first thoughts  Angela Lehman-Rios  

Although I didn’t read any books dedicated to the topic of children and sleep when my first daughter was young, I read enough chapters in other books and snippets of advice in magazines to realize that for every theory, there was an equal and opposite theory.
Well, that’s not quite true. Some of the suggestions I encountered were not equal to the others, let alone to the task of putting a child to bed and keeping her there, asleep, for at least enough hours that a parent’s sense of self could begin to return.
The silliest thing I read was an admonition not to play music while a child was falling asleep: it could create a dependency, and when the child was all grown up, she wouldn’t always be able to have music while falling asleep. I just couldn’t picture Emily at 93, arguing with her roommate in the nursing home about whether or not she could leave Enya on the stereo after lights-out.

There is a place for sleep advice, of course. As with most everything related to parenting, each family has to try various approaches to find what’s right for them.
It’s natural to combine a bit of Method X with parts of Method Y, try out your mother-in-law’s advice for a week or so, and eventually hit upon Method Zzzzz. (You saw that joke coming, didn’t you?)
And then your child’s sleeping habits and needs shift, and you’re back to the experimental stage.

You’ll notice numerous pages dedicated to the sleep issue this month. Yes, it’s our Sleep Issue. Many of our regular columnists chose to write about sleep or bedtime from one angle or another. We even have a piece on getting good sleep at sleep-away camp in our annual Camp and Education Guide pull-out section.
In the cover story on page 16, “You are Getting Verrry Sleeepy,” writer, educator and parent Tracy Lewis addresses the topic in a straightforward, down-to-the-basics way. How many hours of sleep should a 2-year-old be getting? What are the critical steps families can take if a child isn’t getting enough sleep or has problems falling asleep?
Some of this stuff may seem obvious to parents of older kids, but for a reminder of how difficult it is to think clearly when you’ve been roused from sleep several times a night by one or more wakeful children, read Kelly Johnson’s Your Turn essay on page 28, “P.O.W.: When Parenting Secrets Get Revealed.”

I also have to draw your attention to Child Chat on page 25. We took photos at my second daughter’s preschool this month, asking the children what helps them go to sleep. The youngster in the bottom right corner is mine. (But check out what the child just above her says—that’s my story, too.)
Finally, don’t forget to visit our website, richmondparents.com. We add calendar updates throughout the month, and we’ve also added a link to our new blog, richmondparents.blogspot.com.
The blog is a place where, through the comments option, you can share parenting stories, thoughts on family events and attractions, even tips on putting kids to bed. I’ve been adding posts at night, after the girls are asleep, so grab an adult beverage (tea, beer, caffeinated soda) and meet me there!

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