Comments on: How Being Tired Makes You Feel Like a Worse Parent

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 01:01:57 +0000

I am having one of those exhausted days: hence, the google search that brought me to this article. When I am tired my patience is very limited and I do not want to play or do things that will require a cleanup as well. I also feel bad like the author says, because it’s true that my daughter won’t be four forever, and I will miss it when it’s gone. It’s a double-edged sword. 🙁

By: Dee Butterworth

Dee Butterworth — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 05:15:59 +0000

That’s right Kristin, a whole lot more was going on for me….post natal depression to be exact. To belittle my concerns is unecessary and shows a lack of compassion and understanding. Perhaps I should put your comments down to a lack of sleep also and extend a hand of comradery as we have all visited this site for the same reason. I too live in Australia, a very lucky country in many ways as our government provides much support in regards to new mothers having difficulties. Through my local child health clinic I was able to attend a day ‘sleep school’ which solved our daytime sleep problems. Then when my daughter was still not sleeping through the night I was lucky enough to attend the Ellen Barron Family Centre (Brisbane) for a 4 day 24 hr ‘sleep school’. By the second night my daughter was sleeping through the night and continues to do so (7pm to 6:45am). And it was all FREE! I do hope this helps in your quest for a better nights sleep for both of you. Simply contact your local hospital or community health centre for more information. So please try not to judge people for making comments that are truly meaningful to them and not label them as being ‘just so silly’. Truly it wasn’t to me. And I am glad I was confident enought to put forward my concerns to ensure no one else felt that way. Also, as you may have noted, Nicole apologised for the title and subsequently changed it. She too could see how such a title may not have been the best choice. I wish you all the best and hope you enjoy your time with your little one, as it is truly such a joy being a mum isn’t it!

By: Kristin

Kristin — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 03:36:40 +0000

Nicole, firstly I want to say how much your site and your products (free & the ones I have purchased) have helped me. I am a first-time mum (in Australia) with no family support nearby and hubby works full time. My daughter had sleep issues from Day 1 in that she would not sleep during the day and the first few months were a blur as I spent most of my day cradling and trying to get to sleep an overtired, distressed and cranky baby. I too am a person that can function on little sleep as I was previously a registered nurse and have worked shift work for many years, and also have a chronic pain condition that keeps me from sleeping well. My daughter is a very curious and active baby and is also very ‘clingy’ so my days are essentially devoted to her until Dad gets home and takes over to enable me to cook dinner. I almost always don’t get to do any housework or necessary chores during the day. I have to do most things after she’s gone to sleep at night which results in me getting to bed around 2am, and then back up at 5am when she wakes. We are lucky if she sleeps for an hour twice a day, usually we don’t even get that long and she is extremely willful and will not resettle or go down for an extra nap. By 3pm I am dealing with an overtired child who won’t let me leave her side. This leads into other issues such as her then refusing to eat (becuase she’s too tired) and other problems. Without your site and your passion for gathering information and sharing your experiences, I don’t know what I would have done. Please keep up the good work. I’ll say this about Dee’s comments – aren’t we all getting a bit too precious about silly things??? If something as inocuous as the wording of a title of an article is causing you such distress, then I think there’s a whole lot more going on for Dee, and I don’t really think the Title is the real issue. I wish Dee well, worry about your child, your family, your future, an article title seems………just so silly.

By: Leila

Leila — Fri, 07 May 2010 21:27:31 +0000

Wow, I just read about the 4 month sleep regression! It’s crazy. My son just had a growth spurt – he’s grown over 2 inches in 6 weeks – and his sleep only became erratic 3 nights ago. That tells me I’m in the thick of the 19 week growth spurt at 20 weeks? Still? Oh boy, am I tired. Luckily my son thinks it’s funny when we lie on our sides facing each other. He always smiles and laughs. But that’s about the only “activity” I’m enjoying right now. I emailed another mom this morning about how fun I don’t feel, so thanks for this!

By: Dee Butterworth

Dee Butterworth — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 09:56:33 +0000

And thank you to Nicole for altering the title to address my concerns.

By: Dee Butterworth

Dee Butterworth — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 09:48:25 +0000

Hi again and thank you to all those who have given feedback regarding my earlier comment. Just wanted to reiterate that my comment relates to the TITLE of the article. Again, I feel a more positive title would be beneficial in promoting a more positive outlook on this important issue.

By: Nicole

Nicole — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 01:32:26 +0000

@Lisa I agree that no matter how many times someone said having a baby would change your life, you just don’t really “get it” until you’re doing it every day. Thank you for commenting!

@Allyson Thank you for being a loyal reader and for the support!

@Maysa Thank you so much for the support! Hopefully prices haven’t gone up too much. I’m still trying to find that nice balance to help as many as people as possible and still be able to be a great mom by not killing myself. 😉

@Nicole That sounds like a good plan to leave some laundry and dishes for the next day. I know it’s hard. A mommy’s job is never done!! And, I know all too well that we all need “me time” too.

By: Nicole

Nicole — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 21:27:22 +0000

Thanks for this blog post Nicole! I completely agree with you. I am a night owl, and have a tendency to stay up late for a little “me time” and to finish up everything that needs to be done around the house after putting my daughter to bed. But I’ve had times the next morning when I just leave her in our highly baby-proofed living room and take a little nap on the couch (in the living room) because I can’t stay awake. Definitely not something I’m proud of, and I’m not taking advantage of our morning together when I’m not working. Dee apparently missed the point of this blog entry, but I promise I did not! I’m going to start to try and leave some laundry or dishes until the next day and turn the tv off early so that my daughter gets the best of me on my days home with her!

By: Maysa

Maysa — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 01:44:17 +0000

I too am not a great mom when I’m tired. Cranky isn’t the word for it…I’m short with my eldest son (3.5 years) and just don’t have the energy to play or even disciplin properly. My eldest is also very “spirited” Which when I’m tired is not a good thing for him because he will end up spenilding alo mor time in “time out” because like you Nicole, I just don’t have the energy to deal with it in a better manner. I understand the lady who said the title sounded negative as I too suffered from post partum depression after my first son was born, however it was just a title and your blog had no negative meanings behind it and like you said once someone gets to know you they’ll see different.

It’s too bad you have to raise your prices as no one enjoys icreases however you are still very affordable and the price we pay fir sleep deprivation if far worse than a few extra dollars 🙂 and besides you have a guarantee…so we have nothing to lose…except the sleepless nights!!!

By: Allyson

Allyson — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 01:11:08 +0000

I completely agree with this article. When I’m too tired, I feel like the entire world is against me.

I doubt Dee is reading the follow up posts, but I’ve been reading Nicole’s blogs for 14 months (since I realized my son wasn’t a natural sleeper like my friends’ babies). I also purchased her products about 4 months ago (her e-book Naps and Schedules and then later, the member’s only portion of the website. Nicole definitely doesn’t focus on negative, guilt-trip tactics.