Habits vs Routine

EastCoastBride

I've seen a couple times where people have mentioned not wanting to get their child in the habit of needed to be rocked to go to sleep.

For me, I'm trying to keep feeding out of the bedtime equation.  I don't want that to become a habit or something he has to have to fall asleep.

But rocking - rocking and singing to him is a part of our bedtime routine.  I do try to put him in his crib while he's still drowsy but not ENTIRELY asleep.  But how do you avoid making it a habit if it's a part of your routine? 
The only way I can see avoiding all "habits" is to just go up and plop them in their crip and walk out....  which I don't see most of us doing! 

dereks_wife

I agree...I think it is important to have a bedtime routine.  LO has to feed to sleep, and I want to wean her from that.  But we'll still do the bath and rocking...otherwsie we'll just be plopping her in her crib after her bath and she'll be like, "Um...what's going on?"  LOL

laur1120

I think what you are doing is perfectly fine!  If you are putting him down when he is still drowsy but not totally asleep that is great.  I can't do that and she is starting to need me to rock her in the middle of the night so it's becoming a problem.  But he can put himself the rest of the way to sleep that is great and keep it up.  That way when he wakes up during the night he will be able to put himself back to sleep.  Keep enjoying your routine

jess1984

Lol... I don't see any of us doing that.

Ds gets a bed time bottle for the simple fact that he sleeps 10-12 hours straight at night and I feel that he needs something to keep him full during those hours. I'm not ready yet to see if he doesn't need it and him to wake up in the middle of the night...

I'm bad becuase I rock and feed him at the same time...

BecauseICan

You know, I was all worried about this when DD was first born.  And what I have learned in the last month in particular is that she'll graduate from these habits when she's ready.  First she only slept in her bouncy seat (also due to reflux)...now she's in her crib.  She would only sleep when swaddled...now she sleeps with arms out.  She needed a paci to go to sleep...she ditched that this week.  As I've let her dictate what she needs/wants, she's grown out of most of the things I was worried about all on her own.  She has a lovey, and we do rock before bed--but it's only for 5 minutes, and I'm not worried about that at all--to me, that's a precious time that she will also eventually give up, so I might as well enjoy it while I can.

EastCoastBride

BecauseICan:

You know, I was all worried about this when DD was first born.  And what I have learned in the last month in particular is that she'll graduate from these habits when she's ready.  First she only slept in her bouncy seat (also due to reflux)...now she's in her crib.  She would only sleep when swaddled...now she sleeps with arms out.  She needed a paci to go to sleep...she ditched that this week.  As I've let her dictate what she needs/wants, she's grown out of most of the things I was worried about all on her own.  She has a lovey, and we do rock before bed--but it's only for 5 minutes, and I'm not worried about that at all--to me, that's a precious time that she will also eventually give up, so I might as well enjoy it while I can.

The swaddler is another concern.  But I have noticed DS pushing his paci out more and more often.  Maybe he's choosing to not use it.  Awesome if that's the case!

JARbaby

Have a routine where they baby does not rely on you to put then to sleep or make them drowsy through songs, stories, feeding, prayers, massage, bath whatever you want to do.

It is not rock OR plop, both seem the outside extremes to me. Use your imagination.