I like actress Jamie Lynn Sigler, 36, and enjoy seeing her interviews. She’s not a hustler, but she’s also not above talking about her family life and doing endorsement deals. Jamie has been open about the fact that she suffered from exercise bulimia while working on The Sopranos and, just last year, she revealed that she’s had multiple sclerosis for the past 15 years and that she worked to hide it from her friends and costars. In a new interview with People Magazine she talks about being a mom to her three and a half year-old son, Beau Kyle, with her husband, baseball player Cutter Dykstra. Jamie said that they’re trying to get little Beau to sleep on his own but that he usually ends up in their bed at 2 or 3 o’clock in the morning. I could so relate to this:
As [Jamie Lynn Sigler] tells PEOPLE in a new segment for Celeb Parents Get Real, she and husband Cutter Dykstra have their work cut out for them with their 3½-year-old son Beau Kyle.
“We’re dealing with major bedtime battles right now that have cost all tears from all of my family members,” explains Sigler, 36. “Bribery on all levels [to get him to sleep by himself].”
“He’s in this phase where he wants to sleep with Mommy and Daddy, and no matter what happens, he ends up in our bed at 2 or 3 a.m. — which, honestly, I don’t mind, ’cause I know those days are limited,” she confesses.
One thing that helps the star when parenting gets extra tough? Just being candid with the people she’s closest with, and knowing she’s not alone in the challenges of motherhood.“The thing that helps me most is just talking to my girlfriends about it,” Sigler says. “I think being really open and honest about what you’re dealing with [is important.] I don’t try to pretend that I’m doing it perfect and that things are all smooth and wonderful.”
“It’s tough, especially with a toddler,” she admits. “But I want him to be strong-minded and I want him to be the way he is, but there’s definitely moments where I feel like I have no idea what I’m doing a lot of the time.”
“Mealtime usually involves an iPad. I know it’s not the best thing, but that’s how I can cook, that’s how he can stay occupied and then we all eat together as a family,” she explains. “I cook probably six out of seven nights a week.”
Before my son was born I read all the attachment parenting books, particularly Dr. Sears. We did co-sleeping for a while, with a side bed until he was old enough to sleep with us. It was so hard to get him to sleep on his own as a toddler, just like Jamie is saying, and if I had to do it over again I would have done it differently. I remember all the sleepless nights and how hard it was to get him to fall asleep and I wonder if that was just his temperament or if I got him accustomed to rely on us to get to sleep. Maybe it was a little of both. Still, he’s taller than me now, the time goes by so fast, and you want to be there for them when they’re small and need you. I also had an iPad for him so that I could get stuff done around the house and have quiet dinners. You do what you have to do get by some days and it’s not easy, but it’s not forever either. Just writing that sentence made me wistful at how little my son used to be, and how sweet he was. He’s still sweet, just different.
photos credit: WENN
With my first 3 I would walk them back to their bed and rub their backs until they fell asleep. With my 4th I was aware of how fast time goes, it was so sweet to snuggle, and I was too old and worn out to tuck him back into his room.
I could totally see that. My two are 11 and 13, and, my gosh, you just can’t understand what a tiny window their infancy/totlerhood is. I still fantasize about having a 3rd, just to take it all in again as an older mom who understands how precious and fleeting those early years are. It’s just a fantasy, but, I so get what you’re saying.
I want people to be aware that children hospitals have sleep centers. They are phenomenal and deal with every element that could be effecting the issue and also work towards a solution that works with the family dynamic and parenting style. They are covered by almost every kind of insurance and they work with those who don’t have insurance. I cannot say enough good things about them.
Great info, but not covered for long, should Pres. Bigly Butthurt & the GOP have their collective way.
She looks amazing. She’s glowing 24/7. Sopranos fanatic here and glad she seems so happy.
I have a 14-month-old and a 3-week-old (because I am a crazy person/accidents happen). Our toddler is a champion sleeper. When he was an infant, I slept on the couch with him nearby in a swing or napper or pack & play (or whatever worked at the moment) because our air conditioner broke mid-summer and the living room was the coolest room in the house. When I went back to work and we got our air conditioner fixed, I was so f-ing done with sleeping on the couch that we put him in his crib, in his own room across the hall from ours, and pretty much forced the issue. He was only 3 months old and I know the recommendations now are to sleep in the same room until 6 months or a year, but I do think in some ways that muscling through those first 2 weeks or so of him getting used to being in a crib in his own room helped make him into a good sleeper.
