing fast. Someday I'll be getting great sleep and I'll probably miss those 2am cuddles, but for now they can sleep in the middle as much as they need to.
I'll start by saying that it has taken a while to get my little ones to sleep through the night. It seems that just as they get old enough to sleep without a feeding at night, they start to teeth and it throws everything off, and every time I've mentioned our sleep issues, there is always someone who is quick to say "just let them cry it out".
I'm sure the so called "professional" that came up with the idea of letting a baby cry it out was not a mother, but probably a man with little understanding of babies. I tried this method with both of my boys and found it not only cruel and neglectful, but ineffective and complete torture for me. There is no amount of schooling that can take the place of a mothers instinct, it is a gift given to mothers by God so that we can raise these precious children properly. I find it incredibly sad that so many mothers are second guessing their instinct because of the advice of "professionals".
So why don't I believe in this method? Well, imagine your 3 year old comes into your room crying at 2:00am and says "mommy, I had a bad dream, I'm scared", I would guess that most mothers, rather than saying "suck it up and go back to bed" would say something like "I'm sorry sweetie, come cuddle with me until you feel better". So why is it that we'll disregard the feelings of a baby just because they can't tell us what's wrong in a language that we understand?
Russ has been working the graveyard shift for about six years now, so five nights a week for the last six years I've slept alone, and there have been some nights when I've felt lonely, and even cried, not because I necessarily need something, but because I want the comfort of knowing I'm not alone. My belief is that babies have these same feelings.
As mothers, we make many sacrifices for our children, and if losing some sleep for a few years will make my babies feel safe, secure and loved, that's a sacrifice I'm willing to make.
I'm a little bit sentimental (my husband calls it sappy) but one of my favorite songs is called "Let them be little" by Billy Dean, and the chorus is as follows;
Let them be little,
'Cause they're only that way for a while.
Give 'em hope, give them praise,
Give them love every day.
Let 'em cry, let 'em giggle,
Let 'em sleep in the middle,
but let them be little.
My babies are growing fast. Someday I'll be getting great sleep and I'll probably miss those 2am cuddles, but for now they can sleep in the middle as much as they need to.
Amen!
ReplyDeleteI think you have great wisdom. I think that you, as a mother, have to find what is best for you and your child. After you do research and cousel, then that's where revelation comes into play I think. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDelete