Your poor baby or toddler can’t sleep. Maybe he has a cold or one of those nightmares you’ve helped to create, so you let him crawl into your bed for a sound night’s rest. As you look over at his angelic sleeping face, that little shiver of parental joy envelops you and you tumble into sweet dreams.
As he’s still a bit sick or scared the following night, you let him do it again. Then again, and again, and again…
Fast forward six, seven, maybe even eight years. Your now noticeably enlarged child still expects a welcome invitation to your bed. You’re stiff and fatigued from lack of sleep, your marriage is in shambles, and that uber-pricey “grown-up” bed you bought is gathering dust in your son’s room.
If I can offer one piece of advice about co-sleeping, it is this: do not do it, ever! It is habit forming for both child and parent and habits, as we all know, are very difficult to break.
This is very sound advice. My daughter is 11 years old now, and she still wants to sleep in our bed whenever there is lightening, wind, or even rain!
ReplyDeleteGreat advice. It's a little odd when 10 year old's are still sleeping in Mom's bed. It's as if some parents want to keep their children from growing up and becoming independent.
ReplyDeleteahhh .... there is a thing called moderation!
ReplyDelete