Cry it out baby
Ellie was always a pretty good sleeper. From about 6-8 weeks till about 4.5 months, she slept through the night. Greatest thing ever. Then food was introduced. That changed everything. No more sleeping through the night. There were good nights, bad nights, and really bad nights. I had always heard that your supposed to let the baby cry & they'll learn to put themselves to sleep. After 2+ months of less than good sleep we decided to do it. I wasn't looking forward to letting Ellie cry for the projected 45 minutes - 2 hours, but better now than in another month when she's even more strong willed. Jessica had read up on some "cry it out" methods & found one that she believed was the least evil. So last night we did it.
Jessica was crying. I was inappropriately laughing (not because I thought it was funny). From start to finish, Ellie lasted 16 minutes. After some relief on our part, Jessica let me know that she modified the cry it out. I didn't care. Ellie was sleeping. We'll go again tonite. It's supposed to get better/easier every time. Sorry baby todd.
posted by Murdoc @ 8:18 AM
15 comments
15 Comments:
i was here.
I don't know if I could last 16 minutes.
In hindsight, it was much easier than I thought it would be. She slept well & then took a 2.5 hour nap this morning. Happy kid.
good luck with that. let me know if you find a technique that works... we still have crying and wandering in the night over here....
word of advice: BE STRONG. the smaller they are, the better they are at working you.
Crying for 16 minutes will get you a smack in my house. And as you well know, making eye contact during the smack will get you another smack.
What I've always done to help alleviate the "I'm a mean parent" feeling when implementing the cry-it-out program is . . . Look at the clock and tell yourself if she's still crying after 30 minutes I'll go check on her (or pick a time) . . . Setting a self imposed limit makes it not seem like they are crying as long . . .
But just looking at that picture you posted of your super cute daughter makes me feel your pain . . . What a sweetheart she is!
Brint- You were here. Now you're gone like a fart in the wind.
Laura- I hear handcuffs work for wandering. I'm sure you guys have a couple sets laying around.
Davy- Well said. Give an extra smack for good measure.
Tim- It's a hard life. I'm pretty sure Ellie sees a "manipulate me" sign on my head. I hate it when she's sad. I swear when she cries, she is saying, "daddy" in her rescue me voice. Inappropriate laughing follows.
I'm proud of you two. The "crying it out" method is one of the toughest, however it is VERY effective! Do not, I repeat DO NOT go back once you've started! 16 minutes is awesome, JT took a lot longer the first time. I cried too. (Insert inappropriate laughing here)
Ellie came back with a vengeance on night #2. She lasted about 4 minutes.
i feel ya, man. kayla lasted 45 minutes when we did this. you are truly blessed.
go ben and jess!! you will be happy campers in no more than a few weeks and consistency is the key. tis a tough one but well worth it!!!
wow murdoc, you must know us better than i thought.
The cry it out method was really hard for us as well. What seemed like 5 minutes was eternity for me. Glad you guys are making it. Great picture, she is soo cute
2.5 minutes last night.
sweet!
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