While being a parent is one of life’s greatest joys, it can also be challenging and isolating role for many.

The increased financial pressure of expanding one’s family, constant worrying and sleep deprivation – a common causality of motherhood and fatherhood – can wage war on one’s physical and mental health.

Of all the complaints moms and dads have of their new roll, even parents raising their second  or third baby, lack of sleep  continues to be the biggest trial.

After all, it’s pretty tough to be an effective parent, spouse or employee when you’re exhausted all the time. However, many of us continue to live in this zombie-like state, all the while hoping it’s just a ‘phase.’

Rather than accept a lack of zzz’s for the foreseeable future, parents here in ‘the Valley’ are turning to a sleep consultant like Marnie Huard of Cheekychops to help bring harmony back into the home front.

The Langley resident and proud mom to a 19-month-old adorable toddler, Reiken, knows firsthand how tough it can be to get by without a good night’s rest.

Her son sleeps soundly through the night; however, that wasn’t always the case, notes Marnie.

“My son was such a horrible sleeper – I read book after book, went online looking for tips, but nothing worked,” she said.

“After awhile I convinced my husband (Alex) that we desperately needed help.”

At her wits end, Huard scoured the Internet to try and find a solution for Reiken, who was eight-months-old at the time.
It only took one night with one of Dawn’s consultants and the Huard household was no longer suffering from sleep deprivation anymore.Having read several raving reviews on Cheekychops – a sleep consulting service in Langley owned and operated by former U.K. nanny Dawn Whittaker – Marnie decided to book the service online without hesitation.

“I thought, wow, this is so wonderful – I can actually sleep again!”said Marnie, who noticed a drastic change in Reiken and herself overnight.

“I had more patience and was just a nicer person. When you have the energy, there’s just so much more you can offer.”

“The experience also changed my son – he used to be grumpier, but once he started sleeping soundly a switch went off. Now, he’s so happy and content!”

Marnie admits her only regret in hiring a sleep consultant was waiting so long.

“As a mom, it’s hard to ask for help… we tend to feel guilty that we can’t make our own baby go to sleep. However, it happens to so many parents and it doesn’t mean you’re a bad mom or dad. I just wish I hadn’t wanted to make that call.”

When Marnie discovered that Cheekychops was hiring consultants, she decided to apply to be part of the franchise.

In addition to making an additional income, it was an opportunity to help fellow moms and dads to experience the same success she did with the one-of-a-kind program.

“Because it worked so well for me, I thought, hey; why not help others dealing with sleep deprivation as well?”

The extensive screening process with Cheekychops, included several interviews, background checks, references and hours of hands-on training.

As of this past September, Marnie began working with parents from all over the Fraser Valley and beyond – her specific territory is from Langley to Hope.

Marnie meets with parents in person, online (via video conferencing) and over the phone. While convenience matters, so does personalized, high-quality, down-to-earth support. No matter how a client prefers to meet, Cheekychops consultants guarantee the same high standard of service.

“This is incredibly rewarding work – I just love what I do,” said Marnie.

“It’s a great feeling to help parents…to let them know they aren’t alone and that yes, there is a solution.”

Many clients express fear that they’ll be forced to let their little one cry it out, which isn’t the case, adds Marnie.

“You’ll never be forced to do anything that makes you uncomfortable, including the’ cry-it-out method’ (shutting the door and never going back)- that’s just not part of our program. Every situation is unique –we tailor our consultations to fit your family’s needs.”

As a first-time mother, Rachel  had a tough time helping her daughter Delia to fall asleep on her own.

Like Marnie, she read all the books, scoured the Internet for tips and consulted with friends and family for advice.

Despite all her research, there were still many sleepless nights ahead for everyone in her family.

When a few friends suggested she contact Marnie at Cheekychops, Rachel decided she had nothing to lose.

“They all had children who slept through the night after sleep training with Cheekychops,” said Rachel.

The process proved painless and effective– Marnie stayed by the couple’s side through the sleep-training process, making herself available at all times.

“My husband and I have been so happy with the sleep training results that we have decided to continue Marnie’s services for the rest of the year,” noted Rachel.

“Giving the gift of sleep to our baby girl was the best gift we could have ever gotten her!”

For Amy,  also from Langley, booking a package with Marnie was an investment in her family’s well-being

“Our little guy had horrible sleeping habits,” she said.

“He was going to bed super late all the time and sometimes would cry and fuss half the night away not going to sleep until 3 or 4 a.m.it was really bad.”

While Amy admits she was a bit leery at first about working with a sleep consultant, she’s glad she didn’t let her hang-ups prevent her from giving it a try.

“I just didn’t know how we were going to get him to sleep at 7 p.m. at night and have him sleep all night with with just a dream feed between 10 and 11 p.m., but it happened! Plus he has two naps a day.”

In just a few short weeks, harmony was brought back to the home front thanks to Marnie.

“Our life has changed so and we have a much happier baby too,” said Amy.” Plus we feel so much more rested and have more energy. ”

Being able to help tired moms like Amy and Rachel to regain their sanity and help the whole family get more sleep , is more than just a job for Marnie — it’s her passion.

“I put all my heart into it and make sure to be available as I can for the parents,” she said.

“At the end of the day, I feel extremely proud of what I do and proud of all my client’s accomplishments!”

You Need Sleep! ~ courtesy of www.cheekychops.ca

Here’s what prolonged lack of sleep does to parents:

Forgetfulness – you can’t find your keys, wallet or diaper bag; you can’t remember if you told your partner things, if you ate or what you just read.

Depressed – you have emotional crying spells, feel overwhelmed, and possibly even feel resentful towards your child.

Short-tempered – you blow up easily, you might get frustrated that you aren’t getting the help you need, or are short on empathy.

Relationship issues – you feel as though there is a wedge between you and your partner, and that you don’t agree on anything anymore.

Trapped – you feel unable to go out or put your baby down. You have not been out with a friend or on a date with your partner for a long time, or feel like you are isolated and no one understands what you are going through.

Low confidence – you regularly feel like you don’t know what to do; you get confused by things you’ve read on parenting and sleep issues, and you might feel increased fear and anxiety.

 

For more information, visit http://www.cheekychops.ca/or call Marnie today at 604-510-9922, or email marnie.huard@cheekychops.ca and don’t forget to tell her we sent you!

(Disclaimer: while this is a sponsored blog post, all opinions are my own. If you would like your business featured on ValleyMom.ca email us today at shesavalleymom@yahoo.ca)