First, having a toddler who isn’t sleeping in their own bed can feel challenging. As a parent, you may be waking up emotionally exhausted and overwhelmed. As well, you may be looking for toddler tips and parenting tools for this transition. How do I know my toddler is ready? Currently, you may feel confused on where to start. As well, you may have a child with other challenges like special needs or autism. What are some tips for transitioning my toddler to their own bed? If struggles continue, working with a toddler therapist in New London, Ct can help support family structure. From there, a calmer family life is possible.
To begin, book a phone consult below to learn about working with a holistic play therapist and toddler therapist in New London, Ct.
How can I get my toddler to sleep in their own bed?
Get in the practice of putting your toddler in their own bed instead of starting them sleeping with you in your bed. If a toddler is used to sleeping in your bed, that will feel like their bed. Right now, you might be starting your toddler off in your big bed. Therefore, your toddler is understanding that this is their bed. Starting a new routine will help your toddler become adjusted to their own bed. Also, make sure that your toddler’s bed is the right size for their body. So, do not buy your toddler a queen or king size bed. For many preschoolers, they feel afraid if a bed is too big. To note, toddlers feel safer in beds that fit their body size. So, purchase a small toddler bed.
What if my child is diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and has sleep issues?
At times, toddlers with different diagnoses and special needs will need different sleeping accommodations. Sometimes, children with autism may have challenges with transitions. Children with autism may have more emotional challenges too. At times, an emotional meltdown and behavior as she was before bed can be going to bed challenging. For other siblings, a meltdown can be stressful.
Is the process and transition of going to bed difficult for your child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD)?
So, as a group of child and family therapist, we help children regulate their emotions. As well, children feel more capable and confident from learning how to manage their emotions. As child therapist, we help children with autism and special needs verbalize and communicate what they are feeling. But using a mixture of creative art therapies and yoga therapies, our counselors help children who don’t want to talk express their emotions. Frequently, children with autism and special needs need or unique type of counseling incorporating play therapy.
Play therapy allows children to have a language beyond words.
Our therapists are trained in assessing play therapy methods and helping children who have autism express their emotions through play therapy. Play therapy can help your child with autism or special-needs connect to their feelings. From there, children with autism develop friendship skills and tools to calm themselves. In addition, we work with parents of children with an autism diagnosis. We help parents pick their battles and set healthy boundaries while offering a nurturing family life. If your child with autism is having meltdowns before bed, work with one of our child therapist in New London, Ct today. Our family counselors offer a mixture of family counseling sessions with child therapy. Therefore, parents receive support and self-care tools as well as their children with autism.
Also, involve your toddler in their bed care process.
Help your toddler put the sheets on their bed. Allow your toddler to pick out the colors of bedsheets and a pretty comforter that helps them feel like it is their own choice to sleep in their bed. Essentially, this is a process of teaching self-care and confidence. Get your toddler used to their own bed over time. And, have them pick out fun cartoon bedsheets. Lastly, help them decorate their room, so it feels like their own.
To begin, book a phone consult below to learn about working with a holistic play therapist and toddler therapist in New London, Ct.
Tips for transition a toddler into their own bed
Also, if your toddler is in your bed and kicking you all night, you are not getting a good nights sleep, and therefore cannot be the best parent you can be. By prioritizing these healthy, structural boundaries, you are prioritizing your own sleep. Start to make a positive association with bedtime. Create a routine such as brushing teeth with the same toothbrush and strawberry toothpaste, putting on pajamas, and going to bed in their bed every night at the same time.
How structure and routine can help at home when working with a preschool and holistic toddler therapist in New London, Ct
Start your toddler in their own bed and if they have a nightmare, you can go into their bed with them or you can bring them into your bed as a transitional phase. If your toddler starts crying in the middle of the night, always go comfort them as soon as you hear them. Don’t try to make them comfort themselves or stop crying on their own. They still need you as a parent to help soothe them when they feel upset. Make a special good night song as you approach bedtime. This can make the bedtime process fun and release any negative feelings or toddler may have around going to bed alone.
How can toddlers and their parents build confidence from working with a toddler therapist in New London, Ct?
Going to bed independently can help toddlers build self-confidence and help them be proud of themselves. Compliment your toddler when they sleep alone and talk about how proud you are of them for this behavior. Toddlers might feel excited, surprised, and even proud of themselves as they grow and mature.
To begin, book a phone consult below to learn about working with a holistic play therapist and toddler therapist in New London, Ct.
At home and at preschool, seeing a toddler therapist in New London, Ct can help families feel support.
Focus on helping your toddler feel capable, so if you feel overwhelmed, your toddler probably does too. Seek out the help of a child therapist if you feel overwhelmed with this process. Your child therapist can help understand what’s going wrong, and help you create structure so that you can sleep well at night too.
How to work with a holistic preschool and toddler therapist in New London, Ct?
In school, we are not taught social emotional skills. We are taught about math and science. But, children don’t learn skills for how to be in healthy relationships, to nurture them selves, or skills to navigate anxiety. Just like you go to the doctor when you’re sick, your child’s therapist helps them move forward and feel calm. And, a child and family therapist listens to what makes you feel sad, scared, and worried. From there, your therapist can help you and your family release through skills for emotional confidence.
At Wisdom Within Counseling in New London, Connecticut, we believe that help from someone outside your family can make a big impact in your life.
Also, your toddler can pick from traditional talking, creative art, yoga, music, outdoor walking, or a combination.
For emotional expression and release, have choices of creative art and music, including paints, glitter gel pens, watercolors, and clay. Also, you can go for an outdoor walk-and-talk session by the beach in the sun, on the Niantic Bay Boardwalk for depression coping skills and social confidence. As well, you child can choose to sit on a couch in an office, or talk outside at the picnic table in the fresh air. As well, we offer outdoor play therapies for self-esteem skills. After loss and trauma, as a parent, you can do mind-body therapies like yoga.
What are parenting support sessions and family therapy like?
In parenting therapy sessions, you can choose mindfulness meditations to help you feel stronger. For parents and families, we support mind-body therapies. So, you can better clear your head and build a self-care toolbox. As a parent, you can always come in and sit on one of our comfy couches and sit and unload stress. Our marriage and family therapists focus on self-love skills. So, you can pick from a combination of talking, art, yoga, music, nature, and walking therapies.
We offer skills for your whole self, your mind, body, and spirit, and a safe space where you can create a calm, confident life.
How can marriage counseling help my family?
Couples therapy is an amazing investment in re-creating safe, calm conversations while sharing intense feelings that come up around topics like sex, finances, sexuality, and parenting values. Our marriage therapists are level one trained in the Gottman couples therapy method to help you learn skills to manage conflict, build a loving, a long-term relationship, rekindle trust, and create a positive, playful dialogue about goals. Your therapist can help you develop a secure couple bubble around healthy communication, which helps your children communicate in calm, clear ways too. By being in couples therapy, your children grow in positive aspects too.
