Because what the internet needs is more wittering about rubbish parenting



Tuesday 3 May 2011

What To Do, What To Do....?

Not a funny one today, even by my standards.

The Toddler has a new thing. It's not a pleasant new thing. It's a really rather rubbish new thing. Said new thing is waking up at roughly 1am every other night, and having a scream. And then screaming some more. And just in case we weren't listening, screaming a bit louder.

And I don't know what to do about it. I have tried leaving her to see if she'll settle on her own. She won't. She gets louder. So we go in and try and lie her back down. She won't. So we work through the "What on earth could be wrong" checklist. Does she want a drink? Does she want her nappy changing? Does she need medicine? She answers yes to all these questions, and then refuses the drink, nappy change, medicine, whatever it is that I'm trying to give her. All the while having a bit of a scream. The only thing that will get her back to sleep is one of us (usually me) getting into bed with her and cuddling her or stroking her hair until she is absolutely fast asleep, and doesn't notice when I leave.

I'm feeling very conflicted about it all. Even as I'm pushing aside the Glow-Worm and getting settled next to The Toddler, I can hear voices in my head saying "you've just got to let her cry", "you're making a rod for your own back", "you don't want to get into bad habits" blah blah blah blah. And I don't want to get into bad habits. I know that I can't exactly be doing this when I've got a newborn to feed. But I just can't bear listening to her scream as if her heart is about to break. I don't know what's wrong with her, but just because I don't know, does that mean I've just got to leave her to get on with it? I hate the thought that she could be genuinely in pain or scared about something, and I've just left her alone. I never thought I'd sound like such a hippymum, but who am I to say that she doesn't really need me, and should just go to sleep?

So I don't know what to do. I don't know how to tackle this, or whether it even needs tackling. For the moment, I think I will just do my usual hapless thing of hoping it goes away soon. And if I'm making a rod for my own back? Well it's my sodding back, isn't it?

1 comment:

  1. hi,
    i've been following your blog for a little while now, and I love it by the way! I have a 3yr old girl and a 1yr old boy. So my girl was 2 while I was pregnant with the 2nd and she got more and more demanding and needy as I got more and more pregnant. I was the same as you, didn't want to leave her, wanted her to have as much time with me as she could before the new baby got here, but also worried what on earth would happen when baby wa shere! Anyway, it was all fine. Maybe they just don't get what is happening with your growing bump but they "know" something is changing. Just be there for her, and when baby is here at least she will know whats happening and will probably settle just fine. I don't remember her waking very much once baby was here.

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