All of our kids did great transitioning to sleeping in their own bedroom, only sleeping with us when they felt sick, or had a case of scary dreams. We have have a great bit of luck with this, our kids have not spent any significant amount of time sleeping on our room over the last couple years, and I think that we are happier for it.
Fast forward to the last couple weeks
It started when a stomach bug was working its way through the house. One by one we all fell sick, with the kids getting hit in order of oldest to youngest. Mikayla slept in her room, she had the motivation to try and make it to the bathroom if she felt the need to vomit, and she was armed with large bowl beside the bed, just in case.
The boys were a different story. Keith has yet to learn the fine art of running while feeling the need to return his lunch, and Joey is just too young to try. So as each fell to the oncoming epidemic, they slept in our room so that we could keep a close eye on them. The stomach bug has since passed, everyone is more or less healthy, and the boys got returned to the bedrooms from which they came.
Except, for the last week, they have felt the need to invade our bed in the wee hours of the morning. First it was just one of them, then they took turns, some nights they both have tried sleeping with us. At first it was not a big deal, as they laid down and fell asleep, I picked them up and put them back in their own beds. But these last couple nights, when the door opens and a child peeks in, we have been refusing entry. This has been met with mild annoyance, then a retreat to the bedroom, or a 3am tantrum. But we will not give in, the wife and I have sort of gotten used to sleeping without being punched in the face or kicked in the kidney.
A conversation I wish my kids understood.
"Here is the deal kiddo: The big bed belongs to your mother and I. Sometimes you are allowed to sleep over, but that is invite only".
The Big Bed
 |
| I think I need a bed like Shaq's |
"You sleep in the small bed, in your very own room".
The Small Bed
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| If only the bed ever stayed this neat |
"So lets make a deal. You promise to not jump into my bed at 2am, and I promise not to jump into your bed at 2am"
But until the day comes when my boys can fully grasp the meaning of my words, we will continue to march them back across the hall, and into the proper bed. Hopefully they will soon realize that resistance is futile, and return to the kid bed for good.
this makes me nervous. right now we're fine. one in a crib, the other in a bed. but their room is at the top of the stairs, and since they're both still in that fall-over-while-walking-for-no-obvious-reason state, we keep them gated in, as i don't want them traveling down the stairs in the dark.
ReplyDeleteso no nighttime visitors... yet. do you think I can just keep them gated up their til they go to college?
Luckily, we live in a single story home, so we don't have to worry about stairs. But when we visit my parents, we have to put the gate on the staircase.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, gates until college is an option. You just need teen proof locks, and bigger gates.
We have also had it very easy so far but there have been instances of sickness that saw us having one of the children in with us. But in our case, I was the only one getting punched in the face and elbowed in the neck.....my husband has a knack of staying out of the firing line.
ReplyDeleteOur boys like to crawl in right between us. So there is a 50/50 chance that both of us will be attacked at some point in the night.
ReplyDelete