I know how hard it can be if you aren't getting enough sleep, and my heart goes out to you.

I know parents who thought they needed to put up with frequent night waking for several years, and how RELIEVED they felt when they realised that it didn't need to be like that with Aware Parenting.

I know parents who were so desperate that they were on the verge of resorting to controlled crying, but then they found Aware Parenting instead.

And I know parents who had turned to controlled crying in exhaustion, and afterwards found Aware Parenting, and helped their baby heal from the experience.

There really is a THIRD approach to sleep for babies and children.

You don't need to put up with years of frequent night-waking, thinking that it's the only option if you aren't going to sacrifice secure attachment.

You don't need to resort to controlled crying, thinking that's the only option available to you if you want more sleep.

You don't need to abandon your own need for sleep.

You don't need to abandon their baby or child's need to be responded to.

Aware Parenting VALUES the needs of both parents AND babies and children.

NO-ONE NEEDS TO LOSE OUT.

But it doesn't mean that Aware Parenting is easy.

When we start Aware Parenting as first generation, first time parents, there is such a huge amount to learn.

That's why I love to help parents in that learning journey.

So, I've made this course to give you the knowledge, practical tools and empathy to help your baby, toddler or small child sleep more peacefully.

"I'm just about to start week 4, and I can't even believe the dramatic shift we've seen. It's been incredibly empowering for both myself and my husband. She falls asleep like a dream now, and doesn't even look to nurse!"

Amanda

"I feel that I can endlessly get inspired by you. And although it's hard to find the time to do your courses, if I do, I get so much back from it. Like the Sleep course that I'm involved in right now. After I got an insight in part one and a confirmation that I'm on the right path, I could deepen my presence and awareness, and..... that night my daughter slept without waking up for the FIRST time!!!!! So happy!"

Joelle

So you can UNDERSTAND Aware Parenting and sleep:

Understand how sleep challenges are a reflection of your little one's feelings;

Learn why they aren't fighting sleep or needing to be taught to sleep;

Know the three things that babies and children need to sleep peacefully;

These tangible skills:

How to observe your baby or child so you can cooperate with her natural relaxation mechanism;

How to practice attachment play to help create easier sleep;

How to listen to uncomfortable feelings to help create peaceful sleep;

Giving you support:

See how your feelings affect how you can be with their feelings;

Learn to listen to yourself more so that you can listen more to them;

Let go of the idea that there's a 'right' way, and listen to yourself instead;

Helping you understand your baby or child even more:

Reflect on your child's life experiences and how they are affecting him now;

Learn to observe him so that he can tell you what is going on in his feeling world;

Encouragement to trust your own observations and intuitions.

"We took the sound sleep course 4 months ago and it has made such a difference! Before bedtime was a struggle and my son (2.5 at the time) was 'fighting sleep' the way I saw it. But now after the course, I have changed my approach and bedtime is almost never a problem and he goes to sleep peacefully."

Linn

"He has been sleeping through pretty much every night now, from the age of 12 months with immediate changes noticeable from when we started the sleep course. In the Aware Parenting Babies course, I just didn't quite get the connection piece, but it is so important."

Cazza

I've been learning about babies and children for more than 30 years, and am as passionate about it as ever!

I first learnt to observe children and mothers when I was doing my psychology degree, and then when I was doing my Ph.D. at Cambridge University, more than 20 years ago. 

I visited mothers and babies and and videoed them feeding and playing.

And when I got back to the Winnicott Research Unit, I spent hours watching each video millisecond by millisecond.

Later, as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Exeter University, I did lots more observing babies to find out how much babies understand.

I also trained and worked as a psychotherapist for many years, where I learnt about and how what happens to babies and children affects them in later life.

When I became a parent in 2002, I wanted to practice Aware Parenting.

