So far:
- Been called a “Nazi parent” for trying to get Alex to take a nap / have enough sleep not to be cranky.
- Have get / accept / choose gifts because the giver likes them better than I do. I understand that gifts are both about the giving and the receiving.
Problem is, things like this have been getting to me. I need to develop a thicker skin.
At least I figured out a few things about social dynamics.
I thought parents were *supposed* to try to get small children/babies to take naps because they (the parents) can realize that the problem/cause of crankiness is lack of sleep wwhereas the child is too young to realize that. Also, in terms of gifts, I had a bit of a conundrum this year since I’m not particularly keen on the fact that most clothing for little girls is pink, but I had to find something for James’s niece. I ended up finding something I thought James’s sister would like (Elizabeth is five months old, so I was more concerned with what her mother wanted) but was still not bright pink. It took me five or six stores and about as many hours to come up with something.
I’d hate to hear what they’d call my wife and I.
Nap time was created by us with a week of regular crying sessions now followed by more than two years of happy children.
Good luck and remember that teaching your children skills like good sleep habits is not comparable to invading most of Europe.
Try the no-cry sleep solution … I found it still involved a bit of crying, but I never had to do anything with which I felt uncomfortable…