Featured

Toddler+ FAQs

Contact Erin for more

Some Answers About Toddlers+…

Why work with me?
As a mother of 3 young boys, I have been where you are. I thought my oldest son was a poor sleeper, then along came my second to prove me wrong. I know how sleep deprivation can affect every area of your life – your relationships, your mental well-being, your ability to parent, and your life as a whole. Sleep deprivation can affect your child’s development, health, mood, and overall well-being as well. Sleep is a biological necessity, for both you and your child.

I also know what a world of difference a well-rested baby makes to the family. My third son learned good sleep skills from the start, and he was such a well-rested, happy boy. We were all well-rested enough to enjoy each stage, instead of stressed trying to manage a chronically overtired, miserable baby, which we experienced with our first two children.

It brings me such joy to be able to help you go from being an exhausted and frustrated parent to a well-rested, happy family. I truly care about each child and each family and it is my goal to help bring you to the world of restful sleep.

I understand how challenging and stressful it can be for parents to make changes to their child’s sleep habits while second-guessing every step of the process. My focus is to educate parents to help their child get the quality sleep they need. I will work with you to create a sleep plan based on your child’s needs, so everyone in the family can get a good night’s sleep. I provide support throughout the entire process, so you never feel lost or alone. Good sleep is possible. Let me show you how!

When is the right time to start sleep training?

There is no one size fits all answer here. The best answer is- when you feel ready to be consistent with the changes we will discuss. While I can provide you with all of the information, if you do not implement it or follow through, you will not achieve success. Ensuring you feel ready to commit to these changes will help your child be successful.

It is also important to note that we will need 3 weeks of consistency while you implement our program so that you will not be traveling or having house guests. Your child needs to practice falling asleep at home, in her bed as often as possible. The more consistent we can be with this, the less confusing it will be for her, and the faster she will learn these sleep skills.

Can I continue to co-sleep?
When we work together, we will remove all sleep props including a parents presence, so that your child learns completely independent sleep skills, and sleeps in his own bed.
What about crying? (child under 2, in a crib)
My approach is gentle and will ease your child through the transition of learning to sleep independently, while maintaining your active involvement. I have a variety of methods that can be used depending on the child and family needs- we will discuss which is the best fit for your family. While I do not teach a “CIO” method, there will be some protest on your child’s part. Making changes to anyone’s sleep habits usually results in some resistance – even as adults!

When we work together, the amount of crying is considerably less than if you were to try sleep training alone with a sleep method off of the internet or a book. I have a very holistic approach, incorporating schedules, routines, ensuring good feedings, in addition to the independent sleep skills, which is all tailored to your family with my personalized support, which will help ease your child through this transition.

How much crying really depends on your child’s personality, how big her sleep debt is, and how overtired she is. Crying is a symptom of fatigue, confusion, and frustration, and may not be prevented.
I will support you on how to support and reassure your child as she learns how to fall asleep on her own. The good news is that when done right, crying is minimal and success is achieved. Once children learn how to fall asleep on their own – which can happen pretty quickly – the crying decreases, then goes away! It’s very short term with huge rewards for everyone in the family at the end of the journey.

What about crying? (child over 2, in a big bed)

When working with an older toddler, one of our tools that we will use is the Sleep Rules. Your child will learn how to lay in her bed quietly, until her clock lights up in the morning. While using this, there is often not a lot of crying. There may be some protesting if they are not getting their way, but overall, having worked on the clear boundaries during the first phase of the plan helps minimize the protesting and crying while working together on their sleep. We will use a system of consequences and positive reinforcement to encourage your child to make good choices, and follow our sleep rules.

Will someone else be able to put my child down?
Yes!! We will be sure to involve multiple caregivers as we work together, so your child learns that the rules stay the same for each person. We will discuss when and how to involve your partner and other caregivers to achieve this. We want your child to be able to easily fall asleep for whoever tucks him in.
How fast will I see results?
Often, families see a dramatic change in just a few nights! Every child is different, so I can not guarantee your results.

For those that are napping… Naps can take 1-4 weeks to solidify, so they may not be perfect at the completion of our time. At the end of our time together, she will have gained great skills and you will have learned the tools and gained the confidence to continue moving forward with these skills.

My goal is for each of my families to achieve their sleep goals, and I will do everything I can to help you get to this point.

Do you have a guarantee?
I cannot guarantee my services because some of the results are out of my hands. Parents play a huge role in the success of the process. Both your commitment and follow through are necessary for success. I will do everything in my power to get you to your goal, but I can not force you to follow through. Of course, mistakes and misunderstandings happen from time to time, but these are easily corrected along the way as we stay in touch throughout the plans implementation. As long as you follow the customized advice I give you, and you truly want your child to sleep better, I will help you and your child reach the goals we outline in the initial meeting. Families that follow the plan make tremendous improvements.
HEY!
Are you ready to talk?

Book a quick evaluation!