Stars: *****I was lucky enough to be sent this book for review direct from the author. I was honoured! Be sure to check back March 2/09 for a giveaway!
Summary: The No-Cry Nap Solution offers you a proven formula to ensure that your baby, toddler, or preschooler gets daily restorative rest. You'll learn gentle, loving, tear-free techniques, developed by world-renowned parenting expert Elizbeth Pantley and tested by hundreds of families around the world, guaranteed to help you: convince any child to nap every day, effortlessly settle your child for naptime in his or her own bed, turn short and fitful naps into long and peaceful ones, establish a nap schedule that works for you and your child and confidently deal with sudden changes, nap strikes and travel.
I've read her No-Cry Sleep Solution book (the one for babies) and I found it helpful. Both books have forms you can fill out to assess where your child is at in her sleeping. How can you fix it if you don't know what needs fixing right? Then after you assess your child's sleep patterns, you can figure out which issues need fixing and go the appropriate chapter. Since all families and children are different, there are tons of suggestions and you can pick which ones work for you and your children and try them.
The most important thing is that Elizbeth Pantley NEVER tells you that you MUST do something.
The book is divided into parts and chapters as follows:
Part 1 - Nap Magic (chapters about basic nap facts and sleep and help with creating sleep loves and nap plans.)
Summary: The No-Cry Nap Solution offers you a proven formula to ensure that your baby, toddler, or preschooler gets daily restorative rest. You'll learn gentle, loving, tear-free techniques, developed by world-renowned parenting expert Elizbeth Pantley and tested by hundreds of families around the world, guaranteed to help you: convince any child to nap every day, effortlessly settle your child for naptime in his or her own bed, turn short and fitful naps into long and peaceful ones, establish a nap schedule that works for you and your child and confidently deal with sudden changes, nap strikes and travel.
I've read her No-Cry Sleep Solution book (the one for babies) and I found it helpful. Both books have forms you can fill out to assess where your child is at in her sleeping. How can you fix it if you don't know what needs fixing right? Then after you assess your child's sleep patterns, you can figure out which issues need fixing and go the appropriate chapter. Since all families and children are different, there are tons of suggestions and you can pick which ones work for you and your children and try them.
The most important thing is that Elizbeth Pantley NEVER tells you that you MUST do something.
"This book is about solving those problems that you feel are problems. Just because there is a chapter about how to help your baby stop napping in your arms, doesn't meant that napping in your arms is an evil sin to be banished and you must stop now no matter what - it means that if having your baby nap in your arms is a problem for you, then I will provide you with ideas that will help you make a change." - pg 21I think this is a very important point and one that all parenting books should follow. Even if we choose to read an advice book, doens't mean we want to be told what to do all the time. We just want suggestions.
The book is divided into parts and chapters as follows:
Part 1 - Nap Magic (chapters about basic nap facts and sleep and help with creating sleep loves and nap plans.)
Part 2 - Newborn Babies (chapters just for newborns)
Part 3 - Solving Napping Problems (making short naps longer, nap resisters, changing form two naps to one nap, is it time to give up naps?, in-arms sleep to in-bed sleep, falling asleep without breast, bottle or pacifier, motion sleep (like swings) to stationary sleep, going "Back to Sleep", swaddling, car naps to bed naps, colic and naps, special situations (such as multiples or special needs) and sleep disorders)
In the chapter about deciding if it's time to give up naps, Pantley explains that since naps are good for all ages, even adults, you might want to start a Hush Hour. This is also good for kids who really refuse a nap. Even just not hearing the word nap can help. Hush Hours are basically quite times (about an hour) where everyone is either lying quietly in the dark or at least doing quiet activities. As a Spark leader (part of Girl Guides of Canada, for ages 5-6) whenever we had a camp or sleepover we had rest time after lunch. The girls were mostly too old for naps but without that rest time, the kids were cranky and tired. Even though they didn't actually SLEEP during the rest time, they were refreshed and ready for more fun after the rest period. So I highly recommend Hush Hours.
I must say that a lot of the information in this book is similar to The No-Cry Sleep Solution but that's because you do a lot of things the same for night sleep and naps. However there are some differences so I see why it was made into it's own book.
Although this book is for toddlers and preschoolers too, most of the information was for babies but then they're usually the hardest ones to get to sleep right? Now I'm probably jinxing myself here but my kids don't have too many problems with taking their naps, even night time sleep isn't bad (although it was in the past) so I didn't need to use the suggestions but the one I do need is the one where we keep a better schedule and nap at the same time everyday and wake up and go to sleep at the same time everyday.
At Elizbeth Pantley's website you can find out all about her books, some advice, links, photographs and more. You'll also find printable copies of the logs and plans in the book. You can read excerpts of this book here.
Buy The No-Cry Nap Solution: Guaranteed Gentle Ways to Solve All Your Naptime Problems (Pantley)
from Amazon.com
In the chapter about deciding if it's time to give up naps, Pantley explains that since naps are good for all ages, even adults, you might want to start a Hush Hour. This is also good for kids who really refuse a nap. Even just not hearing the word nap can help. Hush Hours are basically quite times (about an hour) where everyone is either lying quietly in the dark or at least doing quiet activities. As a Spark leader (part of Girl Guides of Canada, for ages 5-6) whenever we had a camp or sleepover we had rest time after lunch. The girls were mostly too old for naps but without that rest time, the kids were cranky and tired. Even though they didn't actually SLEEP during the rest time, they were refreshed and ready for more fun after the rest period. So I highly recommend Hush Hours.
I must say that a lot of the information in this book is similar to The No-Cry Sleep Solution but that's because you do a lot of things the same for night sleep and naps. However there are some differences so I see why it was made into it's own book.
Although this book is for toddlers and preschoolers too, most of the information was for babies but then they're usually the hardest ones to get to sleep right? Now I'm probably jinxing myself here but my kids don't have too many problems with taking their naps, even night time sleep isn't bad (although it was in the past) so I didn't need to use the suggestions but the one I do need is the one where we keep a better schedule and nap at the same time everyday and wake up and go to sleep at the same time everyday.
At Elizbeth Pantley's website you can find out all about her books, some advice, links, photographs and more. You'll also find printable copies of the logs and plans in the book. You can read excerpts of this book here.
Buy The No-Cry Nap Solution: Guaranteed Gentle Ways to Solve All Your Naptime Problems (Pantley)
from Amazon.com
