Necessary Preface to a Funny Story
OK, I hesitate to write about this because it involves such a controversial topic in child-rearing. If you're going to read this, you have to promise not to judge us. The issue is this: sleep training. Zach and I have read all the books and have settled on a relatively middle of the road philosophy as far as how much we let Isaac cry when he's going down for a nap or to bed for the night. We know really smart people on both ends of the spectrum: those who schedule sleep (and everything else) and those who follow the demands of the baby. We love both kinds of people and hope they all love us despite our different parenting styles. :)
Funny Story
Sometimes we must let Isaac cry. This is incredibly difficult. When I told my Aunt Alli that we started to let Isaac cry for 10 minutes, she said, "So then do you cry too?" She understands. Most mothers do.
The stereotype is that it is somehow easier for fathers to listen to their babies cry. You might think, for example, that when I'm struggling against my tremendously strong inclination to go and comfort my son, that Zach would hold me back. No such luck.
Last week Isaac was crying while I was talking to my mom on the phone. I told her, "I'm going to go in there in 3 minutes."
"Don't pick him up!" she said. (The theory is that if you pick him up after x number of minutes he will learn that all he has to do is cry for x number of minutes in order to get you to come in.)
"Well, I might," I said.
"Don't do it, or he'll just keep crying each night!"
"But I can't stand it," I whined.
"Then go outside and let Zach stand it," she suggested.
Zach, unaware of my mother's suggestion, then turned to me and said, "Do you want me to go get him?"
I really needed a shower. Isaac was well fed and totally safe, just pretty unhappy. I took a really fast shower, from which I couldn't hear anything going on outside the bathroom door, and I thought to myself, "Zach is totally going to have Isaac in his arms when I get out of the shower."
I was right.
Well, now we know who the softy is.
Sometimes we must let Isaac cry. This is incredibly difficult. When I told my Aunt Alli that we started to let Isaac cry for 10 minutes, she said, "So then do you cry too?" She understands. Most mothers do.
The stereotype is that it is somehow easier for fathers to listen to their babies cry. You might think, for example, that when I'm struggling against my tremendously strong inclination to go and comfort my son, that Zach would hold me back. No such luck.
Last week Isaac was crying while I was talking to my mom on the phone. I told her, "I'm going to go in there in 3 minutes."
"Don't pick him up!" she said. (The theory is that if you pick him up after x number of minutes he will learn that all he has to do is cry for x number of minutes in order to get you to come in.)
"Well, I might," I said.
"Don't do it, or he'll just keep crying each night!"
"But I can't stand it," I whined.
"Then go outside and let Zach stand it," she suggested.
Zach, unaware of my mother's suggestion, then turned to me and said, "Do you want me to go get him?"
***
Tonight I tried to put Isaac to bed a little bit earlier. Apparently Isaac is not happy about this new bedtime, 'cause he cried. A lot. I really needed a shower. Isaac was well fed and totally safe, just pretty unhappy. I took a really fast shower, from which I couldn't hear anything going on outside the bathroom door, and I thought to myself, "Zach is totally going to have Isaac in his arms when I get out of the shower."
I was right.
Well, now we know who the softy is.
But... well... I was gonna... you see, he was...
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