Troublesome Tots

Bedtime What Time?

Alexis — Thu, 17 May 2012 19:16:40 +0000

Before you had kids going to bed was a forgettable event. Now bedtime is a glorious nirvana that you fantasize about throughout the day. Bedtime is also really important to your baby or kid. Bedtime that is too late, unpredictable, or inconsistent can set you up for a long slog of a night. And figuring [...]

10 Baby Sleep Questions

Alexis — Tue, 01 May 2012 19:08:24 +0000

Interested in more “how to” and “how not to” cry it out posts? Good because I’m working on them. I’m also working with some awesome local postpartum doulas on the ultimate “Newborn What is Normal” list. There are a ton of newborn baby questions coming up in email/comments that come up that are 100% normal. [...]

The Ferber vs. Weissbluth CIO Smackdown

Alexis — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 18:54:15 +0000

You’ve gotten your head around what sleep training means and then possibly came to the conclusion that CIO is the answer to your particular sleep issues. The next big hurdle is figuring out which method of CIO is right for you? And by “right for you” I mean that it: A) Solves the problem of [...]

30 Practical Parenting Tips You Will Never Learn from the Movies

Alexis — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 01:38:33 +0000

I thought I would offer some words of wisdom from a Dad who really doesn’t know what the hell he’s doing half the time, but has still somehow managed to be a parent to one wonderful child for nearly five years without killing him. I also happen to be in the midst of raising newborn [...]

Are You Ready for Cry It Out?

Alexis — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 17:43:44 +0000

So you’re thinking about cry it out? Maybe you’ve spent the past 2 weeks furiously Googling sleep training (which is probably how you landed here). You’re exhausted and miserable. Your baby is exhausted and miserable. And you’re wondering if cry it out is the answer for you. Well I don’t know if it is or [...]

The Sleep Scandal of 2012

Alexis — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 01:06:23 +0000

“Here’s what a child’s bedtime looks like to couples expecting their first baby: the nursery is softly lit, the child is sweetly sleepy, the last page of Good night Moon has been read. After that comes the final tuck-in, the gentle kiss, and finally, the quiet tiptoe out of the room. So how often does [...]

What We Mean When We Talk About Sleep Training

Alexis — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 19:48:08 +0000

To begin what will sure to be a much reviled series on Cry it Out I feel the need to get a clear understand of what we are (or are not) talking about. About 50% of the people who will read this are not from the US, are probably reading different baby books, and using [...]

I am the Official CIO Spokesperson. Apparently.

Alexis — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 14:44:22 +0000

Almost every day I get an email just like this: These make me want to cry too. Or have a drink. Maybe drink and cry. There are a few things I know from reading these even though it may not be explicitly stated in the email: So back to the drinking and crying. Only that [...]

Hello Teeth Goodbye Sleep!

Alexis — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 20:47:06 +0000

Sometime between 4 months and 2 years of age your baby will get 20 new teeth. So if the eruption of each new tooth causes you 3-5 sleepless nights, then you can expect to have about 100 bad nights due to teething. Wahoo! Actually compared to other baby sleep stumbling blocks, teething is relatively benign [...]

Healthy Mom Happy Mom

Alexis — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 20:08:35 +0000

You thought life was hectic before you had a baby! Now you have your little bundle of joy in your arms and you want to enjoy them but you also want to get a good night sleep and feel human again, and not like the milk machine zombie you’ve become! However it is important to [...]