Parenting is HARD!!!
Parenting is HARD and it’s even harder if your baby isn’t sleep well…
I’ll be honest… I think we are in our hardest parenting season yet, and it feels never ending!
Rowan is really struggling with the transition to full time school (which I naively didn’t see coming) and this is reflecting HUGELY in his behaviour, I’m talking multiple mega meltdowns a day, him being very emotional, constantly wanting to control every situation, the list goes on.
Oh and his sister can now get EVERYWHERE- so trying to manage both of their needs leaves me just a tad frazzled.
I absolutely know it is just his way of expressing how he is feeling and letting us know he isn’t happy about something… but bloody hell it’s hard to manage isn’t it?
I feel like we are constantly walking on egg-shells trying to avoid the next meltdown, which to be honest you can’t always see coming because it can be over the most random thing, and then trying to stay calm and deal with it in a positive way- which I find VERY difficult, and seem to be in a cycle of being easily triggered.
So this week I have tried to take it back to basics, which looks like:
🤍Validating his emotions (I know you are angry)
🤍Putting a boundary in place (but it’s not ok to hit your sister/scream at mummy)
🤍Ignoring whinging (this behaviour is often attention seeking, be that positive or negative attention).
🤍Letting him know I am here for him and he is loved (When you are ready and calm I am here to give you a hug), which he always asks for once he has started to calm.
Now, that all sounds well and good but when you feel like your in a constant cycle of this it’s not always easy to stick to and I’m not going to claim that I haven’t lost my head this week- but we are trying to do this MORE of the time even if it’s not ALL of the time, and it does seem to help when we do manage it.
I am very much a believer of seasons in parenting, some give you a rougher ride than others and I feel we have been in the game long enough now to trust we will come out the other side of this rough patch, things will get better and seem easier for a while, before they get hard again and the cycle continues.
One thing I am glad of when navigating this tricky patch is good sleep, both of my children sleep well at night meaning 9 times out of 10 I also get the sleep I need, which makes the world of difference to my ability to deal with the challenges they throw at me the next day.
Also, because Rowan sleeps well I am confident that his behaviour is down to the change going on in his life currently and not due to lack of sleep.
However, if you are experiencing challenging behaviour from your child and their current sleep situation isn’t ideal, then this is the best place to start, as working on boundaries and using behaviour tactics will be futile if your little one isn’t getting the sleep they need- the majority of the time once sleep is improved better behaviour follows.
So, I suppose the point of this email is to let you know…
-Even if I look like i’ve got my shit together, I usually haven’t.
-To reassure you that if you are also going through a rough time in parenting, you’re not alone and things will get better
-and if sleep seems to be the root cause of your problems- be that your child’s behaviour, your mental wellbeing or both, then I am hear to help you navigate through this.
💫 If you are ready to take control of your sleep situation, feel more confident in managing your child’s sleep needs and not only improve your child’s mood and behaviour but also your mental wellbeing, helping you to regain the energy needed to deal with all the hard shit life throws us…
then book a FREE 15minute intro call and let’s get started on your journey to better sleep💥
Lots of Love
Jade x
What parents think about ‘The Snooze Nurse’ consultations:
“It really has made the world of difference to our family”
”We are in complete shock and cannot recommend The Snooze Nurse Enough”
”This really has changed our lives and the best thing we have done”
What does a consultation with the Snooze Nurse look like?
💤A 1 hour consultation
💤An age appropriate sleep plan
💤A sleep needs table- to help you fully understand your baby’s sleep needs, including daytime naps and overall daytime sleep, awake windows, and the amount of night sleep and feeds you can expect for each age, from 0-4 years.
💤Bespoke advice for your individual sleep needs, all emailed to you following the consultation
💤Bespoke daytime routine for your child
💤A 3 day sleep diary- which I will then analyse to find the route cause of your baby's disturbed sleep and form a plan forward.
💤Follow up support (either 1 follow up email or 1 week of WhatsApp support, to troubleshoot as you go).
Price: £150-£250, depending on the level of support you need❤.