Child Sleeping in My Bed!! - North Little Rock,AR

My son has done the same thing for years off and on. (He is 12 now).It was totally my fault. I snuggled with him and I shouldn't. When I stopped snuggling was when he would rather sleep in his own bed. Once he falls asleep, try putting him in his own bed. When my son was a little older, he said that mommy had daddy, his sisiters had each other, and he didin't have anyone. Made me more lienient. Probably too. I know it's hard because they are small for such a short time. Good luck.

You might could try
1. getting new bedding for his bed. Make a BIG DEAL out of it. Let him pick out his favorite color or cartoon character. If you don't want to invest in the blanket, just get the sheets/pillow cover. Let him "personalize" his big boy bed.
2. We gave my daughter allowance for sleeping in her own bed. (She loved quarters.) Every morning she woke up in her bed she got a quarter. Once she mastered that, she got the quarter for picking up her room before bedtime, etc.
3. My uncle put his daughter's room up for sale. he actually put a FOR SALE sign on her door. He wrote "toys and all" on it. He told her if she wasn't going to use the room, they would have to sell it. Sounded funny to me, but it worked!

T., if your little one was close to his dad before he left for Iraq it would seem to me he's missing his dad and is using this as a means of getting close to him at night. It may sound corny but no matter what the age, when a loved one is fighting for freedom, we find ways to keep them close, even a 2 year old.

Thank you for being a Military Wife, you give a lot. I am a Blue Star Mom whose son did a tour in Iraq. I know this all has to be rough on you. God Bless you and your family. God Bless our troops and keep them safe.

J.

My daughter did this right after we moved because she said she was scared to sleep in her room. So, I created a "night night" box. I went to the dollar store and filled the box with little toys and trinkets and if she stayed in her room all night, she got to pick something out of the night night box. You can either wrap the presents or leave them unwrapped. If you are worried about having to always reward them with toys, she just pretty much forgot about it the longer she did what I wanted her to do. Pretty soon it just became normal for her to sleep in her room and she didn't need the present out of the box. I only did it if she brought it up and pretty soon she just stopped asking for it. I would say it lasted about 2 weeks where I was giving her things in the morning out of the box. It worked for me! Good luck!

WOW! I am 31, married for 5 years in May and also have a 3 year old son named Levi. I sleep in the same room with Levi and his sister Morgan, 19mts. I can't seem to sleep away from them now. Even at the other end of the house. I am a SAHM and they are my best friends (most of the time). So if you get some good advice PLEASE send it my way.

I'm not sure what he's scared of, so I'm not sure if this will be helpful or not. When my daughter was scared of "monsters" in her room, we bought a cheap spray bottle at Wal-Mart and filled it with water and a little bit of liquid Lysol to make it smell good and made "moster repellant." We sprayed it all around her room at night. It worked like a charm and disinfected her room at the same time.

My husband died when my son was 1 and my daughter was 6. They both slept with me for the longest time. Then one day my daughter kissed me good night at the age of 8 and slept in her own bed. My son has just recently been sleeping in his bed.
They are seeking comfort and security and being close to Mom during this time helps them. Don't worry about it. I think my kids are very well rounded and have no issues basically because people love to have my kids around. I think because I did not try and force them to sleep in their own beds that has made them more comfortable in their own shoes.
I will pray for your husbands safe return!

I understand exactly what you are going through!!!!! I have a two year old boy whom will be three in April and he sleeps with me and my husband every night. I have tried everything, from the bear with the heart sound, to a night light, a fan and the tv on. He will not sleep in his bed. Its really are on faught, we let him sleep with us since he was little. Another problem is whenever he goes to stay the night with family, they let him sleep with them, so he thinks he should at home. The only thing that is great about this, is I know that he is okay whenever he is sleeping and I know that he is alive. Sorry to say, but this is the worst habit to break, I have been trying for two years. Good luck and if you figure it out let me know!!!!!

first find out what scared him on tv. My oldest boy went through a phase where a green monster lived under the bed. His Daddy then went in and pretended to get the monster and throw it on the moon.

second Levi misses his Daddy. When my husband was in Afghanistan our oldest was the same age as your son is now. There was many a night I rocked BJ to sleep. You might try rocking him, and you could also give him his Daddy's pillow to sleep with. Just knowing it is his Daddy's might help him to feel more comfortable in his own bed.

