Morning Ferberization
Tovar's morning schedule is highly variable - he'll be up for the morning anywhere from 7am to 8:30am in the summer. And he has often been waking up 6am-7am asking for his binky lately. I want to start getting up at a regular time, not just waking up when Tovar does on the 3.5 days/week I have him. With his irregular schedule, that means I'd have to get up at 7am.

So we're considering doing a morning Ferberization: teaching him that Mom & Dad sleep until 8am, and if he wakes up before 8am, he is on his own. I have tried to explain to him that when he wakes up, instead of screaming until someone comes, he can climb out of bed and play, but so far it hasn't worked. This would be a more consistent, disciplined approach. (Thanks to madduckdes for the idea). It would go something like this:

Get an analog clock (maybe a 24-hour one if we can find it, and cut off the minute hand). Color the area from midnight to 8am red. Then from 8am to noon green. Explain to Tovar that red is sleeping time, when Tovar and Mommy and Daddy are all sleeping. If he wakes up, and the hand is in the red area, then we are asleep and can't help him. He needs to find his own binky and/or entertain himself by getting out of bed and playing with his toys. Once the hand hits the green area, we will wake up and come get him, and he can yell if he wants us. Also do something to make his binky's easier to find, like attach a cup to his crib bars.

On the first few mornings, whoever has him keeps an ear out. When he screams before 8am, we go in and gently remind him to look at the clock, and that it is in the red area. Red means mommy & daddy are sleeping, and Tovar needs to take care of himself. After a few mornings, we put in earplugs and close our doors so we can't hear him, and whoever has him sets their alarm for 8am.

Has anyone else tried this? Or have comments on whether they think it will work? We don't want to pointlessly traumatize him, but given that he learned how to go to sleep on his own (despite fierce resistance), it seems like he can learn to be own his own a little in the mornings. And it would be a big benefit to us.