Parenting is a journey of constant adaptation. Just when you think you’ve got a hang of things, a curveball can come your way. And this is especially true when it comes to sleep. Just when you think you’ve got a handle on your child’s sleep routine, something shifts. I recently faced one of these curveballs with my 23-month-old. She had been an excellent napper for months, but all of a sudden one afternoon she became when I lay her down in her cot. My attempts to comfort and soothe her had only a short-term effect and she screamed and cried every time I tried to leave the room. After multiple attempts, naptime that day was cancelled and I took her downstairs with me so that I could tend to her 3-month-old baby sister. And of course this had the knock-on effect of a very tired little girl by the time bedtime rolled around…

My initial reaction was frustration. Those precious few minutes in the bathroom were a rare oasis of self-care. With a newborn just two weeks old, the challenge of carving out time for myself was mounting. Before her arrival, evenings had offered some respite, but now they were consumed by night feedings and nappy changes. These bathroom escapes, although not quite luxurious, sometimes felt like a lifeline. In that moment of frustration, I was caught up in feeling like I couldn't meet even my basic needs and I was overwhelmed by being needed so very much after a long night of cluster feeding my youngest. The "mammy....maaaammmyyy" through the tears was like sensory overload. I thought, "Give me a break!" and "Can I please just pee in peace?" - we've all been there right?. And just as the next thought came to mind, I heard my husband say it aloud from the room next door - "She's fine. She's crying over nothing". Of course my husband's well-intentioned words were an attempt to reassure me that he had it all in hand, but hearing them aloud made me pause for a moment. They brought up something deep-rooted for me.