MEGO: My Eyes Glaze Over

Looking for Options: Avoiding Telemarketers and Net Throttlers

Feb 28, 2009 Consumer Brands, Customer Service, Internet General, Marketing & Communication

Prepare yourself for a rant.

For some time now we have been searching for a new Internet Service Provider (ISP), one that doesn’t throttle P2P sites (file sharing sites). Sadly, in Canada it seems this is difficult since while we aren’t forced to purchase our access from the operator (in Canada: Bell, Rogers and Shaw are the most dominant players)- the truth is most flow through their network anyhow.

Frustrated with this service and the fact that every month our bill seems to sneak up a few cents, we had also started to look into alternatives to our phone service.  We spend nearly $170 every month for Phone, Internet, and Television service from one provider. Despite calling to take advantage of new bundle packages (note: they didn’t automatically give me the bundle discount- I had to CALL!) our bill is still ridiculously expensive if you consider the fact that they throttle P2P sites on our Internet, the majority of our phone calls are from 000-0000 and 123-4567, and I can get what good TV shows exist, elsewhere – it really makes me question the money being spent!

Today, after dealing with more telemarketers calling (and, yes I signed the useless “Do Not Call list! Reminds me,  check out this hilarious video from This Hour has 22 Minutes) I decided to call and de-list our phone number, hoping that this might help. I really don’t need to have my phone number listed – any one who wants to get a hold of me can e-mail me if they don’t know my phone number! Guess what privacy costs at the phone company – $2 A MONTH. Are you *&^% me? Why should I pay an additional $2 a month to keep my phone number private? Don’t I already pay over $40 to have a land line? Interestingly, someone on Twitter told me that if I wanted to list my cell phone number I would HAVE TO PAY! I began thinking do I need an expensive land line? If I scan my Caller ID, there are only a handful of calls I actually want to take. My family talks to us on Skype, my friends talk to me on e-mail or Blackberry Messenger, or Gmail, Facebook, or Twitter.  So… to solve phone issue – I am going to get VOIP phone service – apparently some actually have a filter for telemarketers!

Finding an alternative for Internet is more difficult. Currently I have been unable to find any ISPs that don’t use the networks provided by the three big guys who currently are throttling certain sites, or throttling during peak hours. In fact, the CRTC will be reviewing this very issue in July.  So far CRTC has taken a “let’s do nothing” attitude. Go figure, they are the same brainiacs that created the Do Not Call Registry which was oh-so successful! The hearing in July will examine the principle of  “network neutrality” in Canada and whether ISPs will be able to continue to “manage” traffic as they have been for the past year. “Network neutrality” is a principle that obligates the companies that own the infrastructure to “refrain from blocking, degrading, or prioritizing certain content, services, or applications based on their source, ownership or destination” (SaveOurNet.ca).  SaveOurNet.ca has an interesting PDF that outlines the issue, the current laws, the facts vs. fiction.

A couple interesting bits and pieces on the issue from SaveOurNet.ca:

• Tiered, non-neutral networks limits customer choice, and determine which Internet businesses succeed by prioritizing or degrading specific content based on who is willing to pay for it. Large ISPs would use traffic management to charge content providers for speedy access for their web users – therefore smaller companies, start-ups (or blogs!) that couldn’t afford to pay would suffer. Interestingly, ISPs could slow down their own competitors. Bell for example throttles P2P sites, yet it is unlikely that they are slowing down downloads to their new Bell Video Store.
• The major ISPs insist that throttling is necessary in order to offer equal service during peak time to consumers. Yet, when asked to produce numbers it turns out that bandwidth us is actually down! So, if we aren’t short on bandwidth – then the only reason to throttle seems to be to make money, and turn web consumers into a commodity.
• A free and equal platform fosters innovation in Canada:  The Internet provides start-ups, and innovators with an incredible platform to reach their customers at a low price. But, if ISPs are allowed to pick and choose “which content gets to ride in the fast lane, future innovators will have to impress (or pay off) the ‘gate-keeper’ before gaining access to consumers” (SaveOurNet.ca). Which begs the question why you would choose to do business from Canadian soil…
• Many consumers are not aware that their ISPs are slowing their speed of access, and incorrectly assume that it is the content provider instead. Imagine you are watching a live-stream video of your favourite author reading and the picture and sound is splotchy and fragmented, how do you rate your experience? Isn’t your enjoyment of the Internet based on the speed at which you can find and do what you set out to do. Do you visit that site again?
• The ISPs built the infrastructure so it is their belief that they deserve to compensated for their investment. However, as SaveOurNet.ca points out – it would be ridiculous to imagine a hydro company charging a premium to particular customers for “enhanced service” – essentially double-dipping by charging us for access and then the content providers to give customers reliable access to content.
• The Internet is ours. I think this is an important distinction to make – the networks provide the access, but they “contribute very little to the resource” (SaveOurNet.ca) The value of the Internet, the information, the content, the social networks, the communication vehicles available -  those are not due to the work of the ISPs they are authored by other companies, supported by volunteers, or created as a collaborative effort of many.
• If net neutrality is not upheld by public policy we can be sure that the ISPs will manage traffic in a way that best satisfies their bottom line…not ours.

