When did you stop rocking?

Carmen101613

Hello, I'm seeking advice from you more experienced mommas! My son is 9.5 mo. I've always thought of parenting as doing things with a means to go on. The one exception for us has been rocking to sleep. It only takes 5-10 min to fall asleep with rocking but takes like an hour doing it any other way so I just gave up. He is on a great schedule and sleeps 12 hours at night w/o waking. He has woken up MOTN 4 times since January.

I was wondering for those of you who rocked to sleep, did your child just grow out of it? How? What did you do to stop? I'm trying to decide if this is an issue I want to tackle now, or just wait for him to grow out of it and not need it.

ashiscute

It's not something I would tackle right now unless you feel you need to.  I didn't rock my kids to sleep but I did nurse to sleep until they were weaned (13 mos and 14 mos).  They both transitioned fine.  

If you are happy rocking him to sleep and comfortable with it then why change.

Emerald27

Just 5-10 minutes? I'm in the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it," camp.

I've never rocked DS to sleep, but when he outgrew nursing to sleep I continued laying with him and snuggling him to sleep. At nearly 3, either DH or I still lay with him at night until he falls asleep. We don't mind one bit because he's such an active kid that we would barely get any snuggles otherwise, and it's such a special time that I know we'll never regret. We read 2 books and then lay in bed, count the stars on his ceiling, sing a lullabye or two, and snuggle to sleep.

blu-eyedwife

I rocked to sleep until around 21 months, which is also when DH took over bedtimes.  Like you, it was the fastest and easiest way to get him to go to sleep, and I'm also in the "if it ain't broke" club.  I don't think DH rocked to sleep, I don't think it was ever a "necessary" thing, just an easy thing for me.  DH just put him in the crib.  Now when/if I do bedtimes, I'm also able to put him in the bed without rocking.

eyenigh

We hang out in our rocker recliner with the lights down every night still but he grew out of falling asleep while we rocked awhile ago. Now it's just quiet snuggle time before bed (and a lot shorter than rocking to sleep!). I wouldn't worry about it. If it's something you can do and enjoy, I don't think there's any reason to rush stopping. I think it'll usually resolve itself on its own.

Elizabeth043086

Well, this was my experience.  With ds 1 I nursed him to sleep until just after the first year (I got pregnant when he was 8 months old) and the I worked on getting him to not nurse to sleep and I started rocking him.  I kept doing that until 15 months-ish and he just HATED it and it was a struggle to get him to sleep on his own, but we finally did.  DS 2 is 17 months and I'm still rocking him and nursing him to sleep and I don't regret it a bit.  Bedtime and naptime is so peaceful, quite opposite from ds 1.  Actually I was visiting with my parents the other day (we visit a couple times a week) and I asked ds 2 if he was ready for nap and he ran to the room where I always get him to sleep.  It's great actually.  I intend on doing this as long as he still does well with it and I will only work on getting him out of the habit when I'm pregnant with 3.  In our house the baby gets treated like a baby until the next comes along. 

bluejayway

I rocked and nursed both my kids to sleep for a long time. With DD1, about 17 months nursing and then a few months more after that just rocking, gradually rocking but not all-the-way-to-sleep. With DD2, I nursed to sleep until 22 months. She didn't really like being rocked as much (without nursing, and she'd only nurse at bedtime), so it was not an every night thing. Neither of them had issues stopping (gradually) and neither has sleep issues now. It was a bit stressful at times, because I felt like i ALWAYS had to be there at bedtime. But you know what? They're 2.5 and 4 now, and I certainly miss those times they were babies and needed me in that special way. I wouldn't worry about stopping just to stop...take it gradually and let it happen naturally. 

Tink112011

I rocked to sleep until about 12 months, when DS naturally outgrew the desire for it.  He would sit contently for a few minutes, but then get squirmy and want to be put in his crib.  The transition from rocking to sleep to putting him in his crib was so very natural and easy.  Kiddos tend to let you know when they are ready to "grow up".

vpeazy

still rocking my 2 y/o

zbeesma86

we haven't

I still rock DD to sleep every night. She knows after we read we rock.

We talk for a couple minutes then she snuggles up with her blanket and falls asleep.

I rock her from 10-15 minutes. I've done it since she was born.

I guess I'll stop when she asks? (

shipsshoessealingwax

We stopped rocking to sleep & switched to reading just sitting still at 15mo when we moved our son into his toddler bed. It was rough the first week, but now he STTN & can easily go back to sleep if he wakes up at night b/c he is not dependent on the motion (this was an issue for us).

newenglander71

DS is 23 months old and we still rock.  It hasn't been "rocking to sleep" in a long, long time, but it's still our time to cuddle and I sing to him.  And then a lot of times when he's ready to get in the crib, he points to his crib and asks to go in.  I feel like he enjoys winding down with me this way.  When DH or my brother (who babysits frequently) put him to sleep, they don't rock.  And he goes in fine with them. 

RamaLamaDD

We rocked LO for a while and then just sort of...stopped? I can't remember when but it got to the point that I just needed my sleep too so I would put her in her crib when she seemed sleepy enough and then would just have to let her cry. (Never left her crying for more than 5 minutes though without going and checking on her.) Usually after about 10 - 15 minutes she would be asleep.