7 Yr. Old Still Wants to Sleep with Me

I still lay with my daughter every night when she goes to bed. She is 7. About a year ago I tried to stop doing that but she was so upset - and I really like that special time with us at night right before she drifts off to sleep. I started thinking about it - and one day she isn't going to want me around (lol) so I'm going to continue to lay with her until she doesn't want me to anymore. It has its pros and cons. But I don't really see anything THAT wrong with it.

Maybe you can talk to your son about setting a date for the transition to his own bed. This way, he will have time to prepare & you can remind him as the date draws closer. See if you can get him to pick a date. My 4 year old says he will sleep in his own bed when he turns 5.
You can try sticking with the same bed time routine, but in his own bed. Good luck! I'm sure he'll be ready for his own bed eventually. :)

I also had this issue and a friend said to me - Do not worry about it - he will not be doing it when he goes to college! My son started it on and off at 2 when his father went away on business trips and then started it more at 6 when his father moved out. He would alternate with his younger sister (they took turns sleeping in my bed) By about 10 or 11 he was not into it any more. My 10 yr old daughter comes in still sometimes. It will pass....

Hi-I also did the attachment parenting-Dr.Sears swears that they will be in their own room eventually! I also have a 7 year old daughter whom I sleep with-and my 4 year old! I got them out of our bed a year ago and into thier own room.I sleep with them in their room,when they fall asleep I go about my business and they would most likely spend most of the night without me ,but I end up sleeping in with them anyway.I guess I am overprotective and am afraid that I will not hear them if they need me.But anyway,if you were to sleep with him in his bed-then when he falls to sleep-go into your own room-eventually he will get used to waking up without mom.You might have to go back and forth a couple of times until he gets used to it. I dont worry so much about it-they dont stay little for long-so I try to enjoy all the moments together-Goo Luck!

I would suggest a gradual transition for both you and your youngster. Explain everything to him ahead of time so it doesn't come time for bed and he gets a surprise. Maybe start with a palate in the floor beside your bed complete with his own pillow, blankets and cushions so it is nice and comfy. Every couple of nights move it further and further out of your room, down the hall, across the house, wherever it needs to go to get to his room. Use lots of praise and perhaps stickers or special privileges to reward him for sleeping all night in his "own bed". If he wakes and wants you in the night, that's ok. Just reassure him everything is good and tuck him in again in his little palate.

Eventually, with routine and gradual changes he will make the switch. Good luck to you! :)

Have you tried moving it to his bed? Do the nighttime snuggle in his bed and gradually move out. The gradual stuff never worked with my children, but it might with yours. We always found cold turkey accompanied by a sufficient bribe (reward, I swear) worked better for changing behavior.

My son was like that too and one day he just decided he no longer wanted to sleep with me. I would say it was around 7 yrs old.
I did however about age 6 buy 2 twin beds. He slept on his and I slept in mine. My covers were pink and not too warm and his was brown, soft and very comfy. (I also live with mom and step-dad and room is restricted.) And like I said before one day he decided it was time to stop sleeping with a "girl" lol.

If he is scared then he is looking for you to make him feel safe.
Just try to work with him. He loves you very much and you are his everything.

I wish you all the best with this and God bless and take care.

Hi L.
Have you told him that he should stay in his own room while you are asleep? Not that you don't want him in your room, but that he will learn to sleep better in his own space.
By the time you think he is too big to be sleeping with you, he is. That is my opinion! Is his room really his space? Perhaps you can decorate more to his space, but that did not help mine. But just like kids give up pacifiers, they don't go to school with them, kids give up sleeping with you, because they get big they get crowded out. I remember my mom and dad spreading themselves out across the bed so I could not get in. I don't know how old I was but they simply said "I was growing and didn't fit so good". I thought they would miss me. I remember thinking that and since I am now the grandmother, that was a lot of years ago.
My suggestion is to talk about the fear, and to let him have the lights, music, or static noise, whatever helps.
Maybe like mine he doesn't need so much sleep. We let him read with a flashlight, I heard that kids liked that. He did & kids think that is fun. We had to do something as he only slept 2 hours in 24 and I needed more sleep than that.
God bless you and Give you wisdom

Try putting a cd player in his room, Target and Wamart have some pretty cheap ones. Play soft music.
Get him a cool night light.
Sometimes it works if you put his mattress in your room on the floor.
Get him a lovey and spray it with your perfume.
I have a 9 year old that just recently started coming back into bed with me. He watched the show Haunted on Animal Planet and now is seeign eyes. I'm sure he'll be sleeping in his own room before he graduates high school.

My son also just turned 7 and he still sleeps on a mattress next to our bed but has slowly started sleeping in his own bed on certain nights. We let it be his choice if he wants to sleep in our room we are fine with that its important they feel safe. It counds like his dad isn't around maybe hes afraid of losing you. Give it time he will out grow it some just later then others.