Until Monday the CRTC was accepting public input on the issue to review for the public hearing in July. SaveOurNet.ca sent over 5000 letters from web users as of midnight on the 23rd of February. However, we will have to wait until July to see what happens when the CRTC deliberates the issue. In the mean time, I guess I am stuck paying out money for less than adequate service.

Popularity: 27% [?]

Tags: bell, Bell Video Store, canada, Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, crtc, internet law, Internet service provider, law, net neutrality, rogers, shaw, web

How Email Blasts Work

Feb 26, 2009 Advertising, Branding, Consumer Brands, Digital Marketing & Metrics, Marketing & Communication

I am in the need of some new clothes. After two kids,  I have gained and lost weight twice, seen my body change size and shape twice, and bought “fat” clothes twice after each birth. Now, 6 months after my final baby my fat clothes are too big but my pre-baby clothes are too small.

I have signed up for a number of e-mail newsletters, most I rarely read, and some I never read. This morning I got one with the following subject header:

One Day Only! 30% Off All Full-Priced Items

And, it was from Banana Republic where I had recently seen a lovely pair of pants but didn’t purchase because $140 on pants when you are on Maternity Leave (and, in this economy) seems a bit extravagant.  So, I opened this email.

Guess who is going shopping!!

I got to thinking about email newsletters or email blasts – whatever you want to call them. They aren’t a “silver bullet”  – but they can be an incredible direct marketing tool. You have permission to enter a customers Inbox, but just by following e-mail newsletter best practices won’t get you click-through.

If I am not already considering a clothing purchase (Banana Republic) or looking for a new book to read (Amazon) I might not open the email at all.  Similar to print and TV advertising – I am not going to pay much attention unless I am looking for that type of information, or have a current interest in the product or service.  I have received many deals via email for clothing companies – but when I am not looking for a new pair of pants that email gets deleted – no matter how good the subject of the email is!

Of course, the subject has to be the most important piece of the email newsletter. It can mean the difference between Trash and Click.  Amazon does an incredible job of creating great subject headings by offering me customized deals on books that fit my purchase behaviour.  While I didn’t purchase on this one, I did click and added the book to my Wish List:

Save 37% at Amazon.ca on “The Mobile Marketing Handbook: A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Dynamic Mobile Marketing Campaigns” by Kim Dushinski

This was the message that came with this email:

amazon e-mail blast

Note there was nothing extraordinary about the design of the blast. It was simply well-targeted with a descriptive (if long…) subject heading that caught my attention. Obviously the emails can only be well targeted if the company has a decent amount of information on your purchasing behaviour. Let’s say I am not looking for a new pair of pants so I ignore the e-mail offering me 30% off at Banana Republic.  If on the other hand Banana Republic knew I loved their Martin Fit pants (they are the perfect fit for my body shape) and they send me an email blast that instead said “Save 30% on Martin Fit Pants” – even if I wasn’t looking for a pair of pants I might open that email because it reminds me how much I like those pants, and perhaps I need a pair of beige pants…and why not! At 30% off – what a deal!

