Monday 7 November 2011

The endless bedside viguel


I have slept in my children's rooms more times than I can remember.
Not because hubby and I are fighting, and not even because the kids were sick.

Neither of my children have been very good at coping with sleeping alone. We had just got our daughter to finally sleep in her bed (with so much hard work), when our son came into our lives. They are both very snugly children, which is lovely. Most of the time.

We have tried quite a few techniques over the years but it seems with both the kids that maturity seems to be the deciding factor of whether or not they will STAY in their beds. Many a night, with three in our bed, I have resorted to sleeping in their single beds, trying to get a restful, less cramped and slightly cooler sleep. Some nights this doesn't work either, as they wander the house trying to find Mum.

In desperation we even tried putting them in a bedroom together a while back. My son moved into a single bed quite early due to his climbing tendencies. So we thought the two would feel more comforted in the room together. While it did comfort them to some degree it certainly didn't solve the issue. Eventually we moved them back to their own separate rooms.

I have spent many a night sitting outside theirs rooms, on a chair in their room, on the end of the bed and also laying on top of the bed. The latter is usually their favourite, but my undoing, as I often drift to sleep before them. Even with the child nicely settled in their bed, it is inevitable that they would wake during the night and seek me out. There are only so many times I can return a child to their bed during the night and still cope with getting out in the morning ready for work.

With our daughter now 7, she is a sound sleeper in her own bed (mostly). Our son has just turned 4 and is at the stage where he is sleeping in his bed for several nights and then reverting to old habits.
When people ask if we are having more children, I shudder to think how many years hubby and I would have more than 2 in our bed. I feel, though, that we are on the downward slope now. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

We are so looking forward to a bed for 2.

1 comment:

  1. Hi Melissa,
    I am commenting here because I "can't find your email addy" :-(
    Just wanting to know if you got a message from me about your 4th prize in my recent comp, DPCon 12 ticket?
    Love to hear back, and totally agree....Bed for 2 is goal!!
    Denyse Whelan
    denyse@denysewhelan.com.au

    ReplyDelete