A couple days ago when I was trying to put Owen to bed for the night after a too-long afternoon nap, he started protesting, and managed to swing his right foot up on top of the crib rail as he said matter-of-factly “I get out.” It looked to me like he could make good on the threat so now we’re puzzling over the next best sleep solution for our 2-bedroom house.
We could opt for a crib tent, but something about the idea of pinning Owen up in his crib, doesn’t feel quite natural to me. On the other hand if we open up one side of the crib and drop down the mattress as we did with Will, I know I can count on Owen to hop out of his makeshift toddler bed and climb up into Will’s double bed with rails. He already loves to climb up there, get under the covers and pretend that he’s sleeping.
I’ve toyed with the idea of turning that bed into a sibling bed – to see if by some stroke of luck both Owen and Will wind up sleeping more soundly next to each other, which I know can work for some kids who are comforted having their big or little brother beside them. (Experts say there are no safety concerns if children are 2 or older). I can also imagine scenarios where Owen and Will decide to have a little dance-and-jump party in the bed in lieu of sleeping, or where Will’s sleep is disturbed when Owen wakes up crying at night.
So, with no obvious solution in sight, I’m seeking advice. If you have any thoughts on how to make bedtime work in a shared bedroom with a 2- and 4-year-old, please share.
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4 comments:
Good Luck! I have the same scenario at my house with a 2 year old and 5 year old sisters. If you come up with a solution, please post. Last night, they somehow both ended up in my bed.
I asked Will about it and he is thrilled by the idea of Owen sharing his double bed. I told him it would only work if he could help show Owen how to lie still and go to sleep. We may give it a try toward the end of our week once we're out of school and have flexibility for coping with the potential exhaustion.
I must admit that the Family Bed reigned at our home. When each child got to about age 2, it seems as if 2 AM was the magic time. When Caroline came along, she would throw open the door at 2 AM and announce, "Here's the Princess," before climbing into bed with us. We each had a sleeping bad under our side of the bed for when the boys joined us. I spent a lot of time worrying about something that they grew out of naturally. At times, I sneaked out of the family bed to sleep in one of their beds.
My 4-year-old granddaughter Annabelle slept through the night at my house way before she did at home. She finally got old enough to tell them that it is because she is never scared, because she just wakes me up and I pat her and say, "It's OK. Grandmama is right here." When Brent thinks about saying anything, I am like, "Please. Sleeping Bag Kid."
Moral of my story--Do not worry about it. Do what works for your kids. Before you know it, they will be dads.
Okay, I'm not going to tell Will the Princess story because I know he would love to be a prince every night at 2 a.m. But I loved the story -- and "Don't worry about it" is so often good advice, especially for me...
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