If there is a downside to having a baby, I feel it is the possible lack of sleep. The night feeds can be draining. Having twins, my husband and I would choose a baby and then care for their feeding during the night. Sometimes it was hard but both babies were absolutely no trouble at all and were textbook in that they were sleeping through the night by 10 and 12 weeks.
Sleep of course is so important. It must not be underestimated how hard a child with dyslexia needs to work. Often, they are needing to put in more effort than a child without dyslexia. So dyslexic children get tired. The school day is long and very demanding. I have heard from many parents that on returning home, their child falls asleep for a while before teatime. The need to switch classes, subjects and topics can be mentally draining. The need to remember and recall information and learning from previous lessons can be very challenging.
When you’re tired, everything seems worse, so any anxieties in school can be magnified. So, encourage a child with dyslexia to drink plenty of water, (Yes, I know, I need to practice what I preach here!) Also encourage the taking of snacks into school. Blood sugar can dip and for some children breakfast is a very long time ago, if indeed they had a good breakfast. Many are up early to catch the school bus or be taken to a child minder or before school club, where hopefully they will get breakfast. Try to encourage a good bedtime routine to give more chance of a good night’s sleep.
Reminded of the night feeds, I wrote the following poem, Parent Nights
Parent nights
I just want to sleep,
why is it so hard?
My bed is just there looking at me.
I’ll just climb up,
crawl under the quilt and you’ll see,
I’ll be asleep,
and then I’ll be free…
from the night feeds,
the night feeds,
oh, how long do they last?
I have no energy left,
that I know.
So, it’s 3 am
I staggered downstairs,
switch the bottle warmer on and
wait
for the temperature needed,
yes, I’ll just close my eyes…
oh, you’re here by my side,
oh yes, your turn I pleaded.
