Another brilliant 'How To' from Shannon Lamden aka Aunty Cookie, today taking on the task of How To Look Like A Good Mum! Remember to leave a comment before 10pm on Thursday for a chance to win a Aunty Cookie Lap Quilt valued at $150! - Jenny x

Spending most of the day and one night at sleep school taught me this – my kid and her sleeping issues are NO WAY NEAR as bad as some others. Which of course made me feel better. Because seeing someone worse off than you always makes you feel better.  Just like the way you always had an ugly mate at school so you could feel prettier. Yep just like that.

All I wanted was a little more sleep. Is that too much to ask? Just an unbroken 6 hours would do.

My Favourite Cookie, busted on the computer and yawns all around

Once I was in that parallel universe of bogan babies who refused to sleep (and no bogan babies aren’t the only ones who don’t sleep – hipster babies also carry this rogue gene) of course my baby slept just fine. Settled just sweetly and woke smiley and rosey at 7.15. It wasn’t kicking and screaming, shaking cots and calling for Daddy for hours on end until passing out. Only to wake an hour or so later to start it all over again, repeat that a few times and then start the day at 5am. I’m not dealing with that whole bag of crazy. THANK GOD.

Shhhh, the kid finally sleeps and hoochie plate

I came home with some tricks up my sleeve and 21 days to make a habit stick. And then it all started again, the waking, the unsettling, the non-sleeping fuckery, which of course lead to the meltdowns of everyone else in the house.  Ok maybe not everyone. Maybe just me.

So I took matters into my own hands – wedge towels under the doors, move the other kids to sleep in our room and let the baby go for it. Scream your head off kid because eventually you will fall asleep. Feel free to berate my actions.

- Shannon aka Aunty Cookie!