Another sleep training myth

Here is yet another myth perpetuated by the sleep training industry:⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀𝘛𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘣𝘢𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘴𝘭𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘸𝘢𝘺, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀To put it simply, this is entirely false.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀If it were true, babies would only ever be able to go to sleep with one person. In one environment. […]
Forcing babies to sleep

We live in a world where we try our best to control everything that goes on around us. Schedules, deadlines, and performance drive so much of our western society. Being very type A myself, I totally get the comfort in the predictability of a controlled environment. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀But if there is anything that parenthood has taught […]
Self Soothing

“You need to let your baby learn to self soothe.” “If your baby throws up, clean up the mess but don’t make eye contact.”⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀“If you help your baby too much, she will never learn to be independent.”⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀“Cuddling your baby will create a crutch.”⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Now replace “your baby” with “your grandmother”, and we’ll see if the statements […]
𝐁𝐄𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐀𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃 𝐕𝐒. 𝐁𝐄𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐓

It goes without saying that most parents understand the importance of spending time with their children. The challenge is that just “being around” isn’t quite enough. There is an important difference between being physically present and being emotionally present.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀I think where most parents struggle in today’s world, when there is little, if any, village of […]
𝐒𝐥𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐚 𝐧𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠!⠀⠀

Do you wear a certain type of pyjamas for bed? Turn the lights off? Listen to a podcast? Get under your covers?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀✨NEWSFLASH ✨⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀You have sleep associations!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀So why is it that sleep trainers tell parents day in and day out that sleep associations are a bad thing? A crutch? a “bad habit”?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Because adults can adequately provide […]
“Sleep begets sleep”

“𝐒𝐥𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐛𝐞𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐬𝐥𝐞𝐞𝐩.”⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Ever heard this saying? It’s super popular among sleep trainers, who are constantly pushing the notion that all sleep troubles can be solved by getting your child to sleep more, because surely – they are overtired. And for many kids, this 𝘪𝘴 true. Some kids are definitely higher sleep needs children, not just […]
Pushing your buttons

“Yes, children always seem to know how to drive their parents crazy. But the craziness is still ours. After all, if you didn’t already have a button there, your child wouldn’t be able to push it — and you would be able to set limits without losing your temper.” – Dr. Laura Markham. I love […]
Oral function and sleep

Before I even ask parents to give me the run down on their kids’ sleep schedules, I ask a whole series of questions that allow me to identify whether or not a child is exhibiting red flags for some common underlying issues that impact sleep. One of the most common issues I see with my […]
Cry it out won’t get any easier

“Give it time.”⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀“She just needs to get used to it.”⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀“It’s so hard, but it will get easier the longer you do it.”⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀“Give it at least two weeks or else you will confuse the baby.”⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀𝐂𝐫𝐲 𝐢𝐭 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧’𝐭 ‘𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐞𝐫’. If leaving your child to cry is going against every fibre of your instincts, 𝐝𝐨 𝐧𝐨𝐭 […]
Baby reflux

Let’s start by saying that having a baby who spits up, or even throws up from time to time, is not in and of itself a bad thing. Babies stomachs are more horizontal than adults, they have a more immature digestive system, and their esophagus is shorter than an adult’s, and from time to time, […]