“Ask Away Thursday” : Sleeping Advice…

I love to receive advice from others. That is probably why I read so many “how to”  books which are filled with advice. I am curious what others have to say about different situations, ideas, and topics. However, the tables have turned and I will be giving advice to another mother. Each Thursday 5 moms, including me, will be asked a mommy question from an anonymous person. Then it will be our turn to answer their question.

Question:

My mommy question is how long did it take you to get your child to go to sleep by himself ? My son is 6 and he always wants me to lie down with him at night. I have been doing it since he was 3 but thought he would grow out of it.

Answer:

My four children have always initially fallen asleep in their beds. When they were younger I would nurse them in my bed and when they had fallen asleep I would carry them into their crib.

Our rule is that they need to fall asleep in their beds but if they wake up in the middle of the night then they are welcome to come join us. Bedtime can be hard for kiddos. Our 4 and 7 year olds usually come to us during the night.

We love the verse, “Let the little children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the kingdom of heaven belongs to those who are like these children.” (Matthew 19:14) This verse reminds us to let our children come to us when they are scared at night.

If you have only one child then I would be doing the exact same thing as you. I would however slowly try to get him to sleep on his own. I would start off by reading and praying with him. I then would tell him that I need to finish washing dishes, folding laundry, or whatever else you need to do. I would tell him that I’ll be back in a little bit to check up on him. You could also lay with him for 10 minutes and then tell him you have to go and do some chore. With every week make that time shorter. You could have a timer with you and you could tell him that this week you will only lay down with him for 3 minutes. Hopefully, this will do the trick and before you know it you could say good night and leave.

Read what my friends had to say….

Shanneva : http://www.shanneva.com/ask-away-thursday-and-sleep/

Serene Mom: http://www.serenemom.com/ask-away-thursday-my-kid-wont-sleep-without-me/

Healing Mama Remedies: http://healingmamaremedies.com/2016/01/21/ask-away-thursday-my-child-wont-sleep-alone/

Yannivlovely: http://yannivlovely.com/ask-away-thursday-when-does-cosleeping-end/