Morning!
Did you have a good sleep? No? Oh… right, you’re a parent! Hmmm.
Yeah, I totally get that. I’ve just spent the last five years of my life sleep deprived. I’ve even blogged about it in the past.
One thing I have learnt over the years is that ‘sleep’ is the most important parental variable to crack. It’s such a solid foundation brick to family happiness, and if you get it right – life as a parent is wondrously amazing – if you get it wrong, you begin to wonder whether you really were cut out for this parenting lark.
My problem was that I never did the whole ‘sleep when they sleep’ thing. And as a bona fide ‘night owl’ I would insist on staying up late to finally get some ‘me’ time. So when my two finally got through the baby stage and we reached ‘toddlerdom’, I paid the price by having to get up at ‘5 past ridiculous’ when the kids woke refreshed after their 10-11 hours of blissful slumber.
Then we discovered Gro-Clocks!
They are cool little sleep trainer gadgets which help kiddies tell the time… well, more specifically, they use simple stars and sun graphics to create a boundary which cleverly distinguishes between a ‘close your eyes again and dream of My Little Pony’ hour and an ‘OK, it’s now acceptable to clamber upstairs to jump on mummy’s head’ one.
I’m not sure if they work for every single child… but they definitely work for Gammon and Chips. We’ve got two of them and even though Gammon is now five and a half and Chips is three, we still use them to get some much needed sleep/sanity in the mornings.
Our two like a morning structure to work within, and it took probably about a week of repeating the ‘there’s no getting up until the sun comes up on your clock’ thing (with a little bit of marble jar bribery thrown in for good measure) before it worked, but from then on we were tickety boo on the morning front.
So a huge thank you must be given to The Gro Company for not only bringing much joy and happiness to our family, but for providing me with a sanity-saving Gro-Clock worth £29.99 to give away to my lovely followers. For your chance to win a well-deserved sleep-in, enter below!
WIN a Gro-Clock from The Gro Company
Competition Terms & Conditions
Open to UK residents aged 18 and over.
No purchase is necessary. The Rafflecopter widget above will accept entries from 7am (GMT) Wednesday 13th May 2015 until the close of the competition at 11.59pm (GMT) on Sunday 31st May 2015. Any entries outside of the Promotion Period will not be counted.
The competition is run by Gammon & Chips (@maddiesinclair). No correspondence will be entered into.
The winner will be chosen randomly by Gammon & Chips using the Gleam widget. The winner will be announced by 02/06/2015.
The winner will be contacted via email by Gammon & Chips and must respond the same day or else another winner will be drawn. The prize will be sent directly to the winner by The Gro Company.
Entrants must have a valid UK address. Bulk, third party or any entrants using automated software will be disqualified.
The prize is not transferable, re-saleable or exchangeable. There is no cash alternative.
Gammon & Chips reserves the right to amend, alter or terminate this promotion at any time due to circumstances beyond its control.
These rules are governed by English law and subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English Courts.
I’d trade in chocolate!
Sleep is so important to me I am a monster if I don’t get enough lol.
i would love a full 8 hours sleep but only manage around 5 .I could have so much more energy with 8 hours
Nice prize!
fantastic giveaway
I would trade chocolate!
I can’t remember the last time I had 8 hours solid sleep so I’d trade a weeks tv viewing for that.
I function better if I get eight or nine hours sleep. But being a busy mam, with a husband who often works away, I often only get six. I would give up anything to stop the five o’clock slump that I often suffer from.
I would give the bottle of wine I usually have over weekend to help me get to sleep!
I definately need my sleep – even more than chocolate 😉
i get about 6 hours usually cos i watching tv so i would trade that
It would be a miracle if both my baby and toddler slept through the night and didn’t get up at 6am.
would trade in the usual 4-5 hours i get now!
I need at least 7 hours sleep. I function better. Might possibly give up some chocolate ( i am a chocoholic) if I was getting less 🙂
I would trade chocolate
I would trade my hangover!
I’d trade watching my trashy TLC shows for a week!