I wonder, if more companies had Amazon’s ability to target email blasts, how that would effect their conversion rate? Of course Amazon has the benefit of being an online retailer – so data on it’s customers is easy to come by. A bricks and mortar shop like Banana Republic would have to request your personal information every time you shop – and most people are less willing to give that away at the front cash.  I know I dislike being asked for my phone number at retailers, and anytime someone asks for my mailing address I say no. Oddly, I gave all that information to Banana Republic ONLINE when I signed up for their newsletter. I wonder how they could join my purchase behaviour with my newsletter?  They could ask me to fill out a longer online form where I indicate my favourite BR clothes, or when I shop using a emailed coupon they could ask if they could add my shopping preferences to my account. I wouldn’t mind sharing my purchase behaviour with some stores in order to get more targeted email – how about you? Why is it that we are willing to share more online then in person at the shop? Will this change if we become more concerned about privacy online? Or is it just a matter of time before our online profile include a link to our favourite pants?

Popularity: 31% [?]

Tags: Amazon.com, Banana Republic, Conversion rate, Direct marketing, email marketing, marketing & communication, Online shopping, Retailing

Wordless Wednesday: Brotherly Love

Feb 25, 2009 Short and Sweet, Wednesday Wisdom

Popularity: 16% [?]

Tags: family, kids, wordless wednesday

blogs to get your teeth into

Feb 24, 2009 Digital Marketing & Metrics, Marketing & Communication

About a month ago I asked for suggestions on blogs to read since I have been able to keep my Google Reader pretty low on the unread items since my big reorganization.

Here are some of the suggestions I received:

Remarkablogger : Blog Consulting, Blog SEO, Blog Tools. Essentially all about Blogging. Looking forward to checking out his blog and learning more about essential blog tips and tricks.

Corporate Dollar: “Social Media for small non-profits” with lots of good stuff for bloggers.

MintBlogger: Blogging know-how from domain help to web tools.

Janet Fouts: Tools, tips, and thoughts on social media

hubbub: Some really interesting thoughts on advertising (then and now). In fact there is a very cool list of brands and their “character” - how many do you remember?

Socialized: Social media and PR. A thought provoking article on the demise of the newspaper and the implications for freedom and diversity of opinion and news

F.A.D.S. (Fight Against Destructive Spin) – PR and media.

Popularity: 23% [?]

Tags: Advertising, Blogs, great blogs, marketing & communication, reading

Social Media “Marketing”

Feb 22, 2009 Branding, Customer Service, Digital Marketing & Metrics, Marketing & Communication, PR, Social Media, social networks

Some time ago (before my sleepless night) Beth Harte had an interesting post “Is Social Media the Same as Marketing?” She questioned the term “Social Media Marketing” and said “the term social media marketing is not working for me: social media is about sharing and discussing information. It’s communications, not marketing.” What ensued in the comments section was not only a discussion of whether we could call social media – marketing or social media marketing; but a conversation examining the hierarchy and definition of Marketing itself. Now I am a little late jumping into the discussion – believe it or not this has been in the “drafts” for a long time!

Define Marketing…

Some comments on the post placed Communications squarely as part of marketing, others separated marketing and communications as though it were Church and State. The four Ps are mentioned, and then suggested they are an over simplification of marketing.  Marketing runs the show. Communications runs the show. One comment says PR, Sales, Marketing, and advertising are all different disciplines. Another says MarCom and PR are separate but collaborate more often. Still another commenter says that the P for Promotion stands for various communication techniques that would include PR, personal selling, advertising and publicity.

Dale Evans, the author of Social Media an Hour a Day said

“marketing is being defined more and more by what consumers experience and translate into shared content than it is by what a marketer has to say directly”

Walter Pike quotes Peter Drucker:

“The aim of marketing is to know and understand the customer so well the product or service fits him and sells itself”

As does Gabriel Rossi:

“Because the purpose of business is to create a customer, the business enterprise has two–and only two–basic functions: marketing and innovation. Marketing and innovation produce results; all the rest are costs. Marketing is the distinguishing, unique function of the business.”

And Laurie Broderick quotes the AMA

“Marketing is an organizational function and a set of processes for creating, communicating, and delivering value to customers and for managing customer relationships in ways that benefit the organization and its stakeholders.”

the original market

Ultimately, I don’t think it was necessarily the definition of marketing that was really in question, as all definitions brought up seem to recognize that the role of marketing is to have such solid understanding of their customer base that they strategically create, deliver, and appropriately price the products or services that this customer wants or needs. The original meaning came from literally going to the market to buy or sell goods. However,  I think confusion surrounding the definition comes when we assume that Marketing is just sales promotion.

