Your baby cries, your toddler too and you haven’t had lunch…We both know what I am talking about. Mothering is HARD.
I want to share a strategy that works in our family and the clients I have worked with, that shifts the perspective from the “bad sleep association” to a proximity tool to synchronize caregiver and child while strengthening emotional bonds. Walking, rocking, and dancing may sound obvious to some of us but since we were told so many times about the negative side of such natural response to our children, I thought this could be helpful to reinforce. It is OK to co-regulate, during the day as well as at night.
When our little ones are in need for closeness, or when a challenging situation presents itself, it is ok to pick up our littles and try any of those things (walking, rocking, and dancing), not only to induce sleep but to calm down both of you. Think of it as a meditation moment, where you allow your brain to produce a parasympathetic response of well being, as well as allowing your baby to put out tears and discomfort while being supported by your touch and empathy.
It is by comforting that we teach what being comforted means, and that’s not spoiling but loving deeply.