Today at Joshua's 18 month old visit, our pediatrician basically told us that our bedtime routine stunk--our lying down with him to help him fall asleep was doing more harm than good. Ever since Joshua had that bronchiolitis and lost all the weight when he was barfing around the clock--we had started babying him and gotten away from his routine of putting him to bed in his crib. I actually enjoyed dozing off with him on his bedroom floor mats--but I also saw how he had lost his ability to self soothe and fall asleep in his crib. In fact, he pretty much screamed and wailed bloody murder anytime he set foot in the crib while conscious.
So tonite, I read to him some books, and then announced it was bedtime, pulled up a chair next to his crib, and listened to my IPod and Joshua screaming for 25 minutes, until he abruptly curled up on his pillow and fell asleep. I was really having doubts about this technique--because I've watched Joshua go crazy crying and screaming in the crib before--and with my sitting right next to him--I thought that would just infuriate him even more. But I guess our pediatrician was right. The goal is to slowly move the chair further and further away from the crib, until we are out the door.
BTW, Joshua is 18 months, 26lb 12 oz (60%), and 33 inches (75%) tall.
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