From the variety of comments it may be that the trouble is not defining marketing, but defining the roles that fall in the umbrella of marketing. In particular, the role of Communication and Marketing Communication.  My understanding has always been that MarCom would fall into “Promotion” – one of the simplified 4P’s of Marketing. In, my working experience it has always been that MarCom and PR have reported into Marketing.  I realize that is not always the case.

Start with the Basics

I took a look at Marketing using the perhaps over simplified 4ps (from my school days, many years ago!):

The Marketing Mix:

Product: Create a product that fits the needs or wants of your customer. Specifications of the goods or services should meet those requirements.

Placement: Otherwise known as distribution and refers to the channel in which a product or service is sold.

Pricing: This is the process marketers use to set the price of a product for market.

Promotion: Textbook definition houses the following in this “P” – Advertising, Sales Promotion, Publicity, Personal Selling (Sales), Branding and other methods to promote product or service.

It is this final P that seems to be the conundrum. Many businesses house these promotional roles in a variety of silos, others have them report directly to Marketing, still others work in tandem with the Marketing group, and of course still others outsource some of these roles to (a variety of ) agencies. Some include only those aspects that would be considered Marketing Communications:

According to Wikipedia: “Marketing communication is concerned with the general behavior of an organization and the perceptions of the organization that are promoted to stakeholders through these touch points. The six areas usually associated in this representation are: Advertising, Public Relations, Promotions, Direct Marketing, Event Marketing, and New Media.”

Others see MarCom as those “selling” aspects of Communication and leave PR out of the mix – seeing it as a Communication role.

Needless to say it is all a bit of a mixed bag.

We also need to examine Marketing as potentially having three additional Ps  (often associated with Service but could just as well work when talking about products):

People: Any person coming into contact with customers can have an impact on overall satisfaction. In the customer’s eyes, the people are generally inseparable from the company and they can therefore highly affect the customer’s experience.

Process: This is the procedures involved in providing a service (or product) which can be crucial to customer satisfaction. Example I buy a new Humidifier at Sears for my baby’s room, take it home and discover it sounds like an airplane jetting off so I take it back – but have to wander the store (with stroller and baby in tow) find an elevator and return it to hardware (where there is no immediate staff member to help) – despite numerous “Service” desks on the main floor.

Physical evidence: To reduce the feeling of risk, thus improving success, it is often vital to offer potential customers the chance to see what a service (or product – especially key for online shopping) would be like. This is done by providing physical evidence, such as case studies, or testimonials. This could also refer, I suppose to the physical appearance of the product – the quality (or lack of) it promises.

Is it Marketing vs Communication?

After reading Beth’s post and the numerous comments I decided I would search about to figure out if there was a rule of thumb for the relationship between Marketing and Communication. It seems once again that there are two schools of thought. In fact- this leads to two possible hierarchies.

1) Marketing is the 1-way, the push, the sell. Communication is two-way. They are two different disciplines. Two different departments.

2) Communication is a piece of the marketing puzzle. It is the tactics used to market and to converse with the target market. Same discipline. Same department.

Hmmm. Doesn’t help does it? While I believe that Communication must work in an integrated manner with the Marketing department, it seems that there are just as many that see the two as very separate pieces of the corporate puzzle.  If separate how do we ensure that all communications are sending the same messages? And, where does Social Media fit in – Marketing or Communications? Both?

The Dreaded Social Media

Like Beth, I dislike the term Social Media Marketing.

Social Media is defined as “primarily Internet- and mobile-based tools for sharing and discussing information among human beings. The term most often refers to activities that integrate technology, telecommunications and social interaction, and the construction of words, pictures, videos and audio.” (Wikipedia). The words “sharing” and “discussing” being an important factor to differentiate the “media” from other one-way channels such as television.

The problems I see with the term “Social Media Marketing”:

It is a name that in a few years will be dated. The web is, and has been for years – social. What happens when every site has some sort of forum, profile sharing, comment field etc. Will we still call it “social”? Or will that be rather redundant?I wonder if the even the term “media” too closely relates it to Television and Print Media which are traditionally used in an interruption method which as of now is a method which has not worked for the web.

and Social Media cannot be seen as only a tool to send simple outgoing marketing messages, as it also allows for two-way communication which can help an organization do much more. Amber Naslund said it best in the comments to Beth Harte’s post:

“Social media doesn’t just need to fit into marketing or public relations or other disciplines that are used to communicate. It’s also about customer service, technology and user experience, client relationship management, product and service innovation. It’s an undercurrent of so many more business touchpoints than we’ve ever seen, and I think that’s causing some consternation. In a good way, but it’s still hard.”

