Apr 21 2024 29 mins
This week I'm answering a coaching call question from an extended breastfeeding mom:
"My toddler often doesn't accept dad at night when she wakes up crying. I am and have always been the preferred parent. I have just found out about a work trip I need to take which will have me away from my 2-year-old overnight for the first time. Typically, I feed her to sleep and to resettle throughout the night. If I am out of the house for bedtime, she does goes to sleep for other people, but it often takes a lot longer than if I am doing bedtime.
Wondering if you had any tips that might help them both prepare for my work trip over the next few weeks and allow dad to be involved in general?"
While there are a lot of things can be done to indirectly support a family in this situation, in this podcast episode, I break down a simple 3 part strategy to support a non-breastfeeding parent & a breastfed toddler for their first night(s) alone together.
Whether you decide to night wean ahead of time or not (and I do explore this a little more in the episode), bolstering and leveraging your child's connection with the person who will be caring for them is key to a relaxing time apart.
- Find more opportunities for playful interactions between dad & kiddo (without pulling back from your own playful interactions with your child.)
- Utilizing "bridging" tools to help your child feel connected with you even when you are apart and help that separation feel less scary and intense.
- Expand the non-breastfeeding caregiver's capacity to hold space for the feelings that may come up.
Resources Mentioned:
https://developingchild.harvard.edu/science/key-concepts/serve-and-return/
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