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@rahlyrah: I would just start rocking him less every night. So he gets in the habit of putting himself to sleep. If you do it for 10 mins now, start with only 9 mins, then next week 8 mins, etc.

And I am 99% sure in college, the beer will put him to sleep. He won't need you to rock him.

I rocked DS up until about eleven months old or so and then he started just putting himself to bed. This was also about the time he started sleeping through the night. We were formula feeding him so we would make sure he got his last bottle, his pacifier and blanket, then rocked him for just a minute or two to make sure there weren't any air bubbles? Just like we would when he was a newborn. The only difference is instead of putting him down asleep and risk waking him, we would put him down awake and let him put himself to sleep.

Of course, this was also when hubs started putting down DS for me since I was something like 7 months pregnant around that time. It was getting uncomfortable and my lap was crowded. I missed rocking him a little but at the same time I was glad that I wasn't having to do that anymore! And just to show that every kid is different, DD has been putting herself to sleep for naps since 8 months but didn't start sleeping through the night until 14 months.

I know that isn't incredibly helpful but you aren't alone and it may just be that he needs a little longer before he's ready to put himself to bed solo. How does he do for naps? Is he rocked to sleep then too?

Confession: I'm jealous. Unless she's sick, R thrashes when I try to snuggle/rock her. I miss the snuggles!!!!

@rahlyrah: Back at ya!

We read to R in the glider and we rock her while singing to her for maybe 5 mins. She is awake when we put her down but that way we still get some snuggles.

Raises hand: I too am a toddler-rocker-to-sleeper. We (ok, I) rocked LO to sleep until she was almost 20 months old. She is now 24 months old and we have our routine of getting into bed, 1-2 books, hug/kiss and leave and she is fine with it now! 95% of the time she puts herself to sleep, without fight or struggle or crying, within 10 minutes.

So, there is hope! You probably won’t be rocking him to sleep in his dorms

For awhile we had to rock LO to sleep too after she was a year. I actually loved it and looked forward to it every night, until it started taking ages of her fighting and taking like 45 minutes- 1 hour to get her to go to sleep. I think that if he goes to sleep quickly by you rocking him and if he wakes up at night and doesn't need to be rocked back to sleep- then there is no harm at all in rocking your little one and I would cherish that time. No parent is going to look back on their LO's life and think "hmm, i wish i had rocked/held my baby less".

@rahlyrah: CONFESSION: I rocked my LO to sleep until she was 2! TWO! But I'm pregnant with #2 so I decided enough was enough. CIO with her never worked because she would cry for an hour, sleep for an hour, cry for an hour, sleep for an hour ALL NIGHT LONG. FOR DAYS. Honestly, it was like the antithesis of what would work for my kid. So I resorted to rocking. Because NOTHING ELSE WORKED!

BUT ... BUT ... at 2 it's like a magic light bulb went off. We do our nightly routine, I let her drink her sippy cup of milk, then I rock her while I sing to her. Then I put her in her crib completely awake. I lie down on a mattress on the floor next to her crib and she eventually falls asleep. It takes 15-20 minutes. I actually sleep there all night because she has always woken up at 6 and I thought she was just an early riser. But I was so tired one day, I just stayed there all night and I saw her wake up at 6, look over the side of her crib and see me and then went back to sleep and woke up at 7:30! So now I just sleep in her room. Because it's an hour and a half more sleep she's getting. Eventually I will work towards leaving the room once she stops the 6AM check to see if I'm there. But we're making progress. And hopefully I won't have to lay down in her room once the new baby comes. Or maybe I will. But it's sure as heck better than rocking! I mean .. she's actually ASKING for her crib now when she's tired!

@Mamaof2: @rahlyrah: last night I tried to rock with DD before bed (she doesn't usually let me rock her to sleep, but just to wind down). she said, "mama, pillow? cow?" she wanted to be in her crib! I was so sad.

Meh. I wouldn`t sweat it.

We dont do it by design, but it still happens regularly that DD falls asleep in our arms while rocking to calm her down at bedtime. The rest of the time, and at daycare, she puts herself to sleep no problem. Shes 14 months and generally a fantastic sleeper.

ETA: Sorry about the formatting....my keyboard just went CRAZY!

I'm in the camp of do what works for you until it doesn't work for you. My mom told me that she rocked us when we were 2+ and it was fond memories for her. If you're happy, keep on keeping on.

@rahlyrah: Here's my confession: I still lie down with DD to get her to sleep! Bedtime and nap. I screwed up!

We can both have college age kids who still need mummy to sleep

confession: i admire you for doing that

i honestly think way too much is made of sleep associations and not nursing/rocking babies to sleep. I refuse to believe that you comforting your child before bedtime in any way negatively influences his development. Plus, you said he can put himself to sleep and you enjoy it, so what's the problem?

@rahlyrah: I agree with @Espion: these days are so brief, before you know it he won't want/need you to rock him to sleep!

Or...uh...that's what I tell myself anyway, since I nurse my kid to sleep still at 13 months...

@Applesandbananas: high five! I mean, it WORKS, why mess with it?

my LO falls asleep on his own, as in, I put him in the crib awake.,....but he will not go in that crib without a solid 30-45 routine of nursing, cuddles, rocking/singing. And he has specified that I must be standing when I rock him, not the same if I am sitting down! My back gets sore sometimes because he is starting to get a bit on the heavy side......he is almost 20 months. Honestly I think that routine every night is often the best quality time we get together with no toys or phone or distractions. I love it, even when I am exhausted.

Still snuggling my 14 mo!!

Another vote to enjoy every second of it while you can! Toddler snuggles are even sweeter than baby snuggles

Annnnd.... Add me to the list of moms who nurse and rock their toddlers to sleep. 14.5 months and I'm not looking forward to the day I have to stop. It's my favorite time of the whole day.

Another person who loves the baby snuggles too much to put him down awake (most of the time at least). We are also probably one and done, so I'm getting them while I can.
One thing that did make me feel better - I rock him until he's pretty sleepy and then just hold him and snuggle until he's asleep. That way, I figure, he's not totally reliant on the movement to fall asleep, but I can still get my snuggles.