Social Media is two-way, it is authentic conversation between customer and company – and in such should fall under Communication. However, look at it in another way it works to benefit marketing in a number of ways:

Let’s just look at a few examples:

Product Idea Generation and Product Innovation

Sites such as My Starbucks Idea and Dell Ideastorm allow customers to work along with the company to develop products and innovations. To work this must be a collaboration between Marketing and the customer. However, as always it must remain “on brand” and conversational – so Communication must also be at play.

Customer Support Forums

Software companies have for quite some time had self-service support forums, allowing customers help other customers. These types of forums allow customers help others trouble-shoot, personalize and understand the product or service. Examples could include Apple iPod Discussion Forum; or the more community oriented Ubuntu site. This type of support can have an effect on how the brand is perceived, and despite the fact these are not employees of the company, on overall satisfaction with the product or service.

Customer Support via Twitter

Many companies are using Twitter to promote products or services, or drive traffic to their website. More effective however, have been the companies such as JetBlue, Starbucks,  and others who have also offered Customer Support through their Twitter accounts.

Corporate Blogs

There are certainly corporate blogs that are using the blogging platform as a tool to promote only, either to solely offer information on products or to drive traffic to their corporate site by optimizing for search using the blog. However, these are generally not successful in engaging their customers.  Other blogs that offer more insight, helpful content, and increased depth of information such as Graco’s Corporate Blog or Fiskars Fisk-A-Teers Blog have helped to build loyalty amongst their target demographic while of course increasing brand awareness. But, once again is this genuwine communication – Marketing? or Communication?

There are an amazing number of examples of Consumer Generated Content (wikis, videos, blogs, even advertising), File Sharing (photos, videos), Fan Pages, Social Networks, desktop widgets, online widgets,  – Peter Kim has an amazing list of social media examples.

Clearly, it seems to me if we treat these social media examples as “marketing”  or a simple tactical tool to sell products or services we are missing out a vast amount of information, we are missing out on a authentic conversation with our stakeholders and customers.  On the other hand, if it lies in Communication – then Marketing can miss out on an incredible space for innovation and collaboration.

This brings us to my 3rd point on why I dislike the term Social Media Marketing

It cannot be a silo. social media needs to fit in the grand scheme of the brand strategy. It needs to be consistent with other communication channels and it needs to work with the 7 Ps of Marketing. Because of this -  hierarchies may need to change.  Perhaps an executive level that joins the discipline of Marketing and Communication, and Customer Service allowing an integrated approach to communicating and marketing to all stakeholders, to all customer touch points.

The problem that Beth Harte recognized is that if we place social media in this type of integrated approach is that “the mashup will allow for people [aka agencies] to offer services like Social Media Marketing or PR Communications or Marketing Relations or… (really, you don’t want me to go on right?) without having a firm grasp on any of the disciplines that they are trying to deliver or implement.”

This kind of approach means that any advertising agency, PR agency, boutique can claim the title of “social media” expert since they work in the realm of communication or marketing, or advertising. The onus is then on us (the “us” that work on client-side) to flesh out the agencies that “know” and those that “think they know” or “don’t know” social media. As Beth says ” the walls need to come down and the need for two-way communications is forcing a sledge hammer through the walls. But at what cost?”.

This comes down to my reason for blogging in the first place. As someone working on the client-side I believe I need to understand what the agencies I work with are trying to sell me. I understand my business best, but if I just take what the agency is telling me without actually comprehending it, and being involved myself then I am not doing my brand justice. So I am involved in social media – social networks, blogging, listening and contributing. We need to be accountable to our brands and unfortunately this will mean sorting out the agencies selling “snake-oil” and those that are true communication “experts”.

As always  – connect on Twitter and Google Friend Connet (right hand side). And, if you enjoyed this content – subscribe!

Images: stock.xchng

Popularity: 42% [?]

