How to Put a 3 Year Old to Bed

More info... By Stephanie Foster Every parent knows the kind of night I'm talking about. The kind where your 3 year old just does not want to go to bed for anything. Despite the glaze in their eyes that tell you your child is really most of the way asleep, you keep seeing him or her wandering the house wanting just one more thing.It goes about like this for me:Just like any other night, I take my son to the potty, let him do whatever he's going to do there, put on his diaper and jammies, read him a story, rock him in the darkened room, give hugs and put him to bed.Too bad it didn't work.Five minutes later he's up again. Thirsty. So he takes a drink and is put back to bed.A few minutes later he's up again, needing the potty. He wants to poop, so it takes a while. He requests the 'Everyone Poops' book. He listens to it with great zeal, as only a 3 year old can. Who knew that listening could be done so enthusiastically? But In the 35 years I have worked with clients, I've learned that our lives can change instantly. Sudden death, life threatening diagnosis, accidents, job loss, marriage, or divorce can shake us at our inner core. I also know that conflicts in relationships can be devastating and confusing. I strive to provide a safe, caring, compassionate and professional environment for you to work and find solutions. Feel free to call for a brief telephone consultation (no charge) to determine if I'm the right person to help you with your concerns. Membership: Indiana Oncology Social Workers; National Association of Social Workers. I have been working with people in the context of their families, culture and social economic status for over 17 years. To do this I provide individual and family counseling, marital therapy and pre-marital counseling as well as divorce recovery in a safe, supportive enviroment. Common concerns you may experience include: depression, anxiety, difficulty sleeping (emotional issues), trouble adjusting to transitions such as aging, children as they reach adolescence, changes in relationships or work. If you are experiencing any of these issues, professional intervention is usually helpful. I have a great deal of experience with child development and parenting issues as well. Laurie has experience in the areas listed below. She is accepting new clients and always welcomes referrals. Play Therapy with Children ages 3-17Experience with children of divorce, and children who have experienced neglect or sexual abuse.Children with behavioral and social adjustment issues.Teen clients including teens suffering from anxiety and depression.Couples TherapyPremarital evaluationRelational issuesLife cycle event adjustment ie) getting used to being empty nestersDivorce planning-what's best for the kidsJoint parenting adviceIndividual TherapyGrief/lossAnxietyDepressionJob change/ crisisSelf ImprovementFamily of origin issues including how to differentiate from parentsIndividual life cycle adjustmentsSessions are available in one hour increments. Session times may be adjusted according to client's needs. In addition, Laurie is willing to speak to groups on a variety of topics. Because I see children, I am often asked questions about parenting. Some are very specific, asking about how to handle a behavioral issue like anger or doing homework. Other times, the questions are more general and it feels like the parent is looking for my approval. Without actually asking the question, they are wondering, “Am I doing it right”, “Will my child be harmed because I work?” or here’s what Tommy or I did in response to this situation- “Are we normal?” It seems that our ideas of good parenting are shaped by many different influences. Of course , our parents’ ideas of parenting shape our own but things were so different when we were children that it is hard to compare. Men weren’t expected to be as involved, if they were involved at all and fewer women were in the workforce. Society shapes our ideas of what is expected now but messages may be mixed depending on one’s social or economic surroundings. At times, especially with middle class families, parenting feels like a competition. My child got into this school or plays this sport competitively or is in these extracirricullar activities. Grades and test scores become public know ledge and at times feel more like a reflection of the parents’ performance than the child. The above discussion doesn’t even address yet another complication. The parent who was poorly parented and knows they want to do things differently but does not have a close role model. How does one know the best way to parent? Assuming that there are no problems with physical, verbal or sexual abuse and your child is safe, here are some guidelines to assure a parent that they are doing it right. 1. There is no RIGHT way to do it. All parents do the best they can given their own stage of development.2. There is no PERFECT parent, nor should a parent try to be perfect. In fact, according to researcher D.W. Winnicott, it is imperative that we fail our children at times so that they develop resilience and skills to take care of themselves in the real world.3. What is important, according to Winnicott is that we be a GOOD ENOUGH parent. This means meeting the needs of the child enough so that they understand that in general, the world is a reliable place and that others can be trusted.4. This goal can be accomplished whether you work or stay home. A parent who is dissatisfied with their own situation will project this disatisfaction on to their children and won’t be as emotionally available.5. Be intentional about the values that you want to pass along to your children and model them in your life.6. Provide firm and consistent discipline. Children need their parents to be parents and not permissive friends.Be open to other’s way s of parenting and recognize that there is no one way of doing it. Follow your intuition and do the best you can. Life Coaching Share Your Opinion. (0 posts)

 

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