I was told along with millions of other viewers that those of us who do not allow our children to cry themselves back to sleep and decide to instead comfort and console them are ultimately doing our children a disservice.
It saddens me to think how many parents are being influenced to deny their children's emotional needs in a vulnerable tired state. Let's take a moment to think why children could wake up crying...
-Nightmare/Bad dream
-Thirsty
-Too hot or cold
-Afraid of the dark
I could go on but the list is endless.
As adults, we don't sleep through the night either. We toss, turn, and wake up on occasion We are mature and experienced enough to get ourselves back to sleep. Sometimes a child will fuss in their sleep and go right back down on their own. Other times they are in need of consolation and comfort. Allowing a child to cry themselves back to sleep is cruel. A child in distress needs his parents to provide him comfort and love, not ignore his basic needs of touch and reassurance. Forcing a child to self soothe can actually be detrimental to their psychological well being.
Now I am not here to judge, we are all entitled to raise our children as we see fit, but those of us who choose to comfort our children in the night are most certainly NOT doing them a disservice. We are providing them with love and nurture.
This little angel doesn't deserve to be left to cry alone.
Check out these links for more resources on this matter.
www.attachmentparenting.org
www.ahaparenting.com
So, I'm curious, why exactly do they feel comforting a child is harming him/her or doing a disservice? I agree with you that I would never leave my child alone to cry. I even get up if I hear my cats meowing at night to make sure they are OK and see what they want. I could never imagine ignoring my child!
ReplyDeleteTheir theory is that by forcing a child to cry themselves back to sleep we are "teaching" them to self soothe and become more independent.
DeleteThis type of behavior is learned later in life through experience and maturity, it does not need to be forced upon children in infancy :(