Tags: 4 p's, 7 p's, Advertising, amber nasland, Apple, beth harte, business, community, dell, fiskar, graco, Internet, jetblue, marketing & communication, Marketing communications, Marketing Mix, peter kim, Public relations, social media, social network, starbucks, ubuntu

Sleep Like a Baby

Feb 12, 2009 Family and Friends, Parenting and More, Sleep

I’m done.  I am sick of the guilt. I am tired of the rules. Parenthood sucks. Well ok. It has it’s upsides : ) A lot of them. But, there are some deep valleys too. Like the morass of rules: “rule books”, rules of thumbs, and parental unwritten rules.  Want examples?

• Breastfeeding exclusively is best for baby the first 6 months, and in conjunction with solids for 12 months.
• Introduce solids at six months- not any earlier.
• Baby should have three naps a day.
• Baby will have two long naps and one optional third nap late in the day or into the early evening
• Introduce solids when baby shows interest by grabbing at your food, can hold and move is head away if he is not hungry,  loss of tongue reflex and ability to sit up on his own.
• Don’t put baby down at the top of the stairs unattended.
• Allow baby to cry she must learn to sleep on her own.
• Never allow a baby to cry alone in her crib, always check to see that limbs are not caught in bars or that baby isn’t tied up in the blankets
• Never allow baby to play with knives.
• Use Jumpers and Walkers sparingly limited to 15-20 minutes at a time.
• Don’t allow baby to fall asleep in swing, car seat or bouncy/rocker.
• Don’t rock, walk, sing baby to sleep it will set negative associations to sleep and will not help them learn to fall asleep on their own.

You got the point right. Some rules are obviously required, such as “never allow baby to play with knives”.   But, some rules are contradicted by others. Parenting information seems to be a big industry and there is a book out there on every possible angle of sleeping, feeding, guiding behaviour, and development.  And, there are even more moms out there willing to give away advice for free, and unasked.  Why do you think there are so many mommy blogs, mommy forums, mommy communities….because we all love to give our opinion, and admittedly we rely on each other too. Even if it means feeding the guilt.

Guilt.  I think all moms suffer from it. Every piece of neglected advice subjects you with a certain level parental guilt – as you wonder whether you chose the right course of action – the right rule.

With my first son I read every book, took every “Calling New Parents” seminar and spent time reading other advice from moms. When my first son woke every night, we tried all of the tips and hints. Pick-up, put-down. Rock. Swaddle, cry-it-out. And, in the end he refused to be trained. And, yes, we were consistent. We would try everything for four to six weeks. Most of the books claimed in a short time you would be able to “train” them to sleep through the night. Right. Didn’t work for him.

Then one night, a week before I went back to work – he slept through the night. Boom, just like that. At that time we had given up on training. My three year old is now an amazing sleeper. He goes to bed at 8 and gets up in the morning at 8. We can put him in his room, and he will either go straight to sleep – or read a book and then lie down and go to sleep. In the morning, he will either come into my room and say “Mommy it’s wake-e time”, or he will play quietly in his own room until I come to find him.

My second son is now 6 months old. Once again he seems to have Bear’s disease of waking up every two hours…and sometimes every hour. Another mom suggested reading a book by the Sleep Lady…so once again I am “sleep training”. I swore this time I wouldn’t fall for the guilt, the self-help mania, and oodles of mommy advice. But, 6 months of sleepless nights and I am willing to try ANYTHING.

All this to say, if you find my blog a little quiet these days – it is due to being up for hours on end “sh-sh-sh” my son, and standing in my “Shuffle” position for the “Sleep Lady Shuffle”. Currently, dear husband is on duty and I can hear via the monitor the boy ” wah wah wahing” and husband “sh-sh-shing”.  The good news is that naps are going really well – he sleeps for 1 1/2 hours in the morning and 2 hours in the afternoon – almost like clock-work. And, putting him down during the day is simple – put him in crib (in postioner – he likes to sleep on his side only) and then walk away. He cries for a moment – for as long as it takes you to walk to the stairs – and then silence. Night times are tougher. He cries a lot before he finally succumbs to sleep.  The first week I ws often up for an hour at a time, sitting in his room doing the shuffle. Now, two weeks later once asleep he is thankfully (knock-on-wood) sleeping relatively well. Most nights he wakes up once or twice, and more often just needs you to shift him in the positioner. In this case, “sleep training” worked. Just like all parenting rules some make sense, some don’t. Some work. some don’t. Some are good for some kids, and not for others.

I hope to be back and blogging regularly quite soon! Thanks for sticking around.

Popularity: 28% [?]

Tags: babies, family, parenting, sleep