I’d trade in my mascara lol because if I had some extra sleep I wouldn’t need it ! (Hopefully lol )
How fab
Sleep is important, but we only have one life, so how important it is must be weighed xx
How much is sleep worth to you? What would you trade for 8 hours of solid uninterrupted slumber? …….. inestimable – as you get older your sleep patterns become more disturbed
Sleep is important. Not sure what I’d trade, just know I value restful sleep.
a bottle of my favourite wine for 8 hours at the moment
I would trade anything at the moment, i’m 20 weeks pregnant with my first and its not as fun as it looks , i’d love a full 8 hours sleep x
I would trade my whole chocolate stash. Xx
wouldn’t trade anything, if need a good night’s sleep will just wind down more before bedtime
I would also trade my chocolate 😉
i wouldnt trade anything, although a good sleep would still be good lol x
i wouldnt trade, but hey we all love sleep lol x
I would trade my job for 8 hours sleep, Lol
I would trade staying up watching too much tv for more sleep
I’d trade a days wages!
I’d trade my other half for some much needed sleep lol
i go to bed early and get up early x
Over the years I’ve got into really bad sleeping habits so would trade my late night cuppa for a few extra hours sleep x
I would trade my prized tomatoes!
Can i trade my boyfriend? LOL xx
I would trade for more than I get now 3 hours
I would trade my crisps for 8 hours sleep
I need my sleep one of these would be great to get even that extra half hour!! I would trade Ben and Jerrys!!!
i would up 8 hours of sleep to cuddle my children 🙂
got to be worth a try….neeeeed sleep! x
I have FM so don’t get much more than 4 hrs a night, never wake refreshed so I would probably even trade my hubby lol ty for the chance x x
all of my chocolate
i would give up curry flavoured pot noodles and battenberg for some good sleep
I would give up TV to try.
I would trade my 1 of sleep from last night
I would love a good sleep, would trade my Sopranos boxset which is precious to me. x
I would trade chocolate for 8 hours sleep!
I would go without TV for a week!
i love sleep 🙂
I would trade money for a good nights sleep
That clock sounds like such a great idea!
I would trade one night of sleep for a stay in the most expensive hotel penthouse and have a day of luxury and then the ext night I could catch up on the lost sleep in a luxury bed x
I WOULD TRADE ANYTHING FOR A GOOD NIGHTS SLEEP
I would trade my favourite TV show for 8 hours sleep every night.
I love sleep. I wouldn’t swap it for anything. With 4 kids I need all the sleep I can get.
chocolate and cheese !
Being an insomniac, I trade a year of my life for 8 solid hours of sleep!
Sleep is an essential for me – I’d give up most things
I’d trade my iPad which actually keeps me awake Ben longer
I miss a good nights sleep, I’d trade in chocolate or coffee!
I bribe the kids all the time, I say if you stay in bed for an extra half an hour I’ll take you to the park!!!!!
My 41/2 year old is only just learning now to sleep a night though in his own bed which was a shock after his wonderful independently sleeping big sister. Never really minded too much as mainly it was a parenting decision to allow them to do it in their own time but there are days when I’d happily trade a fiery little red headed boy for a good nights sleep!
Thankfully I don’t need much sleep lol x
Wow, 8 hours sleep would be amazing! I think I would give up most things for 8 hours every night.
Wish I could get 8 hours – would trade in my breakfast for that
You name it I would trade it for interrupted sleep x
Great giveaway!
I would trade chocolate!
My daughter is nearly 2 and has never slept through the night. I would trade pretty much anything 🙂 but i wouldn’t change her for the world.
I Would trade all the wine for a long long sleep
I would trade a night out with Micheal Buble for a good nights sllep
I would trade pretty much anything for a full nights sleep, wine, tv, a good steak,anything!!!!!
I’d trade it coffee, cookies and cakes
Sweet things – would be better for me anyway!
Very valuable – worth good money if it were that simple! 🙂 x
I miss getting a decent nights sleep, my child wakes crying every couple of hours at the moment which wakes me up for ages. I’d trade the mother-in-law having him over night for a good nights sleep.
I would trade a full weeks wage, i would happily go to work for nothing for a whole week, please let me sleep ha ha
i would trade sleep for wine and chocolate
I would trade eating a takeaway for a weekend for a good nights sleep instead !
I miss a lie in, but I wouldn’t trade anything for the joy of having my daughter waking me up 🙂
I would trade it for a bacon sandwich
A packet of my chocolate biscuits
I would trade my bed. Sure I could sleep standing up!
I wo6ld trade tea and cake
I don’t even remember what sleep feels like, it has been so long since I’ve had a good nights sleep.
