More of a guideline, really.

Sometimes you gotta look at the big picture. Like the likelihood of your brain exploding if you don't get some sleep for three nights in a row.

Good luck. May the Force be With You.

this. Sleep training didn't work one whit for us (or our neighbors). Swaddling did. Really well.

... she still gets up damn early though. and she can walk now. She showed up on Saturday morning at 3 am saying "I'm here to keep you company." She had 2 blankets, and four of her animals. Obviously, there had been planning. DH said something like "MMmmmfph. Glah guhruhuh. Feeling better Iris?" and then walked her back to bed with a sartorial talk on the responsibilities of those who can get out of bed without assistance.

Swaddling did. Really well.

Is it even possible to swaddle a 10-month old? I was never very good at it even when he was a newborn (oh hi Miracle Blanket! You saved my life!)

She showed up on Saturday morning at 3 am saying "I'm here to keep you company." She had 2 blankets, and four of her animals. Obviously, there had been planning.

I would probably find this less hilarious if I had children.

We go through cyclical sleep training periods. DH does all the heavy lifting because the crying doesn't make him want to climb out of his skin the way it does me.

Good luck, Jessica. I hope it works out for you guys. It is A LOT harder to train a kid that can crawl out of bed on their own, so now may be a good time to try.

My kids are sleep freaks. Sometimes they're up at 5 a.m., sometimes, they'll sleep in until 9. I just have NO CLUE when that's going to happen.

Jess, we did it with Sara when she was about Dylan's age. Ben the same, I think. (Jake was a little earlier, and strangely easy.)

In my experience, it's tough but it works. We did this:

Put baby down (with attendant cuddles and kisses, etc.), leave.

Crying begins. Wait a minute, go in and pat back, soothe, but DO NOT pick up. Leave.

When crying begins again, wait five minutes this time before going in.

Again, DO NOT PICK BABY UP. Soothe all you want, but not for too long, and leave the kid in the crib, for the love of all that's holy.

Every time, wait another five minutes, until you're not going in until he's been crying for twenty minutes, for instance.

Yes, this is pretty torturous. (Ben was APPALLED when we did this with Sara, and went to bed in tears himself the first few nights.) But in all honesty, my kids tired themselves out pretty quickly -- we're not talking three-hour crying jags, here.

And in both cases, the deed was done, more or less, within a week.

We tried sleep training with Casper. Either I couldn't do it, or it didn't work, or both. She was perfectly capable of crying for 45 minutes without a visit; I couldn't handle that.

YKMV, and I hope does.

Is it even possible to swaddle a 10-month old?

my memory of this is flaky. I've asked DH. I think we swaddled her some in New Zealand, because of the time changes. and the 5 teeth she was cutting.

I know people who have succeeded at sleep training too. Iris is stubborn enough to cry for 5 hours straight. She hunger-struck at her preschool when they wouldn't let her drink juice, only water. Not Joking.

they wouldn't let her drink juice, only water.

Why did they ban juice? That seems mean.

The fight against childhood obesity begins with the evil juice box. Feh.