Little Monster Sleep Solutions

Little Monster Sleep Solutions I help frazzled parents of Little Monster babies, toddlers, and preschoolers take back their evening

If we've worked together, you know how I feel about this! You are the boss! Your child is fed, clothed, and loved - they...
10/14/2022

If we've worked together, you know how I feel about this! You are the boss! Your child is fed, clothed, and loved - they will survive sleep training, teeth brushing, and medicine taking.

Attention, parents of toddlers.

They are not in charge. You are in charge.

Repeat that. 9 times. To yourself.

Let me share some lectures I (lovingly) gave in my office today to tired and defeated (and excellent) parents.

Because i somehow had like 800 toddlers on my schedule, and it was a very loud day.

- Sleeping is boring. And since all humans naturally wake a few times a night, little humans in particular don't like the boringness. So they scream. And you go in. And you provide some fun distraction and entertainment. The screaming worked! Huzzah! And they fall asleep with your help and coaxing. And you put them in the crib. And go back to bed. And then they scream again. Rinse. Repeat. It's a cycle. It's action, and reaction. If they're feeling well, it's okay to wait 15-20 min (or more...) to break the habit. And that's what it is - a habit. Regressions are common in toddlers. Because....they're psychos. Such cute psychos.

- When they're being extra in a store (see my sweet angel below in Target), GASP LOUDLY. Gasp and gasp! You will distract them. You will get their attention. You will hand them - GASP! - that shoe horn! That package of pretzels! That pack of gum! Whatever! And they will be distracted from spewing the fire of a thousand suns! Gasp!

- Toddlers don't really eat hearty, well-rounded meals. They eat snacks. They are better at understanding their hunger cues than you are. And it's okay if the "snack" you offer them is last night's chicken. Or tofu. Or meatballs. Or a hard-boiled egg. Or tomatoes. Make that snack count.

(This next one is for all the people who work in pediatric healthcare. You're welcome)

- "He won't take his medicine. I tried, but he didn't want to."

This is when i take a deep breath, look you in the eyes, and tell you to put on your big girl pantaloons. Im sorry. I know.

Toddlers love to fight meds. But sometimes they just really freakin' need medication. So you need to be in charge. YOU ARE IN CHARGE.

Do not talk about giving the medicine. Do not give warnings. Do not play up the taste. Do not tiptoe around the idea. Do not announce it's happening. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200. Quickly and quietly lay them down. Gently hold the flailing arms of rage. Lay on top of the kicking legs of fury. Gently and very slowly, wedge the medicine syringe between the teeth to rest it along the inner cheek. Then, SLOWLY, dripping one drop at a time, give the medication. If you shoot it all in, they'll just barf or spit it up. So go slooowwwwwlllly. This may take over a minute or two. But it nearly always works. And you thus prove to the little terrorist that you are, in fact, in charge.

See also:
"He doesn’t like when i pour water on his head so I don't wash him much."
And: "She won’t let me brush her teeth.”
And: “He won’t let me put in the ear drops”.
And: “She won’t let me suction her nose”.

You. Are. In charge. Remember that. Dr. Diane has your back in this Fight Club.

I need a drink. And so to you. Toddlers exhaust us all.

(I say this all with love i promise, and i repeated these lectures to myself over and over when my kids were toddlers!)
🥰 DA

RIGHT ON. (Except if your 9mo is eating twice a night, you probably still have a sleep association to work out!) But ove...
10/06/2022

RIGHT ON. (Except if your 9mo is eating twice a night, you probably still have a sleep association to work out!) But overall, HELL YES.

Sleep-martyr moms, please stop bragging about how little sleep you get. Choosing to sleep train your baby is a form of self-care—and a woman's right.

Join me at the Health and Wellness Expo! 1000 South Avenue, in the back!
09/10/2022

Join me at the Health and Wellness Expo! 1000 South Avenue, in the back!

07/05/2022
05/04/2022

Victory for families and safe sleep advocates! Last night, the U.S. Senate passed the Safe Sleep for Babies Act which bans infant inclined sleep products and padded crib bumper pads which have led to dozens of infant deaths. This bill passed in the U.S. House last year. Thank you to the parent-advocates, safe sleep groups, and lawmakers that made this possible!

Greetings Monster Family! I am officially on maternity leave. If you are looking for an amazing certified sleep consulta...
12/19/2021

Greetings Monster Family! I am officially on maternity leave. If you are looking for an amazing certified sleep consultant, please go to familysleepinstitute.com/graduates to find someone near you. Wishing you the best of luck and a joyous 2022!

The Family Sleep Institute - the school that pioneered and professionalized the child sleep consulting industry. Our graduates are the most highly trained, educated and well respected child sleep consultants in the world. Successfully helping families achieve healthy sleep habits since 2011. We are....

BIG NEWS (and apologies for my social media absence)!We are expecting Tiny Monster in January and I have just been WIPED...
11/16/2021

BIG NEWS (and apologies for my social media absence)!

We are expecting Tiny Monster in January and I have just been WIPED OUT.

I'll be going on maternity leave on December 6th, so I've temporarily removed the longer support packages from my shop. Strategy calls, new parent packages, and one week of sleep training support are still available for a limited time!

I hope to be back in action by May, but maybe sooner if Tiny is a unicorn sleeper (a girl can dream)!

From the source itself!
09/23/2021

From the source itself!

: Over 3 Million The Boppy Company Original Newborn Loungers, Boppy Preferred Newborn Loungers and Pottery Barn Kids Boppy Newborn Loungers After 8 Infant Deaths; Suffocation Risk. Get refund. Contact: 800-416-1355 or www.boppy.com. Full recall notice: https://bit.ly/3lVXlYf

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Tired Parents Unite!

They tell you that being a parent is exhausting - the all-night newborn dance, the worrying, the chasing toddlers, the waiting for your teenager to come home - but I never understood how tiring it really is until I became a mother myself.

My Little Monster was an alert party baby from the get-go. He pushed out of the nurse’s swaddle at the hospital! At 3 months old, he would kick his feet up and down to avoid falling asleep. His naps were erratic and short. He was up all night, every night, for our 2 week beach vacation, and it’s safe to say I came home exhausted, traumatized, and not at all relaxed. I was irritable and depressed and felt trapped in a prison of my own design.

I read books (sort of, I was too tired to process much), I looked at websites, I crossed my fingers and hoped he would just “figure it out”. Nothing worked until I finally hired a sleep trainer when he was 12 months old. In 3 days, he was going into his crib awake, sleeping through the night, and off the 4am bottle. After a few weeks, he was napping reliably and well. Looking back, I can’t believe I didn’t sleep train at 6 months, when the rocking and feeding sleep crutches became clear.

I have worked with children and families since I started babysitting my brothers as a middle schooler. Now that I am a reasonably well-rested mother, I want to help other families dealing with sleep associations, crazy schedules, bedtime battles, and any other sleep struggles you may be encountering.