Whether you are a new or a seasoned parent, one of the biggest issues with babies is getting them on a schedule and training them to sleep through the night. One of the best reference books that pertains to this very subject is "On Becoming Babywise" by Garry Ezzo and Robert Buckman. This volume teaches parents how to gain control of their child's schedule and how to get the infant to sleep through the night at about seven to nine weeks of age.
This method is not just for the baby's well-being but to assist an entire household in running smoothly without being dictated by a new a baby. Parents and other siblings need their sleep also. Mom and Dad will gain control over the household routines and be able to spend more time with each other and additional children in the home. The household will become more relaxed and peaceful.
Parents are advised to take their time in getting to know their infants in the first few days. They can be coddled and fed on demand while they get used to the strange new world that they have been thrust into. Slowly, parents can start introducing them to a schedule of napping and meals until they establish an internal clock. Eventually, parents will know what their infant's cries mean just by looking at the clock.
The authors of the book advise parents not to coddle their infants when it comes to meals and bedtimes. It is suggested that they set specific times for naps, feedings and nighttime sleep around the two-month mark. They should refrain from walking the child to sleep, rocking him or driving around the block to make the infant drowsy. The object is to teach the baby how to fall asleep on his own.
Your infant may fuss or cry at first when put down in the crib but over a certain length of time will begin to recognize that this is his time to sleep. Always place the infant in his own bed and not in the parents' bed. Napping in car seats or other baby seats or playpens should be discouraged.
Some may criticize this parenting system. They feel that the child will not get enough "cuddle time" with Mom or Dad during the late night feedings. Other detrimental effects that have been brought up include the possibility of dehydration or poor weight gain but nothing has been documented to help support these claims.
Having the luxury of a good night's sleep before spending the day with a vigorous and demanding infant can go far in improving parent/child relationships as well as other relationships within the family. Spouses, other children in the home and friends will gain from a parent who is not strung out and tired all the time. Working parents will have more sleep time and will therefore perform better on the job.
It is up to parents to figure out exactly what works best for their home and family. This system can introduce babies to their first taste of structure which may assist them for a lifetime. For parents who loved the first edition, "Babywise II' is now available.
This method is not just for the baby's well-being but to assist an entire household in running smoothly without being dictated by a new a baby. Parents and other siblings need their sleep also. Mom and Dad will gain control over the household routines and be able to spend more time with each other and additional children in the home. The household will become more relaxed and peaceful.
Parents are advised to take their time in getting to know their infants in the first few days. They can be coddled and fed on demand while they get used to the strange new world that they have been thrust into. Slowly, parents can start introducing them to a schedule of napping and meals until they establish an internal clock. Eventually, parents will know what their infant's cries mean just by looking at the clock.
The authors of the book advise parents not to coddle their infants when it comes to meals and bedtimes. It is suggested that they set specific times for naps, feedings and nighttime sleep around the two-month mark. They should refrain from walking the child to sleep, rocking him or driving around the block to make the infant drowsy. The object is to teach the baby how to fall asleep on his own.
Your infant may fuss or cry at first when put down in the crib but over a certain length of time will begin to recognize that this is his time to sleep. Always place the infant in his own bed and not in the parents' bed. Napping in car seats or other baby seats or playpens should be discouraged.
Some may criticize this parenting system. They feel that the child will not get enough "cuddle time" with Mom or Dad during the late night feedings. Other detrimental effects that have been brought up include the possibility of dehydration or poor weight gain but nothing has been documented to help support these claims.
Having the luxury of a good night's sleep before spending the day with a vigorous and demanding infant can go far in improving parent/child relationships as well as other relationships within the family. Spouses, other children in the home and friends will gain from a parent who is not strung out and tired all the time. Working parents will have more sleep time and will therefore perform better on the job.
It is up to parents to figure out exactly what works best for their home and family. This system can introduce babies to their first taste of structure which may assist them for a lifetime. For parents who loved the first edition, "Babywise II' is now available.
