Help! I didn't listen to many people with my first when it came to co sleeping and cuddles. I thought really how can you give a child to much love ?? My daughter could still go to sleep by herself and in her cot for day time or occasional night time sleeps but now at ten months it is impossible. She screams for hours if put in her cot and has to be rocked to sleep. I am getting no sleep and she just seems to cry all the time. She is super attached and can't even play if I am not in eye sight or on the floor with her. Please help if you have any tips. I want to make this less stressful for her because she is distraught and please no judgement
3 Replies
Awe xx
Firstly has she been checked by dr recently? Sometimes minor illness and ear infections can present like clingyness.
Something I do with my very clingy clients is counting. So I old a hand up with 5 fingers and put the child down, count down the 5 fingers then pick the child up. Over time as the child learns to cope I start to spread out the count to 5 so it can sometimes take 30 mins lol
I don't have any advice on the sleep but I'm sure plenty do :)
It's a normal developmental stage around this age. Google development, she thinks you disappear forever when out of sight. Work through it, Google for tips, sing or talk, count etc, remember this too will pass. Once she relaxes about awake time she will relax about sleep too. She's just on high alert for now. You haven't spoilt her!
You should have a look at Pinky McKays fb page. She is a lactation consultant and attachment parenting advocate. She gives great tips on this sort of problem all the time on her page. Maybe your daughter is going through a stage where they get separation anxiety being away from you. This stage is normal but it can be really hard on the parents. It gets easier. And you can't give a child too much love, you are doing what you thought was right but now it's not working for you and it just needs to be adjusted. Don't be hard on yourself, you sound like a great mum. I never co slept as such but my son slept in our room in his cot until he was one, I couldn't bear the thought of him being in a separate room to me, and everyone I spoke to thought it was weird. It worked for us and I will probably do it again for the next baby.