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What's the strangest technique you've used to get your child to sleep?

115 replies

ElleOhElle · 02/05/2012 22:03

As I stood leaning into 1yo DD's cot gently tapping the bidge of her nose I started to wonder what other weird and wonderful techniques parents are using in a bid to get their DC to sleep.
Would love to hear your stories.......

OP posts:
MonkeyChicken · 03/05/2012 21:27

R2 my DH is singing your songs...

R2PeePoo · 03/05/2012 21:39

I have to say its much easy to come up with them with a little bit more time and access to wikipedia and google, especially as my knowledge of moose and weasels is somewhat limited Grin.

Norks-if you are sure then my DS is obsessed with dragons and various sea creatures like octopuses so anything along those lines.

Thank you all very much for all the nice words.

R2PeePoo · 03/05/2012 21:41

octopi

NorksAreMessy · 03/05/2012 21:45

An octopus of great awesomeness is on its way to you...I am soooo impressed. Pm me your address and I will get stitching.

NorksAreMessy · 03/05/2012 21:45

Octopiskies

shockedballoon · 03/05/2012 21:50

In awe at R2's lyrical genius!

As for weird sleepy tricks - DS (2.5) loves it when I run a cotton bud round the folds in his ear.
Very good at getting him to wind down at bedtime when he's all hyper from being overtired - will often makes him drop right off.
I have been known to use this technique when I have no energy left for the 4 bedtime stories he demands...

bronze · 03/05/2012 21:58

R2 are you really called pam ayres or something. You are fab

DownyEmerald · 03/05/2012 22:15

When dd couldn't get past the trying to settle down stage in her car seat I'd have to dislocate my shoulder reach back and stroke her feet. (While in the passenger seat obv!)

I sang her Away in a Manger as a lullaby for years, and only recently stopped. Her song for going back to sleep after waking in the middle of the night was I see the Moon which we still use. It reminds me of my grandad so often chokes me up.

I used to make songs up as well when she was little, dp has much more of a talent for it but he's not as good as R2!

missismac · 03/05/2012 22:23

"I see the Moon" Oh! Oh! DownyEmerald my Nana used to sing that to me too to get me to go to sleep. Oh, feel a bit sad & nostalgic now :(

DD's songs were 'Pink Elephants & Lemonade' by Madonna - usefully DD's name rhymes with "Jessie" so easily substituted - & mama's & Papa's "Dream a Little Dream". She still asks for them if she's a bit poorly (she's 16!).

beatofthedrum · 03/05/2012 22:23

Wow R2 I'm going to join in the praise, your songs are so fantastic! You've got to take this further [foresees recording contract :)]

BrainSurgeon · 03/05/2012 22:26
Plaguegroups · 03/05/2012 22:42

I was hoping I'd find some magical secret which would make DS2 sleep, I don't think anything here would work on him but I love the songs!
And I'm impressed by Nork's felt animals, please add a photo of the octopus to your profile before sending it. Grin

HuggyPomBear · 03/05/2012 23:33

Great songs R2!
I (boringly considering R2), sing yellow bird, lavender's blue, dream a little dream and oranges and lemons. I have also had to do the bottom patting thing or just having an arm painfully twisted through the cot bars with my hand resting on her back. I have replaced hand with lavender wheat bag doggie also.

Fortunately DD is now 19 mths and very easy to put to bed. I say night night and that's it.

The ultimate way until she was 15 mths was breasted to sleep every night Smile.

leddeeburdee · 03/05/2012 23:48

R2 your poems are fantastic! You really should publish them.

WandaDoff · 04/05/2012 00:12

Oh well done R2, cracking songs Smile

AngelDog · 04/05/2012 09:13

R2, my 2 y.o. would love you to be his mummy. Wink

I have to do bedtime songs on request (and when waking at night) - the most commonly-heard words at night are, "No thank you! Something different! Something different! Different song!"

Unfortunately since losing interest in bf due to my pg, he now wants cuddles and singing any time he's upset during the day. I can rarely get away with more than one repetition of any song at a time.

Do you use the same tunes?

crazy8 · 04/05/2012 09:32

The sound of running water put my ds straight to sleep. Smile

R2PeePoo · 04/05/2012 11:29

AngelDog I use any tune that comes into my head, although recently I have started singing the spoken word if that makes any sense. Usually if I am very tired and put on the spot I use a particular rhythm that appeals to me, like this:

Bam ba bam ba bam ba bam
Bam ba bam baaaa bam bam
Bam ba bam ba bam ba bam
Bam ba bam baaaa bam bam

Then I speed up or slow down my speech according to how many words feels right to fit in. I don't know if that makes any sense, DS was up until three with a hideous cough (how ironic on a thread about getting children to sleep).

He requested the poo song about eight times (we are potty training atm) so I added extra verses for him:

Oh the food that you put into your mouth
And down into your tum
Will come out of you the very next day
As poo poo from your bum

Your teeth are hard and sharp
To break down your food
Then it goes off to the stomach
When its all been well chewed

Your stomach is a funny bag
With acids which churn and slurp
And when it gets too full of air
It all comes out as a burp.

All of your delicious lunch
All the things you ate
Are now a funny mixed up sludge
You wouldn't want back on your plate

The small intestine takes it next
And takes out all the good stuff
That makes your body fit and strong
And bones grow very tough

Now your food looks like water
Brown and very smelly
This is the kind of interesting stuff
That should be on the telly

Theres one more step along the road
From mouth until your bottom.
Your large intestine sucks water out
And leaves stuff that smells rotten

It slides along and round and down
Then your body sends up a shout
That tells you that your poo poo
Is ready to come out.

What a smelly poo poo
You have produced today
Its time to use the handle
To flush it all away.

Bye bye poo
Well done body

LittleWhiteWolf · 04/05/2012 11:48

R2, as a very sleep deprived mother of a toddler and a 3 week old I thank you for giving me such a laugh this morning! You rock Grin

AgentSmith · 04/05/2012 12:24

Iambic tetrameter I think.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iambic_tetrameter
academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/english/melani/cs6/stop.html

I like the one about the Moose best.

MadameChinLegs · 04/05/2012 18:39

Shock pure, jaw-dropping awe at the lyrical genious of R2.

I would love them all in one handy little book, and would pay for the privelidge. As im sure everyone on this thread would.

ThePinkPussycat · 04/05/2012 19:24

In days gone by the following ditty didn't so much lull them to sleep as comfort me while I was walking around rocking them.

tune: Brahms lullaby
Mummy's tired
Daddy's tired
Bu-ut Alex not ti-ired
repeat 3 more times to end of melody

Repeat lullaby x times where x is an unknown number

ElleOhElle · 04/05/2012 20:16

There was a young lady called PeePoo,
whose genius had us all bowed to.
A talented rhymer,
no subject can fail her,
and for that we must thank you, R2!

OP posts:
R2PeePoo · 04/05/2012 21:53

Applauds ElleOhElle

Grin
basm10178 · 04/05/2012 23:17

Counting out loud to 100 (or 200, or 300) in a really, really boring voice. Works a treat.

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