OR maybe we just got lucky and it’s all about luck and nothing else. Who knows.
Anyway, going through the sleep deprivation again now with a newborn and it is so hard. Our pediatrician put it perfectly: we’re just in survival mode. Whatever works to make it through.
I think it is nature, more than nurture. My mom told me I didn’t sleep a wink moving/driving from Philly to northern New England, and none of my kids were solid sleepers, either. Though those days were exhausting, now that I am entering my gramma years, I’d give just about anything to be cuddling my babies back to sleep. sigh.
*wipes tear from eye* Amen!
I think it’s more nature. A few of mine were great sleepers from the get go-a few not.
I slept with mine in a port-a-crib next to the bed for convenience the first 3 months. I breastfed and it was easier not to get out of bed to get them. But also I sleep so heavily I was afraid I would not hear them crying at night when they were hungry. Luckily my ex was a light sleeper because I did not hear them cry every once in a while. I think it’s nature. My three were sleepers – sleeping through the night by 3 months, as they got older, 2 naps a day and to bed by 7:30 every night. They took naps until they went to kindergarten. They still love naps. I let the kiddos come in bed with us for 2 nights and on the third night in row took them back to bed and stayed with them until they fell asleep.
Everyone parents differently but as long as you raise thoughtful and caring children that is all that matters. My sister, brother and I grew up sleeping with my grandmother, as both parents worked well into the night and my grampa worked nights. Just about everyone in my family were shift workers and when we grew up we carried on with the family bed. All of our children are now happy, healthy adults with good careers and I would not trade any of those precious times with not only my kids but my niece and nephews as well.
Lucky you!
Those last few sentences of this article were touching! I can relate to the bedtime struggles as mine are 4 & 2. There’s so many opinions on parenting you always feel like you’re doing something wrong, but your words ensure me if you’re enjoying, and loving those little souls to the fullest you can’t go wrong! Even if that means breaking out the iPad
I can relate too but I don’t think I’d do it differently. I breastfed and worked far from home so it was just easier to co-sleep than getting up a million times per night to get them out of bed and put them back in bed. It worked fine with our son, when he transitioned to a toddler bed, he stayed there and rarely came to our room. Our daughter was different though. She refused to drink much from a bottle while at daycare (despite everything we tried) so she nursed more at night. Now, as a toddler, if she wakes up, she expects to get into bed and snuggle with mommy. Honestly, I’m not turning this into a fight. If she wakes up crying, I’ll go to her room and try to rock her back and put her to sleep. If she comes to our room, I just let her stay. She’s 3, I’m sure she’ll outgrow it with gentle encouragement.
I woke up this morning on the edge of my bed because my seven year old had squished herself into the middle at some point in the night. I still love it, but I do miss the days in which she could get in still leave me enough space to move!
lol
It may seem simple and not that helpful, but I say parents just have to do the best they can. These issues always loom large when you are going through them, but pale in comparison to raising a good human being. Our daughter spent many nights with us as a toddler. I know everyone will have to take my word for it, but she became a terrific young adult. My best to all parents struggling with this.
This, exactly. Every situation and child is so different, anyway. It’s ,IMO, especially one of those areas where there is simply no one size fits all solution ( even though ppl tend to get very opinionated about it). And, in the end, everyone survives it, and you move on to another set of challenges. It’s the nature of parenthood.
Please tell me some idiot didn’t name his kid “Cutter.”
Ugh, it’s true. He’s Lenny Dykstra’s kid. And holy crap, has he [Lenny] been in trouble according to Wikipedia.
Every little one is different and you never know what your going to get. I think 3 is my favorite age. So much sweetness at that age!
My 8 year old slithers into my bed most nights. I don’t care, she’s my youngest so I know all too well that before long she’ll be a teen & want nothing to do with me, lol.
Hahahhaha, when iwas 15 I got scared of a thunderstorm and slithered into bed with mom! You’re never to old for your parents bed!
My 8 and 10 year old often end up in our bed in the middle of the night. As long as we have our bed free when we go to bed (for our adult time) then I am fine with it. We have a big bed and my kids are growing up so fast I cherish every close moment with them. And they smell better than our dog and don’t shed all over the bed. 😝
They tip like sh*t. Her husband is sooooo cheap.