Sleep
I don’t get much. However, I am a firm believer in my children getting enough sleep.
When Calla was a baby I was slightly over the top with her schedule. Coach was just as strict with her schedule as I was because our house needs sleep and structure. We both read a book and I had a resource that was literally in my hand at all times. We would turn down invites because our baby had to be on her schedule. Do I wish I was a little more easy going? Nope.
Then we had our second baby. He was NOT as scheduled as a tiny 3 pound baby Calla, but we did follow the same guidelines. However, at 3 days old I was nursing Cart at Calla’s two hour dance practice. We just had to kinda make it work.
All of that to say… At the end of the day: The Cains are big believers in sleep training.
Now that we have an 8 and 3 year old we do have more flexibility, but in all honesty: the base is still the same. We have routine and bedtimes and really thrive in structure. However, it’s really more for US.
Every night by 8pm, children are in the bed and we have 2 hours to do whatever the house needs. On the weekends we say it is date night and watch a show, or sit on the porch. During the week we can pick up the house, work on the small business, ride the Peloton, whatever. Because our children are sleeping. We can breathe, relax, and honestly: turn off our brain. I want my children to know I enjoy every moment with them: so they have to go to bed to give us a moment to breathe.
We also have the best conversations in our chairs in the morning while we have coffee. Coffee Chair Chats with Coach are for sure a highlight to any day. It is when we watch the news, Coach reads whatever online news source he reads daily, have my quiet time and just sit. We are BIG fans of waking up an hour or so before our children.
So we sleep train. Don’t hate me. We just need structure.
I made a post with Cart celebrating his “green” light when he got up yesterday. What’s this? Our favorite little machine to use.
It is a night light/ sound machine/ and has a face that shows “bedtime” and “wakeup” time. He usually starts getting up around 630-650 each day. He will see the yellow light. Then he knows it is morning and not the middle of the night. Then at 7am the face wakes up and turns green. You set the times and sounds and all of the things based on your needs.
Before the dot com starts yelling at me: This does not keep them from waking up and yelling for us to come help them. They also still wake up in the middle of the night and come to our room. The light is a visual for them to know if it is still night, almost morning, or morning.
We travel with it. Cart loves it. Calla loves it. A great investment for littles from 2- 10.
Totally worth it.
Summary: winning seasons start with sleep training.
