Advice on sleep training

'Start as you mean to go on' - that's my motto.

I always start everything with the best intentions, from child rearing to puppy training. 

We got our gorgeous little Miniature Schnauzer just before Christmas and like responsible dog owners read up on everything that we were supposed to know in order to settle her into her new home. 

The first night we set up a travel cot in the living room, bought her a hot water bottle, a new bed, some toys to keep her company and gently said goodnight to her. 

'On no condition are we to go into her' I told my family. 'She will whine and bark a bit the first night but if we go into her we are just training her to bark for attention. And she is NOT, I repeat NOT allowed upstairs'. 

We all agreed the rules and went to bed. 

At 1am I heard the first sounds of distress from downstairs. At 1.10am I was lying on the sofa with the puppy beside me in her cot. 

On the second night my husband was found under a duvet on the sofa cuddling her.

On the third night we pulled the cot into the downstairs bedroom and I spent the night in there with her.  

After a week with us she had taking to following me everywhere and was now sleeping on the floor beside my bed. My bed upstairs.

This morning I woke up in a double bed with three kids and one dog contentedly nestled in between us all.

I think I may be taking attachment parenting to a whole new level...

Don't tell mum

My sisters and I frequently conclude a tale or fact of dubious merits to each other with the line 'But don't tell Mum'.

It doesn't matter that we are all  in our 30's and 40's - mother's approval still counts.

It's not as if we're out dancing on tables and failing to come home (well not often), or ingesting various forms of narcotics and failing to remember our own name (well not often)...it's a far tamer than that.

Often it's to do with money.

'Do you like my new boots? They were a bit too expensive but I love them. €150. Yeah I know. Don't tell Mum.'

Or to do with being irresponsible perhaps...

'I know I should be wearing my glasses driving but I broke them five years ago, and anyway I never liked them. Don't tell Mum'

Or it may be that one of us has had some unorthodox anti-aging technique applied or some questionable waxing done. But whatever you do - don't tell Mum.

A big one is one of us taking on too much when she knows we are too busy as it is.

'I just bought a puppy. Yes I do know it's only 2 weeks until Christmas and I haven't got any shopping done yet. DO. NOT. TELL. MUM.'

But none of us would be that stupid now would we? Besides - we'd never get away with it.

Would I?