Bed Time Ritual for 13 Month Old Boy

I would recommend getting rid of the cup at bedtime before the rocking. If he's still falling asleep with the rocking then I would continue since you seem to enjoy it so much. I think you'll find that as he gets a bit older and you start reading to him near bedtime (he's almost ready for that), you'll be able remove the rocking. I learned this with my second son, who I would nurse to sleep at nite - he naturally reached a point where he was wanting to continue reading after nursing (and not falling asleep), so we just went straight to reading one nite and he was done with nursing to sleep. He was around 2 at that time.

He is more than ready for reading at night time. I started reading to both my girls when they were tiny infants! We would read something short and sing songy, like "Goodnight Moon" and have graduated to longer stories. After a while, I didn't even need the book, I knew it by heart we read it so much! LOL! But, around 12 months both my girls went through a phase where they didn't like it anymore, they didn't want to sit still in the rocking chair long enough to hear a story, even a short one! I just would try again every couple of weeks until they liked it once more. Now at 22 months an 3 1/2, they like to read a story together before retreating to seperate rooms to sleep.

It doesn't sound like your son would have a problem sitting still for a story. I would try giving him his nubby before you go to the room for bedtime, like in the kitchen or family room. Then, go to his room, get in the rocker and read a story, sing, say your prayers or whatever else it is you already do. Once you are done with that, put him in his crib to fall asleep on his own. Or, if you can't bring yourself to do that right away, rock and read/sing/talk to him until he is sleeping. NO matter what age you start it at, he won't be happy being put in his bed awake at first. IMO, its something that he needs to learn...falling asleep by himself...sooner rather than later.

Good luck!!!
S.

J.,

If you love rocking him to sleep, don't worry about when you should stop. Believe it or not, he will naturally give it up on his own. There is no need to rush him into it. As for the sippy cup, he will give that up in his own time as well, but it's not good for his oral hygiene. May be you can let him have his sippy cup at the beginning of his betime routine. Then, brush his teeth. May be you can read to him after that or tell him a story or sing while rocking him to sleep.

I wouldn't worry so much about when things are supposed to happen. I think we try to push our babies out of babyhood too fast, then we complain about time flying by and missing our sweet, innocent babies. My son is 13 months old and nurses to sleep. I love that bonding time.

Good luck!

I agree with a bedtime book. I dreaded doing away with the last feeding and put it off until my daughter was 15 mos & had long been off daytime bottles. One night, instead of a bottle, we sat together and I read her "Goodnight Moon" and she never said a word about the bottle. Just like that, it was over. She never mentioned bottle again, either. I agree with the other posters who are telling you to put him down while he's still awake, and do it sooner rather than later. I did that from the time my daughter was 3 months old & on. My in-laws were shocked when we visited them when she was 4 months old & I was taking her straight from her last feeding to her pack & play while she was still awake. She went right off to sleep, and always has unless she was sick or teething. Don't stop the cuddling--my daughter's almost 9 years old now & we still cuddle at the end of the day, and sometimes the beginning. I hope it never ends!!!(though I know it will, sniff sniff...)

J.,
my husband and I rocked my daughter to sleep until she was 2 1/2 - because we loved it too! people can be very critical of how you "should" put a baby to sleep. my opinion is that you should do what is best for your family. if you are both enjoying it then I would continue until he either becomes restless or you are ready to stop. as for the nubby - I think as long as he is not sleeping with it - it's ok for a nighttime "bottle".

my daughter is almost 5 and is a great nighttime sleeper so I don't think we warped her in any way. besides, she is our only child so I am so glad we spent the extra time and attention with her while she was so small and cuddly :) may God bless you and your family
D.

If he's getting a bottle before bed, you will want to add brushing his teeth after the bottle to his routine, or switch it to water. Not only is it not good for the milk to sit on his teeth and gums, but if you start brushing now, you'll never have a problem later (as far as "brushing" we started by simply letting the baby chew on a tooth brush, then gradually got "mommy's turn" to brush). I have a friend who kept up the night time bottle thing until her daughter simply weaned herself from it by being to wiggly to sit still for it. She was probably 16 months or so.