Another thing you can try, is put him in his bed and you lay next to him till he is asleep. Once, he is asleep then you get up and go to your own bed.

Right now it is not where he falls asleep at that is important, but that he wakes up in his own bed.

Just had a little boy 3 wks ago and named him Levi! Fought with husband about putting him in our bed, but husband won. Have 6 1/2 yr old girl that still wants to sleep with us. It's been a battle getting her out of our bed too. She is on a pallet by our bed now. So when you figure this one out let me know!

I have the same problem with my 17 month old and I have to say it is interferring with my relationship now.
I let me son go to sleep in my bed and then once asleep I carry him to his crib. This is not always successful as it seems he has this instinct that wakes him knowing that he is being moved. However, he is now starting to like being in his room and bed a lot more.
However, we keep perserving and every night he stays a little longer in his own bed.
Another thing that we did to make his room more "welcoming" was moved all of his toys into his room. We have a play corner that we will "all" go into his room and spend time playing with him in there, so that he thinks of it as a safe place.
I hope this helps some. Good luck, I know it is tough!

Try to find out what scared him & help him get it out of his room. You might try letting him pick out new sheets & let him throw away the scary ones. You could also try a dream catcher. Not sure if he's old enough to understand it, but he might. Let him know the bad stuff gets stuck in the web & he can shake it out (outside in the morning). Good luck!

The reason he won't lay in his own bed with you in it is probably because he thinks he will have to stay there. My opinion only, he is testing you and trying to stake his authority. Remember you are the parent and you are the boss. I have two sons who tried the same thing when they were 2. Each time they got up and went to my bed they were taken right back. If they didn't stay in their toddler bed at bedtime I marched them right back even if it took 20 times. I feel that children should sleep in their own bed. I say this with all due respect to you, breaking habits is very hard but give him a break because you are the one who started the habit. Good luck and remember when he is older he won't remember you forcing him to sleep in his bed during this time of transitioning him to his own bed.

T., i've read the other responses here and it's good stuff, especially the one that suggests moving him in steps...that was going to be my suggestion as well...and the "night-night" box sounds good as well...i basically wanted to send my support to you concerning the fact that your husband is on his second tour of duty in Iraq....bless your heart...that has got to be hard....good luck with your little one...i'll be praying for you and your family....R.

I went through this with my son when his father and I separated and I moved to an apartment in a new town. At first, I let him start sleeping in my bed because everything was so new. But then I couldn't get him out. He was 5 at the time.

What I did was to move him in steps back to his room. At first, he had a pallet on the floor next to my bed. Then after a week or so, I started moving the pallet, first to the end of my bed, then close to the door, then in the doorway, then in the hall and finally down to his room.

Monitor his TV better so he can't watch things that will scare him.
You could put an air mattress on his floor and spend1 or 2 nights with him to show him everything is ok.

My nephew was trying to do the same thing- he was scared of "something" so everynight before he went to bed- she let him turn on the "bubble" the bubble keeps everything out. she either used a clicker thing from the petstore or eventually he just pushed the button in the palm of her hand. If they believe there is something to be scared of- they will believe in the bubble. Especially if mom bought it and had it installed.

ok i know this is bribery but i actually got a dog... and i told my son that the dog needed company b/c he was scared to sleep by himself b/c he is a little puppy and then i tucked them both in his bed they played for a little while and then b/4 i knew it bothe were asleep in his bed.. they have been sleeping there every since the dog is now big but he's still my son's best friend