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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To want to strangle Super Nanny?

77 replies

HenD19 · 26/02/2013 10:05

Don't get me wrong, I love JoJo and have extensively watched her shows but rapid return with your own child in the middle of the night is so frustrating and not half as easy as watching her and her clients do it on tv. After nearly 3 hours my DS aged 2.3 finally went to sleep. DS, DH and I are exhausted. Just hope it takes less time tonight as promised by S Nanny as I will hunt her down and ......

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Sailormercury · 26/02/2013 19:57

Strangling Super Nanny is anassabtable Grin

McNewPants2013 · 26/02/2013 19:59

I would love super nanny to get my son to sleep all night, he functions on very little sleep. 5 hours max per night.

MoreSnowPlease · 26/02/2013 20:05

This reply has been withdrawn

Withdrawn at poster's request

IfNotNowThenWhen · 26/02/2013 20:11

I could never master the norty step. It just seemed to involve actually fighting with ds to make him sit on it. It totally enraged him, and escalated the situation.
Instead, I just gave myself time out (went in my room and shut the door) which he HATED so, that's what I did. Meant I could go and calm down too.
Do whatever works I reckon.

HenD19 · 26/02/2013 20:25

He's asleep! Not too bad I suppose. Out of bed about 20 times and asleep after settling on his own after 40 mins. Just got to tackle any night wakings now. Will have a look at beyondsupernanny website.

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HenD19 · 27/02/2013 07:16

Result! Well kind of. He woke at 12, 2 and 4.30 which is not great but I put him straight back to bed, twice and midnight and once the other times and he went back to sleep! Just need to work on going to bed and sleeping thru. Still exhausted!

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Emilythornesbff · 27/02/2013 07:22

sirboobalot in agreement.
Btw what was dara's suggestion about charlatan snake oil merchants homeopaths?

LadyKinbote · 27/02/2013 07:33

I've always found Jo Frost / Supernanny the most useful of the 'experts' but I suspect what happens is that you read the books until you find one that sounds similar to your own person parenting style and then go with that one!

Kiwiinkits · 27/02/2013 07:35

Hen, we've just been through exactly this issue at exactly the same age. We were putting her back, again and again and again. Then finally it twigged, she was still having 2 or 2.5 hour naps during the day. When we restricted her nap to one hour, bedtime got easier. Then, within 2 weeks (yes, 2 weeks!) the getting up behaviour started again. So I thought, right, I'll see what happens if I cut out her daytime nap altogether. Lo and behold, the child didn't really need her daytime sleep any more. She is growing up Sad. She is now back to 7pm bedtime and 7am waking, bliss for everyone. She gets knackered by about 6.30 and by 6.45 she's a mess, but at least she's straight off to sleep at 7.
So perhaps consider dropping daytime nap?

Kiwiinkits · 27/02/2013 07:37

BTW I thought Jo Frost's baby book was really good, really gentle and quite helpful. Agree with the above poster that liked Baby Whisperer, we used that one too and it was excellent. Never had any sleep issues, ever, apart from the one mentioned above ^^

Kiwiinkits · 27/02/2013 07:54

(I didn't mean that we didn't have any issues because of the Baby Whisperer, btw, I think we got lucky, but I do think the book really helped us with getting the right balance of daytime and nighttime sleep)

Bearbehind · 27/02/2013 07:57

I find it interesting that someone feels projecting anxiety about their operation to a 3 year old to the extent that they can't sleep is preferable to some of Jo Frost's techniques...,.

Kiwiinkits · 27/02/2013 08:01

LOL at unasseptable

HamAlive · 27/02/2013 08:04

Yes, what a shit mother, comforting her anxious child Hmm

Children do feel things independently of their parents.

Emilythornesbff · 27/02/2013 08:15

Ok, just looked up dara and the homeopaths. Lol
Hen, I hope you have a better night tonight. You'll get there.

mrsjay · 27/02/2013 08:40

TBF on jo frost and it sticks in my throat she does equip parents with tools to work with I watched her doing an older kids show extreme parenting or something and she was really good some of the children were really spoiled and out of control , I know I said I dont like childcare experts but I do think some of her style is ok but children dont always follow the rules do they so it wont work for all children

maddening · 27/02/2013 09:03

Has he got all the last 4 molars?

