I don’t know how parents do it. Really, I don’t. Okay I don’t know how good parents do it…you know the ones that don’t sleep because their baby doesn’t sleep, and hasn’t slept well past there 1 year birthday and parents are still patient, loving, nurturing, and kind! After one day with these non-sleepers I’m feeling exhausted (of course I’m 53) and, I can’t lie, want to throw the baby out the window. I do love them but, MAN, they can really push you. I have even more love for the parents of non-sleepers (n-s for the duration of this article).
I have seen parents do EVERYTHING to get their children to sleep, driving in cars at 2 am, hold and cuddle for 2 hours, feed them, letting them cry it out, purchasing sound machines, getting special stuffed animals, pacifiers, rocking, putting them in swings, sleeping with them in their own bed, and let’s not even mention the books they’ve read; countless numbers of books on how to get their child to sleep. My niece had such a n-s, bought a book about it, tried out all the techniques, and then finally threw it out the window into her snowy front lawn.
Everyone wants to give these parents advise on how to get their n-s to sleep; even I’m guilty of giving advise when I KNOW that parents have probably already tried everything but I can’t stop myself. I feel so badly for them that I think I probably have the magical answer that they haven’t heard of or thought of yet (yeah right, like I’m the one that can save them from their pain and suffering). What an idiot.
You can see the parents of n-s a mile away, and your heart begins to bleed for them as you see them approaching from a block away; their eyes black, baggy, and on the verge of tears (everyday they look that way). The thing is…you want to help BUT you’re not willing to take the n-s for any duration of time because you know you’ll return that baby as quickly as you tied your shoes to run outta away, waking their parents up to come and get the little n-s.
Even now, I’m tempted to look up an article and give some tips; but I will refrain out of kindness for all you parents of n-s. I just hope you read this, feel slightly amused, and know that there is someone out there that has compassion for your plight.
