My Child Sleeping in His Own Room

He's old enough to be crying it out, if you have the patience. His personality might not accept it, though. My girls go to bed in their own rooms, but if they get up in the middle of the night, they come get in bed with me. I kinda like that they do this- they won't do it forever, and it makes for some nice morning snuggle sessions. As long as they START the night in their bed, I don't care where they finish it. They won't be little forever.

Hi. I know a lot of people wouldn't agree with me on this but if you think about the type of 'animals' we are we are herd animals. Humans require the closeness of other humans. That is especially true with little kids. I personally feel that it is important for them to feel save and comfortable all the time. Even if that means letting them sleep with you at night. My boys are 2 and 4 and they still sleep with us. There are times when we put them in their room (together) but if they fuss about it we will let them sleep with us. We just believe that if they want to be with us that bad why would we deny them that. It's not like we are letting them do something that is dangerous for them. They love us and want to be with us. We love them too and enjoy being with them. I think it has to be better for them in the long run to feel safe and loved all night long. I also feel like there are so many other things we try to accomplish with our children that at some point you have to choose your battles so to speak. Like I said this is probably controversal but I know a lot of people who allow their children to sleep with them. I feel like parents who let their children sleep with help their children to feel secure. But of course you have to do whatever works best for the two of you. Good luck.

Well, I have a seven year old boy that still sleeps with me. I'm not one to really give advice probably. It's hard to break because everytime he would start getting used to sleeping in his own room, his dad would deploy and he feels safer when he sleeps in my bed. I know you have to be tired if you are single and work. In my opinion, he's just two and he will eventually grow out of it. I'm being patient with my youngest son to because I know soon he will outgrow that and I will probably miss it. My oldest son finally stopped too. They're not babies forever, so if you don't mind him sleeping in your room, enjoy it while you can. If you are woken up a lot during the night and are uncomfortable with him sleeping with you, I would suggest staying in his room until he falls asleep or you could camp out with a sleeping bag next to his bed just for a while and then eventually he will get used to it. Good luck!

As hard as it will be you need to put him to bed in his room. If he wakes up go to him and comfort him, but do not pick him up. He needs to learn to fall back asleep on his own. There is a great book by a Dr Ferber that relates to sleeping issues with children. My husband and I used this 17 years ago. It took about 3 nights for it to work! Good luck!

My son has always had a problem falling asleep or staying asleep by himself. We tried everything for years, we started just letting him fall asleep on our bed then carry him to his bed. this usually worked. But he was also having other problems socially. After years of trying to figure out what was going on with him we found that he had selective mutism. I don't know if your son has other problems, if he dose, you may not have connected any of them. I'm not saying anything is wrong but make sure before he gets worse. SelectiveMutism.org has the best web site. You can look to see the signs of Selective Mutism. Hopefully he is just having troubles sleeping.

Our daughter is 2 1/2. She sleeps with us on and off. We don't struggle with her in her own bed anymore because we would wake up to find her at the foot of our bed. We started to put her in her bed and stay with her until she falls asleep, wrap her up in her blanket(to keep the warm feeling) and we put one of our t-shirts with her (in case its our smell and body heat she is looking for in her sleep) and it seems to be working. Good luck!!!

I know how you feel S.. I don't think you will find a smooth transition, lol. I heard that if you start putting his matterss on the floor in your room and teach him to stay it will help and little by little take him to his bedroom. You have to take one step at a time, you are going to have some sleep less night once you start since you are probably going to notice him getting on your bed and you have to put him back in his mattress or bed in his room.
Good luck and let me know how it goes. By the way I do enjoy the same thing about my little boy the transition from a baby to a little boy. the feeling is more than what words can say

my guess would be that it's teething pains that make him want mommy. go easy on both of you until his molars come in all the way. after that try putting him back in his bed for good.

you just have to put alot of effort into keep putting him back in his bed unlil he doesnt get up anymore. My son falls asleep in his bed and sometime during the night he comes to ours....he 4 now. Though we let him sleep with us since birth. I just find I miss him when hes not so Im ok with waiting until hes tired of sleeping with mommy and daddy or he gets a new big boy bed.

There has been controversy over the 'family bed' issue for ages. Many, including a handful of pediatricians, feel that some children need the extra comfort and security of having a parent nearby in infancy and toddlerhood. Of my three children, only one would have rather been on their own. It may be hard to imagine at this stage, but believe it or not, they really do 'wean' themselves when they are ready. And when it is done on their timing, there is not bedtime battles or tears about being left alone. What worked for me was to let them decide. During the months before then, I would make comments about how they will one day be in their own 'big kid' bed so that it seemed as if it was a neat thing that would be happening and something to aspire to. I haven't heard of anyone yet who chose the family bed option that still had children in bed with them at kindergarten. :)

S.,

I can totally relate. I have a, brace yourself, four year old daughter who is sleeping with us in our bed. This all started when Mia turned 2. Up until then, she was in her crib. So, now we have a little girl who has overtaken our private space. It SUCKS! We have a huge dilemma in getting her out of our bed and into her own, which, by the way, is in a beautiful bedroom, in our brand-new house in Metro Atlanta.

The only thing I can say is do it. Do it. Do it. Do it. It'll be tough. Maybe we can be each other's support during this transition.

Where do you live?

E.

At that age, both of my daughters needed to sleep with me. And I let them. We all got a better nights sleep. Now, at 9 and 4, they both sleep perfectly well in their own beds. Of course, my room is always open to them, because I love snuggling with my babies!!!

I feel your pain. I love my daughter dearly, but she still won't stay in her bed and she just turned 7.(I know that is bad). I stay in her room with her until she falls asleep, but she still wakes up most nights and comes back to my room. I would love some suggestions also. I don't mind it so much because my husband works nights, but it bothers him when he is at home.

I have a now eleven year old son who is and was a mommy bed sleeper. The best way to get him out of your bed (don't wait til he is six) is to take him to bed and lay with him until he falls asleep. If him starting in his bed is not the problem; when he wakes @ night lay with him a few minutes until he is comfortable again. Believe me - IT IS HARD!!! We still struggle and my son still falls asleep with me sometimes b/c daddy works late and I work so I probably only get four hours a day with him, this was our bonding time but, i don't want him to be 16 and still falling asleep in bed with me.