The Beyond Sleep Training Project
Image Credit: Sarah Conlan Photography
Little Sparklers has been created following the phenomenal growth of the peer support group The Beyond Sleep Training Project.
After struggling with her first baby’s sleep, Carly Grubb attended a residential early parenting centre for assistance. The recommendations she received there didn’t align with what she knew of her baby, but she went ahead with them, thinking they were the only option. While they were there, her son stopped crying for her and she thought they had succeeded. She returned home hopeful that her parenting journey would now include rest and recovery. After returning home, however, her son began communicating his need for her again. Her mental health suffered, and the follow-up calls she received only included the advice to be ‘consistent and persistent’, and then the follow-up ended. She was alone.
It was a phone call from a midwife that made all the difference. In that call, she was given ‘permission’ to tune in to her baby and respond to his needs again.
And with that, something in her shifted.
In January 2017, Carly started a group called ‘The Beyond Sleep Training Project’ to write a book and connect with others who were working through sleep challenges with their babies without sleep training (or having failed at it, as she had).
She thought it would be quite a niche as the culture of sleep training in her community was so strong at the time. But to her surprise, the group grew phenomenally, and it became clear there was a huge need in the community for a different kind of support for families than what was being offered.
At the same time, the evidence-base began to grow that not only were families seeking an alternative, but this alternative was enriching their lives and those of their children through fostering connection and compassionate care, not just for the infants but also for the adults who needed nurturing and support throughout this time.
The group provided visibility, strength and value for the nurturing work being done by so many who had previously felt isolated in their experience.
Now, there is a demand and desperate need for something even greater.
Families need professional services and support, so Carly has established Little Sparklers, a registered charity with a tax-deductibility rating for Australian Taxpayers.
It’s time to spark change on a grand scale.
What does The Beyond Sleep Training Project do?
The Beyond Sleep Training Project operates as:
The peer support group is our primary service where we provide education, solidarity and support to over 192,000 (Nov 2024) members from over 100 countries around the world. The group is run by a passionate and skilled group of 30+ volunteer administrators and moderators who work to ensure that over 100 posts a day are put to the group for support.
Our volunteers come from all over the globe and have a range of professional and lived experiences to bring to their roles and this includes cultural diversity.
The group grows by around 800 new members a month and each person who joins comes to their journey at a unique point. It is our core business to meet people right where they are at in their journey with compassion, confidence, knowledge and wisdom.
