I have used BW with both my children (one is 4 and the other is about to turn 2) since both were newborns. I didn’t start reading BW until my 4 year old was 6 weeks and I was feeling overwhelmed and like I had lost myself in new motherhood. BW helped me realize that this tiny, coliky baby didn’t control me but that I was the parent and could make informed decisions about what our son needed. I KNOW it helped with the colic, which subsided in 13 weeks, thankfully! Parenting our son became a job that I loved (of course it had challenges) but I felt like I regained time for me again, and was much more engaged and loving with our son, and with my husband. When his sister arrived 2 years later, having a newborn and a toddler was not as hard as I had expected since our schedule was already in place!
But my story is not just about the first year. BW is not just about getting a baby to sleep and eat well, as I know you know! I am going to write about the success of BW as my parenting has moved from newborns to a toddler and a preschooler. As I took the reins as the mother of a newborn and decided what our days would look like, etc, those same parenting methods moved me into the years that followed. From implementing IP and then roomtime to starting learning time with our kids, BW has helped me in each season of parenting to decide what our family’s needs are and structure our days to meet them. It has brought me much freedom and again allowed me to stay “me” and not just melt into being Mommy, as so many do.
I have been a SAHM, a working mom, and a part time working mother over the past 4.5 years so each season of change has been much easier to navigate having the BW principles in place in our family. My kids have transitioned much better than many due to the fact that although many of the parts of their days have changed (meaning sometimes they are in preschool and other times have been home with me or with a grandparent) , the “big” stuff has not (meaning mealtimes, bedtime/naptimes, bed routine, roomtime, etc). I firmly believe that the Lord brought BW and this forum/blog into my life as a support and encouragement as we have implemented BW. I am so thankful!
Sarah