Well last night it clicked....I had had enough.......enough of what you say. For the past few weeks I put the kids to sleep in their own beds. Easy enough, right. Then we go to bed a little while later......what is the big deal you say......well..... Spencer is a very light sleeper like myself and wakes up sometime before midnight. So I go in and lay by him (a sure fire fast way to put him back to sleep) because I am tired and want to get back into my cozy bed. So after a while when I think he is sound asleep I quietly get up and go back to my room, only problem is Spencer has a SUPER RADAR in his brain and he can sense when I am getting up & wakes up. So I just end up sleeping in his bed all night or till like 3 or 4 am. So during all this Emma wakes up & goes in and sleeps in bed with Steve.
Well as I said last night I was getting ready for bed and I was tired, like most nights when I am about to go to sleep, & I announced "Steve, tonight is the NIGHT. I am sick and tired of not getting to sleep with you in my cozy bed. I am going to get my IPOD and book ready by my night stand so that if and when the kids come banging at the door wanting to sleep with us then I can bare it. "
You see this is the reason why it is hard for me. I am sure when I say this a lot of people I know are gonna freak out, but I actually like having the kids sleep in our bed, or don't mind it. It is just that our bed is only a queen size and there is NO room. I am sure I would have done fine as a pioneer mother and liked the FAMILY BED. Anyways it is annoying too some degree so don't get me wrong. Anyways, it is also cause when Emma cries she adds all these really sad things in that make me feel bad & want to cry. For Example: I am scared in my room, I am all alone, I just want you to hold me mommy, I promise I will be good, etc, etc.
So I am proud to say, last night we did it. It was horrible and but we did it. The kids decided if we would not let then come in to sleep that they would play & at first I was ok with that. Then Emma started asking for snacks and I said No yall need to be asleep. So I pulled Emma's mattress into Spencer's room and I read a book on the rocking chair and waited for them to fall asleep. Emma went pretty fast put Spencer took 1 & 1/2 hours to fall asleep. SIGH...
Then at 4am I went into MY BED. Steve left for Semiary by 6am & left the door unlocked so Emma & Spencer both came in my room about 6:30am. Emma went back to sleep until 9am and Spencer was up for the day ( so I had to get up).
I guess we will try again tonight. Wish me luck!
Halloween Placemats
2 months ago
7 comments:
Way to put your foot down. I'm proud of you. :o) Here's the nighttime routine at our house: say your prayers, sing a song together, get in the bed, lights out, door closed, and if you get out of your bed you get a spanking. End of story. ;o)
All three of ours sleep in the same room. Maybe Emma and Spencer would like to sleep in the same room, too?
Stand strong...I know you have strong willed children. Everyone will sleep better (including the kids) when they finally sleep on their own. You have to do what works for you, but when we were training Laurel, there were nights I thought the walls to the house were going to come down. She was wailing and kicking and going bezerk. Thankfully Brad was really strong and somewhat immune to her pleading. I hated him for it at the time, but in the long run, I OWE HIM BIG TIME!
Cold turkey always works best for our family. Good luck!!!
Nanny 911 might have some answers for you- they deal with that a lot on their t.v. show. There's a book that they've compiled with common problems and I think the not-sleeping-in-their-own-bed is one of them. I've also heard that The Pocket Parent is good too for younger children. Regardless of what you decide to do, stick to your guns because if you cave it will be that much harder to break the cycle- then they know they can one up you. Good luck!
Job well done! We let Ayden sleep with us until Ian was born and I couldn't handle nursing an infant and having Ayden right there too. Whenever we "trained" him it was so hard for I think three nights, and then....Ahhhh. He learned to stay in there. I did the Nanny 911 approach. I didn't lock him in his room, if he came out, I didn't say a word, I just brought him back to his bed. This happened about 30 times the first night, but he caught on eventually. Ian is easy, thank goodness. They share a room, and I think it keeps them from being afraid BUT they are both boys, so I understand your two being in separate rooms.
I agree. I am so big on consistency. Whatever you decide to do, don't give in or you usurp your own authority. Stick to it, girl, you'll all sleep better if you do!
Best of luck-sleeping issues are such a nightmare! When SYdney is sick, she always wants to sleep with us-she kicks and turns until she is horizontal and Jake and I are on separate sides, hanging off the edge. Needless to say, we try to do this only on rare occasions!
Good luck Kathy! I am keeping my fingers crossed it all goes well.
Sleeping is such an important thing for kids to learn. You would think it was a natural thing, but they really do have to be taught. I am now a firm believer in teaching them right from the beginning (I didn't do this with Gabe but did with Matthew) as hard as it is at first, once they know how to sleep on their own it makes life SO MUCH easier for EVERYONE.
It takes patience, but in the long run, THEY will be better children and YOU a better mother because everyone will get a good nights sleep.
Hang in there woman!
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