But DESPITE YEARS OF TRAINING in observing babies, despite knowing HOW TO LISTEN TO ADULTS, and despite 10 years of weekly THERAPY on my own infancy and childhood,

I still found it HARD to listen to her feelings at first.

I couldn't really tell the difference between when she was hungry and when she needed to cry in my loving arms.

Over time, I became more comfortable with listening to her feelings.

I realised that I was using what I had learnt in all those years observing babies.

So, when I held her in my arms in the evening, after she had recently been fed, and listened to her cry in my loving arms, I would then observe her after the cry.

She would gaze into my eyes with complete presence.

Her muscles would be relaxed.

Her body would mould into mine.

She would smile more.

She would be calm as she slept.

She would sleep for longer periods.

I compared this to how she was if I had just kept feeding her all evening.

On those occasions, she would avoid eye contact. Her muscles would be tense. She would be agitated. She would push away from contact. She wouldn't smile much. She would be restless in her sleep, and she wouldn't sleep for as long.

It was ONLY through observing the differences in her that met my need for reassurance that listening to her crying in my arms once all her needs were met was meeting deep needs for release and healing for her.

And what I love about Aware Parenting is that the proof really is in the pudding.

I used these principles and practices when my daughter was 8 to 9 months old to help her sleep through the night.

And I saw, as she got older, how listening to her feelings helped her to sleep easily and peacefully, be present, make eye contact, cooperate, concentrate for long periods of time, and be careful with others, pets, and belongings.

And I have worked with many many parents in the last decade, supporting them in listening to what their babies and children are telling them,

When my son was born four and a half years after my daughter, I had a whole lot more experience, knowledge and understanding of Aware Parenting.

I was an Aware Parenting Instructor by then, and had listened to my daughter's feelings for four years.

I had helped and supported other parents listen to their babies and children.

And I had clearly seen the difference when children were given the opportunity to express their uncomfortable feelings with loving support.

So, I was much clearer in my understanding of what to look for, and what to observe, when my son was a baby.

I had so much to learn with my daughter, and I had given her a strong breastfeeding control pattern.

Even if we are listening to SOME feelings, whatever PERCENTAGE of feelings we are NOT listening to, our babies and children need to DO SOMETHING with those pent-up feelings.

They will show behaviours such as taking a long time to go to sleep, being restless in their sleep, waking up frequently, avoiding eye contact, not smiling much, clinging on to us, not being willing to explore new things, or not concentrating for long.

So I knew that I wanted to listen to a higher percentage of my son's feelings than I had done with my daughter.

And so I was ready to listen to more of my son's feelings.

I had learnt to observe and understand more.

But that was a process that really took years.

So I love to SHARE WHAT I'VE LEARNT with you so it won't take you years!

I am passionate about compassion.

I help parents with whatever your next steps are.

I don't have hard and fast rules or 'shoulds' about Aware Parenting.

My passion is to help parents understand themselves and their feelings, thoughts, and needs more, so that you can understand your baby and child's feelings and needs more.

I love to offer what I have learnt from my trainings before I became a parent, and in my parenting journey, to help you listen to yourself more, so that you can listen to your baby or child even more than you are already doing!

"We are loving the sleep course ! Thanks Marion for all your insight! So much gratitude to be learning this now. We have noticed a huge improvement in our 16 month old's sleep... we have gone from up to 4 wake ups between 6pm-12am to NONE.... first boobie and wakeup about midnight now! HALLELUJAH and we breastfeed again about 3am.... ONE WEEK AGO it was up to 10 times per night. NOW just 2. It's been a lot of hard work in the day but GOSH it is worth it for the evening freedom! Everyone is happier."

Sammy

"We are getting full nights sleep for now Marion, from 7:30ish to 6ish. Thank you."

Bonnie

"My 1 year old's sleep has gone from waking every 1 to 2 hours to sleeping from 7pm until 5am, then I feed him and he sleeps on until half 7. This doesn't happen every night and is disrupted if we are away from home but huge improvement."