~

OOOHHH, say can you see, by the evenings fading light,

what so loudly had wailed was my toddler not sleeping.

Whose small feet were kicking the walls, thru his perilous fight.

O’re the tantrums we watched our son gallantly screaming.

And the neighbors did stare, since they easily heard me swear.

Giving proof through the night that our son wasn’t sleeping.

Oh, wont that kid ever give up and let us be saved.

In the house of no sleep and the home of the depraved!

~

Every parent will inevitably experience a bedtime battle with their child at one point or another.  At what age it will happen is hard to say, and if it hasn’t happened to you yet then prepare yourself, it’s coming.  If you have been, or are in the middle of the battle field, take heart!  The backup troops are here!  It’s called “Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child” by Mark Weissbluth, M.D.

In my experience every kid is different (even kids in the same family) and so certain things work with one kid that won’t necessarily work with another.  That’s the beauty of this book.  Dr. Weissbluth gives you easy to follow step-by-step directions on what to do no matter what type of non-sleeper you have.  His comprehensive book takes a look at sleeping issues all the way from newborns to teenagers.  Through his research and pediatric practice he supports his methods with scientific evidence and first hand accounts from parents of “non-sleepers”.

I have read, marked and re-read this book with each of my children and I’m still using it as a useful parenting tool.  No, not to throw at my kids when they don’t go to bed, but to keep one step ahead of them and sleeping well.

You can find new and used copies at Amazon.com from $11 to $17 and it qualifies for part of their free super saver shipping.  If you have found yourself singing your own rendition of “Ode to the Bedtime Battle” and have now learned tips and tricks on how to prevail, please comment below!  Now, play ball!