When It Isn't Working, Confidently, Be Mom!

When it isn't working anymore, you have to start over. Naps were pretty easy most recently. I just cuddled him in his room, put him down, and patted his back till he fell asleep. Now, he is growing way out of that, but cannot fall asleep any other way. So it isn't working anymore. I have been stressing the past few days because he just won't nap, tired and all. But I came to realize that you cannot force a person to close their eyes and fall asleep, even if they need it. I have been letting him cry for about 5-10 minutes, go love on him, put him back down and walk out. There is nothing else that is working. Everyone keeps saying that it works, that he will get so tired that he will just fall asleep. Not Matthew. Yesterday he was up till bedtime. So instead of stressing about it, it is really the first time I felt like it was time to establish "im mom, you are child." I know he doesn't purposefully try to take control, but it is time I stop stressing, stop forcing him to fall asleep (or stress if he doesn't) and start to at least establish crib times. He gets his bear, blanket, noise machine, little star projector on the ceiling, and I still will go sooth him if he cries too long. But three times a day for about an hour, he is in his crib. He can sleep if he wants, he can play if he wants, he can crawl, and he can cry. But it must be done, and I will not stress if he won't sleep. I cannot make him. But nothing else is working, so it is time to start something new. And so it begins and I must do it in confidence. Maybe one day soon he will realize he can sleep other than bedtime. I feel so much better.