Workshops

Sleep pressure is the most important factor in your little one's sleep, and it's the foundation we focus on before making any bigger changes. Whether your goal is independent sleep, moving away from co-sleeping, stopping feeding to sleep, or simply getting longer stretches overnight, all of these are much easier to achieve when sleep pressure is right.

In this workshop, we'll explain the science behind sleep pressure in a way that's easy to understand. You'll learn how it affects your child's brain, how to work out your little one's individual sleep needs, and how to recognise whether they need more or less sleep pressure.

We'll also give you a peek behind the curtain and show you exactly how we review a sleep diary. You'll learn how to assess your own child's sleep so you can optimise their sleep pressure and build the strongest possible foundation for better sleep.

Everything we teach is rooted in science and evidence, but we'll also share the real-life nuances we've learned from supporting hundreds of families. These are the small details that aren't always found in the research but can make a huge difference when you're putting everything into practice.

By the end of the workshop, you'll understand exactly what sleep pressure is, feel confident adjusting it for your own child, and know how to troubleshoot any bumps in the road as your little one grows and their sleep needs change.

There are lots of reasons little ones wake during the night, and hunger or habitual feeding can absolutely be one of them. This workshop will help you understand whether your little one is waking because they genuinely need a feed or whether feeding has simply become part of how they return to sleep. You'll also learn how to reduce hunger signals in a developmentally appropriate way.

Before taking this workshop its important to know that night feeds are completely normal throughout the first year and sometimes beyond. Understanding your little one's biology is key to knowing when to optimise night feeds, when to reduce them, and when they may be ready to night wean. We'll explain the science behind this and take you through our complete night weaning strategy step by step.

We don't recommend fully night weaning babies under 12 months unless they are developmentally ready, and we'll explain exactly why in the workshop. For babies under 9 months, we'll show you how to optimise night feeds to reduce unnecessary waking while still meeting their nutritional needs. From around 9 months onwards, if your little one is developmentally ready, you can begin taking gradual steps towards night weaning. If your goal is to fully night wean from around 11–12 months onwards, we'll teach you how to do this gently and responsively. Some babies are ready earlier, and we'll show you exactly what signs to look for.

None of our strategies involve stopping feeds 'cold turkey'. Instead, we work with your little one's biology, helping you understand why they're waking in the first place so you can make changes that are gentle, evidence-based and appropriate for your child.

By the end of the workshop, you'll know how to tell the difference between hunger and habitual waking, feel confident making decisions around night feeds, and have a clear plan for reducing or stopping them when your little one is truly ready.

At It Takes a Village, we take a child-centred approach to everything we do - and potty learning is no different. If you want your little one to be using the toilet within a few days or have a deadline we can help you achieve this. If you want it to be more relaxed and longer term, we can help you achieve this. If you simply want to learn more at this point from a science perspective and build a plan for when you and your little one are ready, we can do that too.

Knowing when to start or even understanding your child's readiness is how most families begin our Potty Learning Workshop. This course will prepare you with all the tools you need to understand readiness from a biological perspective then arm you with strategies to make potty learning a successful stress-free process for you and your little one.

We do not do ‘one-size-fits-all' in It Takes A Village because every child is different and understanding their temperament, development, sensory needs and communication abilities helps you build the right approach for your little one. This is not a 'potty training bootcamp'.

With everything we do here, we'll also take you through the science behind potty learning, helping you understand what your child is developmentally capable of, why challenges can arise, and how to support them while still working towards your family's goals.

With our extensive experience working with children of Potty Learning age we have developed strategies you can use to help you navigate this process and manage when things don’t go to plan or when you meet resistance - because this will happen. We aim to make sure you never feel like you don't know what to do.

In the Workshop you'll receive:

• A live workshop covering everything you need to know before you begin, plus the opportunity to ask questions during a live Q&A.
• Practical, personalised guidance that can be adapted to your child's temperament and your family's lifestyle, rather than a rigid method that expects every child to learn the same way.
• A handbook you can refer back to when you are met with resistance or an unexpected situation to help you stay on track.

By the end of the workshop, you'll have so much more than the information you need to start. You'll have the confidence and knowledge to apply the right strategies to your child to help them learn to use the toilet confidently.