dwl10@amdahl.UUCP (Dave Lowrey) (05/08/85)
Our son, Adam, is 4 1/2 years old. Almost every night, he gets up
and climbs into bed with us. If we wake up, we will put him back in
his bed, but usually we wake up at 6:00 AM with sore backs from having
him kicking us and pushing us to the edge of the bed.
Does anyone have any suggestions on how to curb this type of nocturnal
activity? We don't want to lock him in his room, or lock our bedroom
door, but what else can we do? Do kids grow out of this? My back
awaits your response!
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Dave Lowrey
"To vacillate or not to vacillate, that is the question....
....or is it?"
...!{nsc,sun,hplabs,ihnp4}!amdahl!dwl10
[ The opinions expressed <may> be those of the author and not necessarily
those of his most eminent employer. ]wetcw@pyuxa.UUCP (T C Wheeler) (05/09/85)
I'm afraid you might be in for a rough time for awhile concerning staying in bed. Our experience was, with three, that they will stop when they are ready. With our first child, we tried to lay down the law. The first night, we found the little shaver curled up on the floor at the foot of the bed (picture here pangs of guilt). The next night, after explaining that he was not to come in the room, we found him curled up on the floor just outside the bedroom door (now picture great waves of guilt). Guess who came into bed on the third night? The coming into bed slowly waned at age 5, but still happens on occasion with the youngest when something is bothering him like having heard about a big fire or that there is a storm coming. Although we suffered with being pushed out of bed and kicks, There is no greater feeling than having those little arms clamped tightly around your neck in search of some reassurance that nothing will harm them in the long darkness. All I can say is roll with it. They will soon enough grow up and no longer need the loving reassurance that the things that go bump in the night won't harm them. On the other hand, I have considered a full body bag for them to sleep in just to control the nine legs and twelve arms they all grow when they climb into bed with Mom and Dad.:-) T. C. Wheeler
rws@gypsy.UUCP (05/09/85)
To wean your child away from sleeping with you at night, go lay down with him! It's going to take you several (perhaps many) nights, but your goal would be to get him used to sleeping without a warm body next to him. EVERY time he crawls in with you, PATIENTLY take him back to his bed and lay down with him. AS SOON AS YOU THINK HE IS ASLEEP, go back to your own bed. This worked for us, hope it works for you. Bob Schwanke Siemens Research Princeton, NJ seismo!princeton!siemens!rws
hsc@mtuxo.UUCP (h.cohen) (05/16/85)
We have had some success with the following strategy: Put a digital clock, with LARGE lit-up numbers, in the child's room. Tell the child that his job is to come and wake you at 7:00 in the morning. (Direct the child`s attention to the leftmost digit if he can not tell time well enough.) Reiterate the CORRECT behavior whenever you have to reject any other behavior. Expect only gradual improvement.