North Carolina Babies

Do you still rock your toddler?

We still have a glider in Holly's room, and still rock her before bed each night. I'm thinking we might need to stop that, but with her recent issues with staying in bed, and being all riled up at bedtime, I'm not sure.

She defintiely still requests to be rocked--sometimes to delay getting into bed, sometimes because she doesn't feel well, or just wants to snuggle. I'll admit that I would really, really miss rocking her, but I guess I can't keep rocking her until she's 7, right?

Our bedtime routine is bath, brush teeth/put on pj's, potty, then rock and listen to music (yes, she still has a crib soother too!..LOL) for a few minutes. We'll usually talk a bit, and sometimes sing songs, etc. We don't read or anything then, as the lights are off. We don't rock her to sleep, and sometimes she just doesn't even want us to rock her, and we'll just put her in the bed.

Then she'll wait until we leave the room and get out of bed and sleep on the floor. Confused But that's a separate post. LOL.

I just wonder if we should "wean" her off of the rocking. I know some of my issue is because I will miss it, and she still requests it often. But we're making such a big deal of her being a "big girl," maybe it's time for that to go... I figured I'd bring up her little anywhere chair, and let her sit there and look at books before bed instead, or something.

I'm not sure where my baby went. Crying



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Re: Do you still rock your toddler?

  • Awww!  I wouldn't worry about it, if it's something you both enjoy.  Doesn't sound to me like it's hurting anything.  They grow up so fast, if they want to hang onto a few "babyish" things, I don't see any harm in it.  We don't rock Liam, per se, but we sit in the glider together to read books until I lay him down, and I do rock it while we're reading.

    But you know, my almost 3 year old still sleeps in a sleepsack! Embarrassed

    Rachel & Bill 9-10-05, Liam Andrew born 5-30-08 (formerly lakebride05)
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  • We still rock Natalie (and she still has a white noise machine).  I was going to stop the rocking because I was thinking she's too old but....well, she's not that old!  She likes to be rocked before bed and I enjoy rocking her.  There are so many other battles to pick with her during her terrible 2s and horrible 3s that are coming up that rocking her to bed is not one I think is worth weaning her off of right now.  I think breaking the white noise machine is going to be a harder one but I'm hestiant to get rid of that either -- I like sleeping with some noise, I don't see a problem with her liking it either.  But we'll see.
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  • We still rock with J before nap & bed - helps him calm down to go to sleep. We only rock for like 1-2 minutes and talk about our day, but I don't see it stopping any time soon.

    J still has his rainforest soother and we use a sound machine. I don't see anything wrong with any of that - it helps hims sleep.

    He also still sleeps in a crib, but got REALLY excited over the beds at the Ikea kids dept yesterday. I have a feeling we'll be changing over soon, but I'm putting it off as long as possible. :)

  • Maddie has gotten really into me rocking her in the last few months, and I LOVE IT! She was not a cuddly baby at all and I rarely got to rock her unless she was sick. Our bedtime routine is pj's, potty, wash hands/brush teeth, book, rock while singing songs (Twinkle Twinke, ABC's, Jesus Loves Me, always in that order, lol) and prayers.

    She also requests rocking before naps now, which are my favorite b/c she is extra cuddly and I usually sing her a few songs.

    I don't see anything wrong with it- I will rock her until she goes off to college if she wants me to :). I remember how "safe" feeling it was to climb up into my parents laps when I was little. I think with all the growing up she is doing, and all the changes she's made, it's nice to have a time every day when she doesn't have to be independent or a big girl, she's just my little baby. 

    I think it would be different if you were still rocking her to sleep- but there's nothing wrong with extra cuddle time before bed :).

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  • We have recently stopped rocking every night, just because we are moving him to his big boy room and keeping the glider in the nursery so he won't have it any more.  I wanted to try to stop early so it wasn't a big shock when another baby is using his rocker.  Some nights he wakes up upset and wants to be rocked or he will climb up there and rock while we read, but I have started reading to him in bed or on the floor with him in my lap. 

    ETA: After reading everyone's responses I went back and read the original post and question.  I don't use our rocker that much anymore because he won't let me hold him to rock, but I do still snuggle a ton with him at night and we just moved our cuddling from the rocker to the floor, and when he's in his full size bed, I will just lay in bed with him to read. 

  • imagejenhum:
    I will rock her until she goes off to college if she wants me to :).

    Yes Love this!  I cuddled with my mom when she visited recently.  I hope she doesn't try to wean me off of her! Wink

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  • I don't have kids yet, but I will rock them for as long as they want. I'd keep rocking Holly and savor the moments until she tells you otherwise! :)
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  • I still rock R, but it's not every night.  I don't plan on moving her rocker into her big girl room either.  I plan on keeping that in her little sister's room.  I haven't really even thought about it until now, but it makes me sad that we won't be able to rock every night.
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  • I love your responses! My friends/family IRL tell me all the time I shouldn't rock my 1 year old. I tell them: she enjoys it, I enjoy it...and she won't always want me to, so I will keep on rocking :)
  • Heck yeah! I don't rock him to sleep, but he loves to snuggle in the rocker before naps and bedtime. Our nap/bedtime routine is bath, PJs, brush teeth, a story or two sitting in Mommy or Daddy's lap in the rocker, and one or two songs. Then it's into his crib, a hug & a kiss and lights out.

    I love being able to cuddle with him at this age, and so does DH. I'm not giving up those special snuggle moments yet if I don't have to!

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  • imagemurph04:

    Heck yeah! I don't rock him to sleep, but he loves to snuggle in the rocker before naps and bedtime. Our nap/bedtime routine is bath, PJs, brush teeth, a story or two sitting in Mommy or Daddy's lap in the rocker, and one or two songs. Then it's into his crib, a hug & a kiss and lights out.

    I love being able to cuddle with him at this age, and so does DH. I'm not giving up those special snuggle moments yet if I don't have to!

    this almost exactly except we don't rock in the rocker.  I rock him while I sing 2 songs.  Once the songs are over I lay him in bed and he drifts off to sleep.  We also use a sound machine and don't forse getting rid of it any time soon.  I haven't even thought of stopping any of these.  I love singing him the songs and he is so cuddly. 

  • We sit in the chair together to read and I rock. He now sits beside me instead of in my lap but its still cuddly. I havent even thought of changing that. I even see myself lying in bed with him when he has a big boy bed and reading a book if he no longer has the glider bc of another baby. I dont want to give that time up with him....as long as he'll let me Ill do it. I think he will grow out of it bf I will want to give it up. Crying I have never rocked hm to sleep unless hes been tired.....so its more of a soothing thing.

    AT still has a noise machine and Im not getting rid of it. It helps muffle noises in our house. Everything echos....esp during nap time. Plus I sleep with a fan on every night for sound....why wean him?

    He still isnt in a bed either. Still in a crib....I dont know when Ilkl hcnage that. Im in no hurry. Hes not climbing out so it works for now.

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