By Eve Squires & Gemma Fryer (Orion £14.99)
It is pretty obvious to say how important a role that a parent plays in their child’s sleep, but also how powerless we feel in getting our child off to sleep and have them fit perceived sleeping patterns.
Calm & Bright Sleep support, founded in 2009 is headed up by Eve & Gem who between them have 7 kids. Gem is a paediatric nurse of 18 years standing. They describe their love-led approach. Hang on don’t we all love our kids?
Yes, but this approach differs in that it avoids the guilt trip of not being at your child’s every whim and more on quality and build up inner confidence to practice the common sense approaches outlined in this book.
There’s an early definition in sleep problem in that it is not a sleep problem until it is for you – a bit ‘Yodaish’ I know but it does make sense. Going back to basics it begins in what they call the fourth trimester and how the mother should rest and adjust in those early weeks.
Split into thirteen chapters that often include anecdotes this book covers from birth to 6 years. We particularly liked the ‘ten truths a tired parent should be told’ in chapter 6, and also the ironic definition of FINE in the introduction!
The dreaded four month sleep regression is introduced and the push and pull of society led ‘shoulds’ and seperational anxiety. Much later they look at the pyramid of psychological obstacles to sleep.
At the back, though not an afterthought is a section called ‘tools and resources’ with some helpful tips and tick boxes as well as some scales 1-4 which may surprise you.
One final word from the authors – ‘When a baby is born, so is a mother’.