Little Forest
07-11-2009, 08:38 AM
I will try to keep this concise...
It started when my first girl was a toddler just getting weaned. I felt as if I had to chase her around the house to drink milk just to get her to take maybe 2 150 mL cups a day. But she would be a little thirsty at night, so my option was to give her a drink then and put her back to sleep or have her howl and nobody get sleep, so I always chose the drink. Then it became chocolate or strawberry Quick.
Then when she was 2, I will never forget the first time she ever used the word hungry, in the middle of the night, "I'm hungry" once when she was recovering from being a little bit sick. So, that started snacks of yogurt or toast. And then her younger sister would join in this routine on occasion. Again, the option was, have their protests wake the whole family and have to deal with more, or just take care of them in the kitchen. I always felt like a sucker.
My husband always said that neither of our parents would have done this and neither would anyone else that we know.
Has anyone else BTDT? I am really curious.
Now that the older two are 5 and 3, we have a solution that seems to work now. We now leave out rice cakes and water which they can help themselves to in the middle of the night. The day before starting this, at a neutral, happy time we made it clear now that big girls can help themselves, but there will be no cocoa or other food offered until morning. The first couple days, my 3 year old came to me saying she was hungry and could she go get a rice cake. I think the novelty since has worn off. But if they really ever are hungry or thirsty, they can take care of themselves.
It started when my first girl was a toddler just getting weaned. I felt as if I had to chase her around the house to drink milk just to get her to take maybe 2 150 mL cups a day. But she would be a little thirsty at night, so my option was to give her a drink then and put her back to sleep or have her howl and nobody get sleep, so I always chose the drink. Then it became chocolate or strawberry Quick.
Then when she was 2, I will never forget the first time she ever used the word hungry, in the middle of the night, "I'm hungry" once when she was recovering from being a little bit sick. So, that started snacks of yogurt or toast. And then her younger sister would join in this routine on occasion. Again, the option was, have their protests wake the whole family and have to deal with more, or just take care of them in the kitchen. I always felt like a sucker.
My husband always said that neither of our parents would have done this and neither would anyone else that we know.
Has anyone else BTDT? I am really curious.
Now that the older two are 5 and 3, we have a solution that seems to work now. We now leave out rice cakes and water which they can help themselves to in the middle of the night. The day before starting this, at a neutral, happy time we made it clear now that big girls can help themselves, but there will be no cocoa or other food offered until morning. The first couple days, my 3 year old came to me saying she was hungry and could she go get a rice cake. I think the novelty since has worn off. But if they really ever are hungry or thirsty, they can take care of themselves.