Season 2 of the ParentTalk Podcast is upon us, and in our first episode, we’re returning yet again to the subject of sleep—this time, to address the most common and enduring problems parents and children encounter when establishing an effective sleep schedule.
This is the third episode in our series on finding healthful sleep practices and routines for your household. You can find the first two episodes here and here.
We think you’ll enjoy this one, and wish you steady success as you and your family move toward independent sleep. Stay tuned for next week’s episode, where we begin the first in a three-part foray into toilet mastery.
“We’ve been reading the books on sleeping through the night for kids, which is the #1 reason parents seek consultation for help parenting in early childhood. They think of a child’s sleep like reading the play Hamlet. In Hamlet, it’s ‘to be or not to be,’ and for most of these books, it’s ‘to cry or not to cry.’ That is their question. That is not our question. Our approach asks an entirely different question, and that is ‘how can you help your child find their own solution to falling asleep on their own?’ If they can do that without crying, that’s great, but that’s not the goal. The goal continues to rest squarely with the child experiencing the thrill of solving a problem that they created with a solution that they created.”
– Arthur Lavin
Episode Highlights:
– Commonly held beliefs on establishing sleep routines.
– Framing the issue of sleep.
– Seeing the act of falling asleep independently as a skill.
– Understanding your child’s unique sleep needs.
– Knowing the difference between trauma and disappointment with regard to sleep training.
– Finding your own path to independent sleep.
– Common timeframes for sleep training and transitions.
– Dealing with relapses in sleep routines.
– Tips for creating healthy sleep practices for your children.
– Seeing sleep as the first form of separation between parents and their children.