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From: eve@ssc-bee.UUCP (Michael Eve)
Newsgroups: net.kids
Subject: Re: Putting small children to sleep
Message-ID: <278@ssc-bee.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 21-Jan-85 12:49:49 EST
Article-I.D.: ssc-bee.278
Posted: Mon Jan 21 12:49:49 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 24-Jan-85 05:54:39 EST
References: <109@spp3.UUCP>
Distribution: net
Organization: Boeing Aerospace Co., Seattle, WA
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> []
> We have an 8 1/2 month old.  Until about two weeks ago we were holding his
> bottle and rocking him to sleep in our arms.  We were told that it is a very
> bad habit to get you child into and that he should be going to sleep in his
> crib by himself.  We were then given the advise of putting him in his crib
> with the bottle propped to wean him from having to hold him.  

We were told not to give a baby a bottle in the crib for two reasons:
	1) The milk may flow down into the eustachian tube and cause
	   ear infections.

	2) The milk encourages tooth decay if the baby has teeth.


Our young son required being held at bedtime when he was very young (6 months);
we switched him over to a system (saw it in a book somewhere?) where we
place him in bed when he seems tired and sit beside the crib until he falls 
asleep. At first, we tried just laying him down and leaving the room. He would
cry for 15-20 minutes before falling asleep. He seemed to be crying from both
anger and panic at being left alone.  With us in the room, he usually lays down
and rolls around for 5 minutes then falls asleep without tears.  Sometimes he
will stand up in which case we give him a hug (without picking him up) until
he sits himself down.  Sometimes (not often) we make a mistake and put him in
bed before he is tired; this is usually evident immediately and we pick him up
before he begins crying. 

We also have a little routine where we walk around the house with him turning off
the lights in each room, waving and saying "Goodnight, light " (ala the book
Goodnight Moon); this routine seems to be a key part.

Many people have told us to just lay him down and leave the room; that crying
is a natural way for babies to fall asleep.  After visiting some of them when
their 18 month olds were put to bed at 8 0'clock on the dot (because that is
the OFFICIAL BEDTIME), and listening to them cry for a half hour or more, I
prefer to sit quietly with Andrew for a few minutes while he falls asleep
.

-- 
	Mike Eve     Boeing Aerospace, Seattle
	...uw-beaver!ssc-vax!ssc-bee!eve