Standing Baby

I would say get rid of the binky. Like the other poster said it will be a rough 2-5 days, but it will be worth it in the end. I also have an 8mth old girl who stands in her crib. Dropping the binky, crying, & having you come in is a game. She will keep doing it as long as you keep coming back in. I find as long as I put her down at the same time everyday without letting her get too tired she sleeps like a champ. Crying at bedtime lasts less than 5 min if she cries at all. I rarely go back in for anything unless she is crying hysterically.

I would disagree with the advice that beginning to co-sleep at the age of 8 months in order to soothe her. It's a bit late to begin that behavior and it also sounds like a BIG step backwards in the development of her self-reliance and independence.

I do agree with the other posters who recommended to either add a different toy or to eliminate the binky cold turkey. Yes, your daughter will make you feel like you are the meanest most uncaring mommy in the world...for like 2-5 days. She will not be scarred for life and you will be teaching her resiliency.

You can either teach her to entertain herself with other toys or you can teach her that her behavior of throwing the binky will allow her to get your attention. It might not seem like a huge deal now and would calm her crying, but do you really want her to learn that you're going to jump whenever she doesn't get her way? Easy at 8 months to deal with, difficult at 18.

Learning new skills can be fun and frustrating. What has worked with both my girls was to let them play in their crib during the day while I clean their room or put away laundry or maybe read a book (I can still dream :) This way, she will be able to practice pulling up and getting back down on her own. Just put a few of her favorite toys in the crib with her for 10 - 15 minutes, don't keep her in there if she starts crying. She will figure it out pretty quick and you can all get back on your sleep routine. Good luck!

I don't know where most of these people's advice is coming from, but most every baby I know goes through this when they learn to stand. She is practicing and she doesn't know how to get herself down yet....but she will learn, just takes some time. Give it a few weeks, and she will either learn how to get down on her own or it will get old and she'll stop doing it all the time. Make sure the crib is on the lowest setting so she can't climb out and just prepare for less sleep in the next few weeks. I would also suggest not going in immediately to soothe her. This will give her a little time to try out figuring out how to get down and find her paci on her own.

Don't co sleep. It is at this time that they start to learn behaivor. My oldest was like this. ANd it drove me up a wall. I started out going in to his room cuddling with him etc. Then back in the crib, he woke up, crying and more and more cuddling.....I had to give up. So, my dh said that he would do the work. And he did. He just went into the room two times a night, didn't pick him up just calmed him down. He learned to fall asleep of his own valition. SO, I thank my dh for th wonderful job he did with my eldest.

Sound just like my one yeaqr old. I can't pinpoint how long she has been doing it but 8 months sounds about right. Patience is the key. She is just trying to get your attention and gain some control over nap time. We started out by putting more than one binky in the crib so that if she threw one out she still had another. When ever she threw it out and cried we would tell her it was night night time and rock her for a few more minutes and then set her back in the crib. We would turn on her aquarium and then walk out of the room. It has taught her to put herself asleep when she is ready. She will figure out a way to sit down on her own. Some time she tests us a couple of times but she is secure in the fact that we will always be there if she needs us. We have never found it to get out of control. She just needs to teach herself to put herself to sleep. She is just growing up. Be pround of her next step.

Sounds to me like it's time to ditch the binky cold turkey (so that she can't cry because it's gone). She'll make you feel like you're a horrible person, but it will probably only take her 2-3 days to adjust (I'd start during a nap). Then you can work on letting her figure out how to get herself back down without your help. I'd say ditch the binky first, though - one thing at a time :)

I don't know if your crib is capable of it, but if you can lower the mattress so it's very low in the crib, she can't drop her binky over the rails, and thus begin crying.

Your daughter is practicing her new skill!
I'll admit I'm biased, but if you try co-sleeping or at least put her crib where she can see you, I'll bet she will sleep better than she does now.

Just try to suggest the kneeling, she might catch on. I always moved mine to a toddler bed at this time, it is always safer than a crib. You just have to lie down with them until they are out and then place them on the toddler bed until they are ready to go alone. Use a baby gate to keep them safely in the room. A sleeping bag on the floor always works to give them a safe broad place to unwind before sleeping and waking up is easier too. You just can't use the crib for a babysitter. It'll never be safe enough.

Both my daughters did this. As for the standing, my Dr. suggested letting her cry it out, she will figure it out! And they did. As for the binky...I have four binkies in my 1 year olds bed. Occassionally, all 4 make it on the floor. I let her cry for like 10 minutes or longer, depending on my mood, scoop them up put them in her bed and tell her if they fall again they go bye bye. Usually she will not do it again that night or nap. She also drops her lovie, which she only has one of. Again, I wait for awhile and do the same thing. My almost 3 year old did this when she was 8 mo- a little over 1 and the behavior passed when she realized that if she dropped it it was going to stay there.
Good luck!
K.