HenD19 · 27/02/2013 09:13

Don't think he could cope without a nap yet and I definitely couldn't as he's such a live wire and runs around all day. He only has an hour now as I wake him after that. I know he'll be dropping his day sleep soon so if he carries on waking at night I'll have to see how he goes without. He did sleep for 40mins at 10am one day last week and it made no difference to his night wakings.

He was teething quite badly last week (which obviously didn't help sleep) but not sure if he's got all back teeth yet?

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Cherriesarelovely · 27/02/2013 09:16

I don't think Jo Frost is the be all and end all but I think saying she "knows nothing about human behaviour and kids" is ridiculous. I'm not saying I would use all of her techniques but I do see her talking alot of sense to alot of stressed, strung out parents. She seems to build a good relationship with the kids and the parents and helps a great deal. I don't think not having kids necessarily means you can't advise others. I have some friends who don't have kids but they work with them or are just brilliant with them anyway.

OneLittleToddleTerror · 27/02/2013 09:19

forgetmenots baby whisperer never worked for my DD. That EASY thing is rubbish. DD was such a good sleeper that we were ESESES with no A. I was obsessed trying to keep DD up after E, until I threw the baby whisperer book out. She can't be woken up with nappy changes, tickling feet, clothes change, anything. She's just that good at sleeping. Slept through the night from 2ish months while EBF too.

BettySwollocksandaCrustyRack · 27/02/2013 09:22

My DS is 10 (YES 10!!!!) and doesnt go through the night. I am permanently knackered. We have tried absolutely everything!

Massive anxiety problems, no idea how to fix it, am praying he grows out of it before we all go bonkers.

Teahouse · 27/02/2013 09:32

Betty...my youngest started sleeping in once the ten years started. I promise in a few years you won't be able to get him out of bed. He didn't sleep through until he was 5 then was on and off until the teens. Now I am lucky to see him before 11 on a Sunday ;0)

Snowme · 27/02/2013 09:52

I wouldn't dream of using any kind of regimented training system (especially one devised by a child-less person) to 'control' my child.

I appreciate it's hard to suffer the sleep deprivation and constant attention required by a baby for instance, then get up for work, but this is the price to be paid if you choose/have to return to work.

Having children means sacrificing everything for at least the first 4 years until they start school.

You have to bend to their will,not the other way round. That's how nature intended things. You were given the neccesary pregnancy and childbirth hormones to cope with the sleep loss and round the clock nurture (something child-less nannies for all their practical experience and emotional connection can never replicate).

Then again, I had a very lax approach to upbringing. Possibly due to being a lone parent with no practical support from the father, I don't actually know how it feels to bring up a child as part of a two person team, I suspect it's far easier :)

One of mine slept through the night from birth to teething. The other was fitful. But I worked around their needs always, in every aspect, and I have two well adjusted young children. I'm knackered, but Iwas prepared to put up with that, as Ithought that was whathavingchildren meant, no easy ride at all.
It's been the hardest but most fulfilling job ever.

What was the question? Oh yes, Jo Frost. My kids would be petrified of her I think. I'm sure she's lovely, and would be great for handling teenagers, but she should stick to being tele crumpet. My parenting skills couldn't be more opposite.

HenD19 · 27/02/2013 09:55

V jealous onelittletoddleterror! Hoping my next baby is like yours! Can't wait til he lies in! Poor u Betty-sounds horrendous....

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OneLittleToddleTerror · 27/02/2013 11:19

hend19 she had a terrible time from around 8mo to 15mo. It's a shock when you suddenly have an older baby who no longer sleeps through. But I know I'm lucky with her sleep. But I know it's not because something I did. Babies are just different. I've tried Gina as well, but same result. She just wants her milk/food when she wants it. Same with her sleep. She's still the same now at nearly 2. She gets very very grumpy if she's not in bed by 12 or 6.

To all those who have a child not sleeping. I got shared this yesterday. It's called "This nap is NOT happening"