Both my girls (5 & 8) have gotten into the habit of crawling into my bed with me in the middle of the night. It used to be they would only do it early in the morning, which is okay. Then, after my husband and I separated they started crawling into bed with me in the middle of the night. If it wakes me up I just put them back in their bed. Unfortunately, the past couple of weeks they've been able to do it without me waking up at all and I'm worried it will become a bad habit too difficult to break. Anyone else ever experience this? Did it last? Did they grow out of it? What did you do that worked?
We are moving into a new home this summer and they'll both have their own bedroom so I'm hoping this will help.
OMG, ladies. Thank you so much. I see what you're saying about "there will come a time when they will no longer crave that affection and then you'll miss it". I hadn't thought of it that way. It doesn't bother me that they crawl in bed with me in the middle of the night. I just thought someone might say that I was doing the wrong thing. When my parents divorced my brother and sister and I would take turns every night sleeping with mom and it did, in fact, give me a really warm and secure feeling. We also do the Friday night movie night in my bed each week. Thanks again. I feel so much better.
I had the same problem with my soon to be 5 year old doing that and after some soul searching and also the awesome advice from these wonderful ladies I have come the realization that one day they won't want to come climb in you bed and you will miss that bonding time with them. So I have decided to continue letting my son climb in bed with us because I know eventually he won't want to and that will be the day that I will be very sad.
Just enjoy it while they're still young enough to want to do this!! They will grow out of it...maybe they're just needing to be near you for a while.
(That said, we've co-slept with our kids from the day of their births. They've all graduated to their beds with no problems on their own...although occasionally they ask for "family movie night" in our bed!!)
Just my opninion (no judgment) but I think that you should let them sleep with you. They are obviously craving a "safe" feeling after their dad left. I slept with my mom until I was 13 (when I got my own phone line in my room lol). My whole extended family believes in the "family bed". It is a cultural custom to us.
My oldest slept w/me until he was 7 and now at 16 every now and then he wants to sleep in the bed w/me and little brother.
My youngest wakes up ever night wanted to climb in bed w/me and will not stop crying or waking up until i get him and put him in my bed.
I don't think there is no harm, It just makes you all have a closer bond.
