Let me tell you a story about a girl know. Many moons ago, back when flares and perms were trendy (i.e. the late 70’s!!!) a beautiful baby girl was born to a very glamorous couple. They didn’t have much but they had each other and were very happy. Now, although the girl was beautiful and cherubic and adored by all around her, as she grew, the girl never could sleep.
The Mother used to lie in bed with her daughter night after night after night, reading as many stories as she could lay her hands on. More often than not the mother used to fall asleep whilst reading and the girl would lie and look at her sleeping Mother but still couldn’t sleep herself. This continued even though the Mother had other children to take care of and then suddenly when the girl was a teenager something miraculous happened and she actually learned to sleep. The Mother praised be to God and since that miracle the girl has continued to adore sleeping and more often than not struggles to get up in the morning. She is still a night owl but she does actually sleep.
Fast forward thirteen years from this miracle and the daughter herself had a beautiful baby girl. This baby was very contented and from four weeks old slept right through the night. There was something a little odd about this baby though in the fact that right from being born she only used to sleep for about an hour in total throughout the whole day. From the age of 12 months she ceased to sleep at all during the daytime hours. As this baby has grown through toddlehood and well into her primary school years, it seems that history is trying to repeat itself and yet again this daughter doesn’t go to sleep well.
It’s slightly different, as generations are apt to be, but this poor girl just cannot get to sleep. Her Mother has given her permission to read for as long as necessary (as she doesn’t have the patience of her Mother before her and refuses to lie in bed with her child for hours on end) but she has to be reclining in her bed and not playing or messing around. A habit that has gotten much worse recently is a tendency to shout downstairs at least 10 times an hour that she can’t get to sleep.
As you can imagine this poor Mother is utterly at the end of her tether and may well be losing the plot totally. After phoning the Grandmother today for advice who laughed and then made the Mother recall her own childhood I say..............HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What on earth can I do?????? I have tried everything.....threats, punishments, taking her toys and/or privileges away and NOTHING works! Tonight we are trying the 3 strikes and out rule......she gets to shout down 3 times and then there will be no more interaction. Wish me luck.....................
