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

[ElleOhElle]

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.......

R2 I very much enjoy your work. Particularly the weasel song. Although I suspect Ds1 would prefer the poo poem. But he is 5 and very much interested in all things poo and bum related.

I once put DS2 during a particularly desperate period of newborn crying on top of the tumble dryer. In his moses basket of course...it was like magic. Instantly he was soothed and fell asleep. Cost a fortune to run dryer but desperate times....

Currently I have to sing Batman Tickle song (pretty much as it sounds...the Batman song with added tickling) and the Spiderman Tickle song. Plus my entire repertoire from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. I actually found myself Youtubing the songs to learn as DS1 gave me a withering look and told me that I wasn't singing the right words. Everyone's a critic....

Re the rubbing nose thing - I did this with both DSs and the cutest thing I've ever heard is that mummy rabbits to it to their babies too! Aaaaaaaahhhh....

My eldest likes 'I see the moon', 'I want a hippopotomus for christmas' or anything by Mario Lanza/Caruso

The middle one likes Queen and various irish drinking songs

The youngest likes his back/nose rubbed and the soundtrack to Les Misrables.

Not many 5 year olds who are word perfect to 'Do you hear the people sing' and 'Empty chairs and empty tables' I have stopped him singing 'Master of the house' as he really put his all into it.

I sing ro stop baby cakes from crying, but they don't put hum to sleep. Most effective is 'Run' by stephen fretwell, aka the theme tune to gavin and stacey. It's like magic. However he also has a keen appreciation ofthe Astaire and Rogers catalogue and most of the songs from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. He's either going to grow up gay, out a gay man's best friend! :-)

For a little while at the height of DS2's reflux the only thing that would get him to nap was being rocked back and forh in the buggy while being played rock you like a hurricane by the scorpions. tried it without music, didn't work, tried it with other music 50% success rate, scorpions out like a light by the end of the song. I'd love to know the science behind it!

R2 I love your songs - weasel, curtains and poo in particular!

When my DS was a newborn, my sister sang the Bunny Foo Foo song to him (replacing 'bunny' with his name...) I loved it and couldn't get it out of my chronically sleep deprived and slightly odd mind, so kept singing it to him. It was amazing, if we were ever out and he was fractious, I would sing it to settle him. Then a little bit of my self-consciousness returned after a few months and I got embarrassed singing it in WHSmiths or Tesco, so I used the white noise app on my phone (Android Market 'Baby Soothing sounds' -its free, get it!!!) and recorded myself singing it (he was with me when I recorded it and half way through he makes a little cooing noise which is incredibly sweet!). I have used this umpteen times to settle him, sometimes to sleep. Plus we sing random made-up songs to him all of the time, but we have a few we use daily! He sings to himself too, he's only just 14 months... He is clearly going to be a rock legend and buy Mummy and Daddy a house in Hawaii

Thank-you. DS requested 'Door Handles' and 'Books' tonight

I've lurked on this thread but now have to post to tell R2 that I love your songs!!!

Oh and please get them published.

I've been a bit taken aback by all the nice things that people have said about my poems and you have all encouraged me to start a blog with them on.

I have put on all ones on this thread and two or three new ones. I'll try and update everyday.

Happy to have new subjects suggested as well.

Blog is here:

sillyrhymesforbedtimes.wordpress.com/

I used FrillyMilly's inspired name.

Great! Was telling DH about them today and I will show him the blog later.

R2 I love your songs!!

I used to sing 'two little boys' to ds1 and when he started nursery they said they didn't know it. I had to sing it for them. I think maybe they did know it!

I was also known to 'hover boob' in his cot. I would try to straddle the cot and let him feed until asleep then carefully get myself out without waking him not sure I could do that again

Good morning to R2 and all her followers.

I have finally finished the 'payment octopus' (a 'thank you' for two bespoke poems) and it is on my profile and in a postbox

On the subject of bottom patting, my sister works in a nursery and there's a toddler there who pats his own bottom at nap time, bless!
If I'm struggling I resort to biffy clyro's bubbles on hideously loud, whilst jigging around with dc over my shoulder - works like a charm.