I am a firm believer in children sleeping in their own beds from birth. These "family beds", I think they are called, blow my mind! I have always had a hard time understanding why parents would want their children in bed with them? From the day we brought Gavin home he was in his own bed. I refused to allow him to sleep with us because I need my own space while in the Land of Nod, therefore Ralf sleeps on his side of the bed while I sleep on mine. Gavin always slept in his bed and I never had any issues with getting him to sleep. Everything was great up until Gavin was about two and a half years old, my sister recommended converting Gavin's crib into a toddler bed...BAD MOVE MOMMA!!!
Gavin learned very quickly that he now had free range to move out of his bed and into ours. In the early days, he would wake me up and I would quietly walk him across the hall back to his bed but soon there was no waking Mommy. He became a little sharper learning that if he would wake Mommy she was going to take him back to his room, so he changed his game plan up a little and didn't disturb my slumber. Gavin would quietly crawl into our bed right between Ralf and I would sleep there the rest of the night. It wasn't until I was kicked in the stomach or had his head laying across me that I realized he was there, and when I did notice this toddler laying there I didn't take him back to his room because I was either too tired to bother with it or didn't want to wake him.
Before I knew which end was up Gavin was sleeping in our room permanately! He called mine and Ralf''s room "Gavin and Mommy's Room". Oh Lord! I knew getting him back into his room was going to be a huge issue...and I mean HUGE! Over the years Ralf and I tried, and failed tremendously ,at getting Gavin back into his own bed. His sleeping with us has been a huge issue with me but not so much with Ralf. You see Ralf is a big time cuddler, as I am not, and he enjoys cuddling with Gavin throughout the night instead of his pillow so getting Gavin back into his bed was not top on his list of priorities. I made up my mind about getting Gavin back into his bed (he is now 5) and decided we would start a daily routine with him the night before he goes back to school, which is tonight. I chose this night to start this because he goes back to school tomorrow from winter break and is getting back into his daily routine. I knew getting him back into his bed was going to be a huge obstacle for us to overcome but it needed to be done.
at 7:30 this evening, after dinner and a nice bath (bathing is an entire different post I will discuss with you all one day) I informed Gavin it was time for bed and that he was going to sleep in his bed. Now I didnt just spring it on him last minute, I had been talking about him sleeping in his bed all throughout the day so this was no suprise to him...or so I thought.
He broke down and cried and said, "I stay with Honey!" (For those of you who dont know, Gavin calls Ralf Honey because thats what I call him. Go ahead and laugh because we do! I wonder if Rafe will call him Honey as well?) So to make sure he had no excuses to leave the room I made Ralf come with me. I read the Gingerbread Man while he and Ralf laid together cuddling as they always do. Once the book was over I turned off the light and Ralf sat next to his bed while I stood in the middle of the room, that's when the water works began to pour! Ralf left the room because he couldn't stand to see him cry so it was up to me to be the bad guy, but I had to do it because I want my bed space back! So the waiting game began...
I sat next to his bed with my back to him, I didn't want to make eye contact with him because I knew it would only weaken me. With my back turned facing him I sat there starring at his night light. Before I knew it I caught myself snoring (apparently it was loud if I woke myself) and after waking I slowly turned and looked over at him. In a low, soft and quiet voice he said to me, "Mommy close your eyes." What?! No?! He caught me completely off guard! Did the tables turn while I was sleeping? Am I now the person who is being be put to bed? Ha! Well, I was too tired to argue with him so I did fall back asleep time and time again. Each time I woke up I looked over at him to see if he was out and without fail he too was looking at me telling me to go to sleep. After being in his room for quite some time I had finally had it! I looked at him and told him to go to sleep and then I turned away and didn't say another word and to my surprise it worked! Ha! Victory! He was snoring within five minutes and I was out a minute or so after. Now I went into his bedroom at 7:30 and didn't come out until 9:30...geesh this kid plays hard ball but momma pulled through and took home a WIN! Of course as I have been sitting here at my computer typing this he has gotten out of bed twice and both times I have taken him directly back into his room without saying a word to him. I am serious about it his time, I am going to be victorious!
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