Essential Parenting Tools

I love my CribShield. It's like mesh attached with Velcro on all four sides of the crib and I consider it an essential part of my childrearing experience. It is designed so they can't stick their little legs through the crib slats. Little people are always sticking appendages out the slats and then they turn once the leg is out and get their knobby knees stuck so they can't pull them back out. Then, they scream and scream and scream until I come in and rescue them. Without a video monitor, I can't tell if they are stuck or just don't want to sleep. The problem about drove me insane with Ben, but his room had a second door to a bathroom that connected to the hallway so I could peak in on him and assess the situation without him knowing I was there. I about lost my mind with Maddie since I didn't have any secret observation options. It was time to sleep train her so I could finally sleep through the night, but it wasn't working. She was always getting her legs caught. Things were getting rough and I was about out of patience when Brian had a two week trip. He left and I had a total emotional breakdown. Both kids were being little devil children and there was NO break. In desperation, in the middle of the night I started an internet search for something to save me. I found salvation that night. (Of course, being cheap as I am, I sent back to sleep and then spent the next morning hovering over the computer finding the best deal online and had it shipped to me (via Wal-Mart site-to-store). The day I picked it up was like Christmas I tell you, Christmas! I ripped the box apart and had it velcroed in place lightening fast and just wanted everyone in the house to take a nap right then. I had to wait until bedtime of course, but still, that was the first night Maddie slept through the night. Beautiful.