Would like to know the reasons people disagree with toddlers crying it out?
I think it’s because a lot of parents have severe anxiety about allowing their children to cry and about making their children unhappy. But you can’t give in to a child’s constant crying, especially when it comes to bedtime! I compromise–I’ve worked with a few toddlers who have a real issue with going to sleep in their own beds at bedtime without Mommy or Daddy. I put the child to bed, sing a lullaby, and then sit in the hallway outside their bedroom door so that they can see me, but I’m not within talking distance. I do not look at them or speak to them unless they try to get out of bed, and then I tell them that they need to be a big kid and lie down. After a couple of times doing this, the crying stops and I no longer need to sit in the hallway because the child realizes that there’s nothing to be upset about, and that even if I’m not with them, I’m somewhere in the house and they can count on having me around if they need something.
