Sleep Training : Better Late than Never, Right?

My favourite time of the day of late has been that brief moment after both kids are finally in bed and I can hear myself think again. Unfortunately, I don’t get to experience this most nights because I put off something I ought to have done months ago. I never sleep-trained Ava – our last born.

I started working from home when I was seven months pregnant with her. For this reason, I’ve not kept a religious sleeping schedule since. I might even add that am not proud of my sleeping pattern the last 3 years. It probably explains why my health has not as good as it once was.

Ava is turning 3 in the next 2 months it’s shocking even to me to think that I’ve never thought of sleep training her. She’s always slept when she wants which has always been when I actually go to bed with her. Did I mention that we co-sleep? This was until early last week.

I had not planned to have things change. I did not even wake up one day and decide that it was time. It just sought of happened.

Wednesday evening I told Kendall to go to bed and she left without a word. How nice would it be if I could tell them both to go and they did, I asked myself. The younger one was having none of it.

That night alone she came back to the living room around 18 times. When she was not asking for water she was telling me how her friend scratched her a week ago. A number of times she came back claiming that I forgot to kiss her goodnight. She remembered that she’d not finished her food about a dozen times. She cried a few times and begged to wake up ‘just a little bit’ a couple of times. But I was determined. I sent her back every time.

The second night was a little better. She came back about a dozen times before finally falling asleep.

The frequency of rebellion reduced each day and tonight – oh, tonight was good. Tonight Ianthe first day in her entire life that she went to bed after being told and she slept without getting up even once.

I’m not sure but it has taken five or six days. I can finally smell freedom and the aroma is delicious. Who needs a vacation when you can get an hour in the evening alone with nothing but Netflix and a glass of wine.

I don’t even need the wine. I just need a few minutes to myself. Is that too much to ask?

As always, a diaper at a time.