I wouldnt trade 8 hrs sleep for anything, with twin boys and 3 daughters I need all the sleep I can get x
I don’t think I would trade anything 🙂
I actually wish sleep wasn’t needed as I never feel there are enough hours in the day but the rest of the house need their sleep
Oh I am terrible if I don’t get my sleep. I’m lucky that my little girl is generally a pretty good sleeper (apart from the early starts).
Sometimes I thing I would trade anything for 8 hours sleep.
Its worth a hell of a lot, but I would trade it for a nice holiday!
A good night’s sleep is so important I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
I would trade my insanity from lack of sleep!! X
I’d trade my partner he snores so you can have him
sleep is not that important to me. I would defo not trade it and looking forward to sleepless nights again as due at end of july. canni wait.
I have nothing to trade but would just love one night of decent sleep
I would trade my messy hubby
8 hours would be great-hardly ever achieved-would trade a spa break for that
I wouldn’t trade anything for a good sleep, but I am a night owl too.
I’ve forgotten what 8 hours uninterrupted sleep even is! !I’d trade my under eye bags for that 😉
Since having kids its worth more to me, i would trade my last rolo for an uninterrupted nights sleep
What a great question! I’ve always had sleep problems so tried hard with my family to get them into a good sleep routine when they were very young. I’m not sure what I’d trade for a solid 8 hours: perhaps my grumpy frown for a beaming smile?!
I would trade all of my makeup no point using it without feeling nice too
my chocolate stash
A big smile
I’m heavily preggers at the moment so there isn’t much I wouldn’t give for 8 hours! Can’t get more than about 4 at night at the moment.
i would trade anything my 6 year old only sleeps 2 to 4 hours a night has done since he was born
At this moment I think I would trade my soul for 8 straight hours of fantastic sleep!
chocolate 🙂
Sleep means a lot to me, I suffered with ME as a teenager and still get bouts of exhaustion now, I would trade my iPhone
I’d give breakfast for that.
I normally get around seven hours sleep and I am happy with that – so not trading needed.
Sleep -always important
My yummy chocolate puddings 🙂
I would trade in my coffee, chocolate and goodies for decent sleep
My house, I’d love a night where I don’t wake constantly.
My phone !!
I’d trade chocolate
I’m lucky, because I get full sleep – but my mother doesn’t, so I hope to win for her benefit.
I have big sleep problems so I would give literally anything for 8 hrs of refreshing sleep! Oh it would be heaven Dxx
This would light up the little ones faces
I need my sleep so I would trade in desserts for it.
trade my make up
I’d trade anything for a long sleep
If I don’t get my 8 hours sleep I’m useless! So I’d trade in chocolate and crisps and that’s big sacrifice for me!
Chocolate for a week
a banquet cooked by me for 20 people
Can’t remember the last time I had 8 hours uninterrupted sleep, so would trade almost anything bar the kids the dogs and my Husband.
Sleep is soo important. I would trade doing the dishes all week for one night of undisturbed sleep.
I’d trade my weekly treat, whatever it is that week!
I’d trade some pretty dresses!
Sleep is really important as I suffer with bouts of insomnia where I can go weeks with just 2-3 hours a night. To sleep through for 8 solid hours would be amazing even when I am not suffering with insomnia I rarely get more than 5/6 hours at a time and its generally interrupted too! I’d trade a weeks pay to get a good sleep
Thanks, love – your suggestion is GOLD for our Alistair, now 2 yrs 5 mnths… particularly if you have a shiftworking Daddy, which means Mummy is the one who never gets to sleep in! But at least it’s not up at 5.30am anymore.
Riss xx.
Pleasure Riss! So wonderful to hear from you!!!! Wow – how time flies. You have a genuine toddler on your hands! We still use the clocks, even though Gammon is now 6. You do have to work at it a little bit to get them to accept them and get the hang of it – but once you’ve cracked it, they act as a brilliant boundary between what’s acceptable and what’s not. I think the Gro Company even do reward charts which go with the clocks now to help get to that ‘cracked it’ stage. Not sure if you can get Gro-Clocks in Oz, but if not, there are probably some other brands which do the same thing. Hope you guys are well and you’re managing to vaguely keep your head above water in the parenting journey – god, it’s so hard, isn’t it?! I thought I’d instantly have it all down pat, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Getting there… but just when you think you’ve got one thing licked, another one comes along! Sending love to you all! xoxo