There are many schools of thought on sharing your bed with your child. Some say it is the only way to go and co-sleep from birth on into childhood. Others say you should never do it. I say, is there a way to avoid it?!?
I have a two and a half-year old who has struggled with the transition from our home in Georgia to my parents home in Florida to our new home here in Florida. (who wouldn't struggle with all that uncertainty?!?) When we moved in with my parents, we had a set bed time routine and she was content at 8:30 every night to kiss everyone good night and march confidently to her crib and wait to be lifted in. We left her in her crib until we settled into our new house, but she never slept well. We started letting her sleep with us some so that we could all get some rest; which turned into a nasty habit. We then bought her a toddler bed (Tinkerbell with a canopy-totally cute!) and made a big deal out of her 'big girl bed' and sent the crib (which changes into a toddler, twin, and full size bed) to my in-laws because they didn't have a bed with a rail for her to sleep in. This loss distressed her for a little while, but she doesn't mention it now. She does however beg to sleep in our bed every night and we battle at least three mid-night visits a day. She needs so much support and reinforcement that we aren't leaving her and she isn't alone. You would think we had dropped her off somewhere and didn't come get her for a week! The most we have left her is over night and that nearly kills us!
Experts everywhere-what do you do now? I put her to bed every night, crying. She goes to sleep for three to four hours and then begins to wake up and wander the house crying and looking for us. She eventually, depending on my exhaustion level, ends up with us and all of us sleeping soundly.
I truly love her and want her to feel safe. I just don't know what else to do. I guess it will just take a while for the evening routine to set in. I just don't know if my husband and I will survive the transition!!!
She 2 1/2? I have three boys, 7,5, and 4. I've never let them sleep with us all night, but throughout the week they are constantly at some point climbing into bed with us. They take turns. lol
ReplyDeleteWhen they were younger, I would immediately lift them from our bed and take them to their room. Then I would lay with them or hold their hands for a few minutes. Some I had to do this with more than the others. Good luck! :-)