DOVE FAMILY

WARNING: The link below and the book does contain explicit language. Although it seems like a harmless children’s book- this book is meant for adults and adults only!

A friend of mine gave me this book, "Go the F--K to Sleep" after hearing my stories and struggles of trying to get my kids- mostly my son to bed. After we had Matthew, Dave and I agreed that the kids should not sleep in our beds with us – unless they are sick of course or if there is an emergency such as weather related or no power. Don’t think that Dave and I are super strict because we do allow them on our beds for family movie night, early I in the mornings as we are getting dressed and of course on the weekends when we all want to sleep in and cuddle…we just don’t want them to sleep with us every night, fall asleep in our bed and take over our own bed!

Once Matthew started to sleep in the toddler bed, we had to sit down next to Matthew’s bed as he fell asleep. Once his eyes closed and we were sure he was asleep, we would tip-toe to our room. If he woke up in the middle of the night, we would take him back in his room and sit with him until he fell asleep. I know you are probably thinking---OMG—when did you sleep? We didn’t. It could take us 3, 4 or 5 times taking him back in his room each and every night until he was almost 2 years old. Once he turned 2 we gradually moved to the hallway. He could still see us, but we weren’t right next to his bed. This allowed me to get some work, homework, reading and fold laundry but I had to do it in the hallway. Once he fell asleep we would tip toe back to our room until he woke up and we would do it all over again. Since Matthew & Julia share a room, they have been used to me or Dave sitting in the hallway until they fell asleep. Just recently, we have reached a new accomplishment!!! We now tucked them in after a story and we go right to our room. But we check on them every few minutes until their eyes can’t take it anymore. They are learning how to fall asleep on their own, without mommy or daddy sitting next to them or in the hallway. It has certainly been a long process but one that I am proud of. My kids can now sleep on their own and they know that if they wake up in the middle of the night, they cannot crawl into bed with us but we take them back to their room, kiss and hug them and tuck them back in. They are proud of themselves that they can fall asleep on their own without mommy & daddy next to them.

This book is A-MAZING! I wish I had this book early on when we were battling with Matthew on going to sleep. I know there is some explicit language. Just remember that this book is NOT something that you should read to your children. But instead, read on your own, think back to those sleepless nights and laugh. It’s how we feel without saying the words. It’s the frustrations that we go through so our children can learn and have good sleeping habits especially if they have horrible sleeping habits. Having a child that could not sleep on their own, falling asleep on the hard floor because your child would not go to sleep even if it was 11pm at night, waking up countless times in the middle of the night just to put them back into bed and then wake up again, or as you are tip-toeing into your own room and all of a sudden the floor creeks and wakes them up…..you just don’t know how hard it is.

Take a few moments and listen to Samuel L. Jackson reading this book. Dave and I just laughed so hard and we just really shared our stories of the countless nights of no sleep, frustrations and reminded one another that we are not in the clear yet….although they can fall asleep without mommy & daddy…they take turns waking up in the middle of the night .…baby steps….

http://www.collegehumor.com/video/6536596/samuel-l-jackson-reads-go-the-f-to-sleep