This Is NOT Your Bed, Get Out!
This is NOT Your Bed
Getting Kids to Stay Out of Your Bed at Night
When your baby is first born it’s typical for them to sleep right beside you in a bassinet or close by in a crib. This seems all so sweet at first because we can’t go a minute without them in our sight. We can barely catch a nap, not to mention that a full nights rest will never happen again. But we don’t care because we are so in love with our precious little babies. Then they turn one… Your anxieties tend to lessen, you can breathe a little easier and they tend to sleep in longer spurts. But where are they sleeping now? Still next to or in your bed!!!
Transitioning from the bassinet to the crib was harder for me then my kids I think. Like other parents, we felt more comfortable when we could look over and see them sleeping peacefully; but I think I messed all of us up! Now with our kids being 3 and 5 I’ve noticed a real trend when it comes to our bedtime routine. Thinking back, this started a long time ago and I believe we’ve (meaning me) fostered these habits. Here’s what happens:
The kids take a bath, brush their teeth and we do a few exercises (dance, jumping jacks, etc.).
Read at least one book, say our prayers and kiss them goodnight.
Pop in a CD and off to bed they go.
4 hours later…
One little munchkin comes in our room.
Climbs in the bed (on my side).
Gets real snug and tucks themselves underneath the blanket.
Goes to sleep.
About an hour later, we see the other one strolling in but this one has to use the bathroom. Once done, up in the bed we go.
Hello? This is not your room! I lay there with two feet poked in my back and a hand holding on to my face. The Hubs will wait until they’re nice and sleep before hauling them back to their rooms. “What in the world have I done?” I continuously ask myself. Are we being set up by the kids?
If you thought I had the answers, you’ve guessed wrong. I’m just a mom that has two little snuggle bugs who crawl into bed with her almost every night. Yep, I admit it. That’s All!
Can anyone offer any tips on keeping the kiddos in the bed at night? I’m all ears!
I feel you on this one, mama. It’s so tempting to keep those kiddos in the bed but it was also a relief to get them out! They’re are times when the youngest does still get up in the middle of the night and slip in the bed with us, usually during a growth spurt. You have a pretty good bedtime routine that gives them sufficient time with you, so I think it’s just a matter of being firm about it. Some of our bedtime woes with our boys were resolved with tears (not mine, theirs!) LOL. Other times, the promise of a treat at their door when they wake up the morning was be helpful. I used to leave floor puzzles for my last son, he was an early riser. When he got up and did his puzzles, that gave me a little more snooze time. 🙂
I think you’ve hit it on the head with the word FIRM!! We have to be more firm with them. I can report that there has been no sleep walking for the past fews days and I likey!!