AboutM Kay Keller Expertise Questions concerning Infants & Toddlers & the developmental stages that they are in and referral information when necessary. It doesn`t matter what the psychological or emotional behavior they are exhibiting. What matters is that you ask the questions & search out solutions!
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Experience I have worked with Infants & Toddlers of teen parents, single parents, parents, alternative caregivers & grandparents raising grandparents. I was trained as an Infant Massage Instructor and in the Nurturing Parenting Education program. I have raised three children of my own successfully and am very actively involved with my grandchildren. I have knowledge of breastfeeding, developmental play, intuitive parenting, appropriate boundaries and rule setting with toddlers, potty training, and developmental stages.
Organizations Social Service Workers License, National Council on Family Relations, Nurturing Parenting Educator, Infant Massage Instructor
Publications International Attachment Parenting Journal
Past/Present Clients Parents, caregivers, grand-parents raising grand-children, foster & adoptive parents, single parents & teen parents, relative care and all who were caring for infant & toddlers!
Expert: M Kay Keller Date: 7/9/2008 Subject: 2 and a half yr old sleep problem
Question HI Evelyn
I have a 1 yr old girl and a 2 and a half yr old boy.
We r australian but have moved to spain 2 weeks ago.
Prior to that my husband moved to spain for 2 months before we did so that he could set up home for us here and obviously, the kids missed him alot.
In that 2 months they spent the last 3 weeks living at my mums with me as i needed time to pack up our house and prepare to move us over here.
Mackenzie (the 2 half yr old boy) has ALWAYS been what u would call an easy sleeper. From 3months he slept thru the nite and since then has been pretty easy to put down.
He would usually wake around 7m, then sleep for 2hrs at 1pm nd then be in bed by 7_7.30pm.
Since arriving in spain he has been a nightmare to put down.
He keeps getting out of his cot (whuch he never did in Oz) and just wont go down. We try to not speak to him nd keep picking him up nd putting him bck. Some days he has gotten up 12 times, but mostly about 7 or 8 times before he sleeps. Some days he just wont sleep in the day but i know he needs it and is tired cos if we r in the car at midday he will doze off on our way home and is so ready to sleep but as soon as we get here he wont sleep any more.
So...what to do??
Do i persisit in making him sleep in his cot, put a gate on his door so he cant get out and eventually he will sleep, somewhere in his room??
or
Start raining him to sleep in his cot with one side down...'like a big boy does'?, put a gate on his door and persist until he gets used to h`is new cot???
or
try putting him straight into a normal bed still using the gate at his door??
We r desperate as every nite its taking an hr and a half to get him to sleep, we have no time to even talk to each other as i go to bed so early from being so tired from my day and sienna my 1yr old gets no attention as i never have enough time for her!!
Is this drastic change in his behaviour due to the upheaval in his life of such a big move for the family or is it just terrible twos??
I would greatly appreciate your advice!
thanks for your time and i look oforward to your reply
Lynette
Answer Dear Lynette:
As you can tell I am not Evelyn. I found your question in the question pool which means someone else was not available to answer your question.
It sounds like you son has two problems. First the most obvious a time change? Maybe? Remember that children do not have a sense of the time or the clock. They only take their cues from their environment, from their daily routines. It may take a while to get their bodies to adjust.
I suggest you check your daily routine and especially the nighttime routine. Is it consistent? Do you tone down the environment by shutting off the TV, the radio, the computers, etc...
Set the mood. Put on soft music, turn down the lighting, play quiet soothing games, do bath time, do bedtime massages, etc.... in other words anything that would make you sleepy should make them sleepy.
Next, during the day let them run and get as much fun and exercise to wear those little bodies out and in no time at all he should be back on track!
