Parenting six children is no small feat. Claudette Hasenjager does it with a sense of humour and deep insight into each of her children’s unique quirks. Get It caught up with her to learn more about life as a mom of six and how she navigates the diverse sleep personalities in her busy home.
From a possible zombie who thrives on four hours of sleep to early birds and routine lovers, bedtime in her household is anything but boring because each of her children has their own temperament when it comes to sleep. Some fall asleep very easily, while others fight sleep with every fibre of their being. Some prefer fewer, longer naps, while others thrive on multiple cat naps throughout the day.
While some like fewer, longer naps, others would prefer to multiple cat naps throughout a day, Claudette adds. “I think understanding and accepting this makes the stress around sleeping patterns a lot less stressful and can help parents work with their children to make bedtimes less of a fight for everyone involved.”
Their biggest challenge has been helping the younger children understand why their older siblings are allowed to stay up past 9pm while they are not. Her children are home-schooled which allows for more flexibility, as they don’t have to spend too much time on early morning school runs and routines.
“It is also very difficult to try and convince a young adult that while they can stay up all night, they really should try and get their eight hours of sleep – just because you can, doesn’t mean you should,” Claudette believes.
She sometimes wishes to go back in time to tell herself to relax more instead of listening to every opinion or piece of advice during her first pregnancy. For her, sleep advice definitely contradicts reality. Based on her experience, it is important for parents to see their kids as individuals, get to know their personalities, understand how they function and work with them, not against them.
“I know how overwhelming it can be when you have one baby sleeping, another wanting you to play with them, and another needing you to help them with their math problem. It can feel as though you are being split into a thousand pieces. I would suggest that moms find something that is just theirs.”
This could be a taking a walk before your little one wakes up or a quiet bath at the end of a long day, or even sleeping when baby is sleeping. Taking extra time for yourself as a mother can help you feel relaxed.
“The dishes will always be there, laundry never stops, but babies grow up so quickly. Enjoy snuggling with them, hold them, love them as much as you can.”
Compiled by Gypseenia Lion
