Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Nightime Ruminations

Since we converted her crib to a toddler bed last week, Sophie requires we accompany her a little longer on her journey to sleep each night. I shouldn't grumble, someday I will look back on what will likely be a short period of time with fondness, but some nights it's as much as an hour and frustration, thy name is Cara. After a couple of nights, I discovered that turning on her Rainforest Waterfall Soother helps in the process. She lays in her crib and I lay on the floor next to her and we watch it. It is mesmerizing. It makes tinkly music and rainforest sounds and has very pleasant lighting. It just about puts me to sleep.

While I was laying there, I thought that it was a little like watching TV in bed. You know, minus all of the comforts of a bed, I was on the floor, after all. Which got me to wondering if they make TVs for cribs. Sure, there's the whole "is TV good for babies and toddlers" business, but most parents follow their own instincts on that anyway. Meanwhile, when has what is "good" or "right" had anything to do with what manufacturers will produce and retailers will sell?

Is it wrong that I would seriously contemplate getting one if it meant that I could get that extra hour of sleep in the morning?

12 comments:

  1. Some mornings I would do just about anything to get an extra hour of sleep in the morning.

    I think it would be good to have a motion sensored TV.....like if they pat the screen it comes on....and it automatically starts playing Ni Hao Ki Lan....that would be so cool.

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  2. There's very little I wouldn't consider doing for an extra hour of sleep in the morning. Knowing my son, though, that TV would end up sucking sleep away from me, because he would decide that he needed to test its aerodynamics by hurling it at his dresser at 5 am. Maybe they make toddler-proof TVs that can be bolted to the wall and still have a button to push to play happy cartoons.

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  3. I read in one of those free Parents mags (the ones you get at libraries) that cheerios and PBS kids programming were on a list of ways to get that extra hour of morning sleep. No joke. It suggested (if all other alternatives have been tried) to give your kid a snack, turn on Sesame Street and go back to bed. For some reason that little nugget of advice stuck.

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  4. In the mornings, I put Maia in her swing & turn on kid programming while I eat breakfast. She's happy, I'm happy, and I have energy to start the day off.

    You do what you have to do and really, you take damned good care of her everyday as it is, not like TV in crib would be a babysitter!

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  5. I so want one for my kids cribs. I think that you are totally onto something.

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  6. Gosh, that's an excellent idea Cara! Geez, I could have possibly been sane way back when! lol.

    It's tough. Very tough. Many a time I was the one sleeping in the toddler bed while trying to get one of the kids down. Cricked neck, sore back...

    I hate to say this cuz Sophie is sooooooo cute...but tough love my dear. lol. Set a timer and then when it dings, you GOTTA go. Asleep or not...times up.

    Timer. yep.

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  7. If you invent the TV for toddler beds, I want a discount :o)

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  8. We have that same rainforest thingy!

    During our very (short) attempt to be in a big girl bed, as I laid on the floor and pondered these same type things, I actually DID fall asleep many times, while Miss S did not.

    I am still sooo in love with that crib!

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  9. I've had similar thoughts. My mom did put a television in the room of my youngest brother (the youngest of five, she was tired), but I can't remember how old he was at the time. He would fall asleep to videos.

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  10. This is so weird! We also have the rainforest waterfall thing that Fly is addicted to even at 2.5 years old.

    *And* I recently started letting him watch an episode of Little Einsteins on the iPod at naptime because I'm tired of chasing him and struggling to get him to sleep. I think this will be short-lived, however, because I think he has learned how to work the iPod to play the episode again and again....

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  11. We thought we were so smart by not having cable, but, we got completely hooked on putting a video on for them, in our room no less, (because that's where the t.v. is)so we could sleep another hour.
    We do what we've got to do.

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Give me some sugar, baby!