MY SIGNATURE APPROACH
The Ready, Set, Sleep Prep Plan™
Before we change a single thing, I prepare your child first, so they feel like part of the process, not like something is being done to them. Less resistance, less guilt, and results that actually stick.
The Problem With Jumping Straight to Sleep Training
Most sleep training advice is written for babies, then applied to toddlers without taking into account how toddler brains differ from babies. By ages 2-7, kids have:
Strong memories and emotional attachments to their current sleep routines and associations
The cognitive ability to understand what's happening, which means they can feel more anxious or resistant to changes
More developed willpower and opinions about bedtime, making parent-led changes alone less effective
A need for autonomy and involvement in the process to feel secure and excited about the transition
Some of these traits show up earlier than others. By 12 months, young toddlers often already have strong memories and emotional attachments to their routines, along with early separation anxiety. The stronger opinions and push for independence tend to develop closer to 18 months. Even at this younger stage, a little extra preparation goes a long way.
Traditional sleep training often misses this completely, whether your child is 12 months or 7 years old. The Ready, Set, Sleep Prep Plan™ doesn't.
What the Ready, Set, Sleep Prep Plan™ Actually Is
It is the preparation phase before any sleep changes begin. Built specifically for 12-month-olds to 7-year-olds. It's created around your child's individual needs, routines, and personality, using responsive techniques.
Custom written plan
Built around your child's individual needs, routines, and personality
Social stories
Stories that walk your child through the changes, so nothing feels sudden
Daytime games
Separation practice by day that translates to easier separation at bedtime
Calming strategies
Reachable at bedtime, with reminders and modeling from you
What’s Included
THE CORE TO EVERY PREP PLAN
ALSO INCLUDED WITH 2-7 YEAR OLD PACKAGES
Care package
Picture book chosen for their sleep struggles, plus a blank book to create a bedtime routine social story (US only)
Personalized videos
A video from me to your child on training call day, plus more encouraging videos for milestones along the way
The Ready, Set, Sleep Prep Plan™ for 12 to 23-month-olds includes the written prep plan; care package and videos are part of 2-7 year packages only.
How It Works
For 2-7 year olds, your child’s care package from Courtney ships as soon as your intake form is in. For the week or two leading up to implementing the sleep plan, you will work on the prep plan activities. Most families take 1-3 weeks to complete the prep plan; we pace it to your child’s unique needs, not a fixed timeframe. For 2-7 year olds, your child also gets a video from Courtney on training call day, plus extra videos throughout sleep training, typically whenever they hit a milestone, big or small.
Why This Matters
Kids ages 2-7 need to understand change, not just endure it, and even younger toddlers benefit from feeling prepared rather than blindsided. Skipping this step usually makes sleep training harder. Families who go through the Ready, Set, Sleep Prep Plan™ first see smoother, calmer transitions. Less resistance from the child, less guilt from the parent, and results that stick, because your child actually buys into the changes.
"The prep plan Courtney provided to prepare our child for the actual sleep plan worked wonders. After implementing it for just a few days, we started the sleep plan. Yes, there were tears, but not as many as we anticipated, and likely less than if we hadn't had the prep plan. The first night, our daughter slept ALL the way THROUGH the night, and continued to sleep a full night for 7 straight nights. We cannot thank Courtney enough for her expertise and willingness to work within our desires not to just 'cry it out.'"
-Kelly S., mom of a 14-month-old
Not a separate purchase, it's built into every toddler and big kid package.
“The idea of teaching our daughter to sleep independently was incredibly daunting initially, given the many changes required. However, the Prep Plan made it feel manageable by providing smaller steps to ease us into the program. The most impactful piece of the Prep Plan for our family was the bedtime routine book.”
-Abbey P., mom of a 2-year-old
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The Ready, Set, Sleep Prep Plan™ is included for every child aged 12 months to 7 years, with the written plan itself being the core offering, and 2 to 7-year-olds also receiving a care package and personalized videos.
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It starts before, that's what gives your child a head start, but the games, stories, and calming strategies don't stop once sleep training begins. You'll keep using them throughout, so your child has ongoing support the whole way.
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Yes, and some crying is normal too, that's true of any change for any child, prep plan or not. What the prep plan changes is the starting point: your child isn't blindsided, so they're on the same team as you going in, instead of feeling like something is just happening to them out of nowhere. And they have real tools, like the calming strategies from their plan, to reach for in the moment. All of this tends to make the adjustment shorter and calmer, even if tears are still part of it. Learn more at the full blog post: Will There Be Crying With Toddler Sleep Training? What Gentle Actually Looks Like →
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It varies by family, some move through the prep phase in about a week, others take two to three weeks. It depends on your child and what they need to feel ready, we'll figure out the right pace together.
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It's included. It's not an add-on, it's the foundation every toddler and big kid plan is built on.
Have more questions? See my full FAQs →
If bedtime has turned into a nightly battle, this is where real change can start.