Aww only just read all your replies and I felt myself almost close to tears, since most of the feelings expressed were just how I have felt when we were going through this phase. It is such a pull between trying to be there for your little DS while at the same time trying him to be an independent sleeper. I think what frustrated me most was that he used to go to bed so easily and by introducing these little habits, we turned an independent sleeper into a dependent one. I did feel bad about ranting about my DH but he has been brilliant in trying to wean DS from holding hands until he fell asleep.
I have been meaning to write here about our success in this regard (well, atleast for now before hubby darling decides to introduce a new habit
) and share with you all what helped us get through this phase. But I have been travelling so much the past couple of weeks that I did not get a chance to do so!
We did not cap his nap coz I just felt like making it any lesser than 1 and half hour would only result in DS being cranky all evening. I do not think he is ready for it yet. So we kept at it. I held his hands for 3 days until he finished his bottle. Slowly, instead of telling story sitting on his bed, I moved near the door and read the story from there. I waited for him to finish his bottle as well as for him to fall asleep for a couple of days. he did ask to hold hands, but I would just say that I am not going out of the room until he has fallen asleep. He did check on me a good number of times too
But I just did not make any eye contact or say anything to him after the last story and goodnight and love you routine. Then we started coming out of the room soon after he handed his bottle to us. I made sure that he saw me going out and reassuring him from outside that I am there. He asks for more story and once I tell him that it is the last story he accepts it and goes to sleep. So now we are back from a one and half hour bedtime to a max of half an hour!!!! Nowadays I just walk out of the room after finishing the story. He does call me back in to hand over the bottle (he just does not like keeping the bottle on his bed!!!
) but I go in, take the bottle off him and kiss him goodnight and he just turns over and sleeps. I hope something from this helps some of you who are going through the same problem.
It was tough going but now its relaxing to have atleast a few minutes to ourselves. Thanks girls once again for all your support
Have no idea how I would deal with this without BW!
