Here’s A Quick Way To Calm Your Child
A while ago I have started to hold and if necessary actively restrain my older dd (almost 6) whenever she hurts someone (by action or words) or bothers her sibs after she’s been told to stop (when I see that it upsets them since this will lead to them crying) until her body language tells me that she she changed gears.
These time-ins usually make her mad a hell but I can see that they really help her to snap out of her hurting mode and creates a much calmer child within a few minutes. I am coming to view these as me helping her regulate herself since she is unable to do it herself. My 16 mo old has a range on when she will nap and fall asleep at night but I’ve noticed that sometimes this is because she’ll get a second wind, but is actually tired. A few days ago I totally missed a window to put her down for the night and later on she was wired. I thought I might apply the time-in method to help her transition and took her in my arms.
She immediately started to struggle and cry an angry cry, but I kept holding her tightly (but not locking, just tight so she could wiggle out while giving her room to move), looking at her and saying “I know you are tired, I saw you yawn before. It’s time to go to bed” and
rocked her. She cried and struggled for about two minutes and then asked to nurse. She was out cold within minutes.
I did the same today for nap after I saw her yawn. Her angry screams where much shorter and she again fell asleep on my boob within minutes. I admit that in my mind I also thought about 2:15 this afternoon when I have to get my dd1 - it was shortly before twelve when this happened and it was an ideal time for her to be tired, since she will get a good nap without me having to take her out of bed before she’ll naturally wake up.
It’s a different approach for me though since I’ve always let my babies dictate their sleep time. Am I wrong to assume that a toddler needs help winding down to be able to sleep if they are not naturally doing it? This is not about forcing dd2 to sleep at set hours, more so to help her when I see that she is tired (rubbing eyes, yawning) but won’t easily lay down, nurse and go to sleep.
Filed under Little Tykes, Special Needs |One Response to “Here’s A Quick Way To Calm Your Child”
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I think that you are doing what is best for your children. They may not be able to rationally decide when it is time to rest.
I would also have my children lie down whenever I saw them yawning throughout the day. I’ve even had to remind my teen to listen when her body is signaling to her that it is tired.
Why we seem to ignore this natural response even as young children, escapes me.
I guess that we think that we should never rest.
Smart people listen to their bodies and teach thier children to do so as well.
Good for you.