I acknowledge up front that this post is far beyond my area of expertise. But it is something I have some personal experience with. So, consider the source....

The story in the New York Times the other day about parents all across America going to "sleep consultants" because their children were sleeping in the parents' beds sparked a rant from me. But since I'm traveling I couldn't let off steam to my family so I'll share it here. If parents can't figure out how to teach their children to sleep through the night in their own beds, then what can they teach them? The parents in this article seemed pathetically weak and helpless and resigned to the idea that, in fact, the children are the kings and queens of the household.

Here's the prescription: starting with infancy, you establish a routine. A song, a story, a backrub and then it's sleeptime and you leave the room. You do this from the crib on. When the kid moves into their own bed you do the same. If the kid gets out of bed, you take them back once, twice, the third time you close the door. Same in the middle of the night. They eventually learn. You get to sleep in your own bed. The kid learns. No need to spend big bucks on a sleep consultant....