A Gameplan for Helping Luke Sleep

I met with the pediatrician today and had Luke checked out to make sure nothing else is going on. We ruled out anemia and checked his glucose levels. Since he is so attached to his drinks, both juice and milk, she was afraid he may be diabetic. I was concerned he was be a bit dehydrated after a week of diarrhea. Turns out he's almost better and has nothing wrong physically.

I realize I created a monster when I let Luke have a sippy cup in his crib at 18 months. (Hindsight is 20/20.) My advice for all you first time moms is "Don't do it!" No matter how tempted you may be to give your child a bottle or sippy cup in their bed, don't give in. I wish so badly I hadn't started that horrible habit. At least I know better with Lexie; she only gets drinks in her highchair.

Here's the plan: The first thing we'll do is tell Luke he can't have any drinks at night, not even water. He had gotten into the terrible habit of wanting drinks all night long, and once his cup is empty he wakes me up wanting more. Dr. Pipik said we need to simply break him of a bad habit. When he wakes me up I just have to firmly walk him back to bed; and if it means doing it repeatedly I've got to stay consistent.

Next, we're to tell Luke he can only have his drinks at the dining room table or at his small table along with food or a snack. We're trying to encourage drinking only with meals, not while sitting on the couch watching videos, in his bed or even while riding in the car. He's simply too orally fixated on having something to suck on all the time. (He might as well have a pacifier.)

To encourage success with these 2 things, we're implementing a sticker reward chart. The pediatrician said positive reinforcement and staying consistently firm are our keys to success. He'll get a small sticker or checkmark for the following: going to bed without crying, having drinks at the table, not needing drinks in the night, and the biggie will be for not waking mommy in the night! Marty and I are trying to figure out a big reward for getting 20 stickers, or something like that.

I feel very encouraged by this plan, especially since it doesn't involve locking him in his room. Marty and I both feel very strongly that wouldn't help with Luke. We don't want him to be afraid of going in his room or feel trapped in there. We want it to be a comfy safe haven for him.

So, we're trying to break Luke of needing to suck on a sippy cup all the time. It should also help him become a better eater. The good thing is that he gained 3 pounds in the last 3 months and is now up to 29 pounds. He's still a picky eater and has his days where it seems he eats nothing, but it all seems to balance out. Dr. Pipik told me not to worry that I might be starving him... he's getting what he needs.

Thanks again, everyone, for all your feedback and encouragement on helping Luke stay in bed at night. Please keep praying that we'll have success with our new plan!