Tag Archives: bed

Family Bed

When I first had kids I read in all the baby books about the option of having, and sleeping in, a “family bed”. I thought that there was no way that I would intentionally sleep in the same bed as my kids.  I thought that was only something that hippies did.

Well, five years later it seems that we now have a family bed. Unofficially, we have had one for years, but now I am finally admitting it. Faith starting crawling in bed with us when she was three and still does it a couple of times a week.  Now, Wilson has started climbing into bed with us.  He sneaks in at some point, curls up next to me, and falls asleep.  I used to take him back to his bed, but now I let him stay. We are three nights into this new routine, and it is working for us. …by “us” I mean me and Wilson.

Over the past few months Wilson has been very whiny and quite hard to handle.  I have been at my whits end with him.  I have been frustrated and impatient with his whininess.  However, the past three days he has been a different child.  He has been happy and agreeable.  No whining.  No pretending that his legs don’t work so that I would carry him.  No crying about what drink I gave him.  He is saying “please”.  He is a new kid.

Is he happier because he is getting his “Mommy time” at night? Is his “love bucket” being filled during the night so that I don’t have to fill it as much during the day?  I don’t know, but if so, I will sleep with him every night in order to have a more pleasant day.  I have literally had such a great few days that I don’t want to jinx changing anything.

Luckily, Faith has spent the last three nights on the floor in Miller’s room.  She wants to sleep with her baby brother.  She wants to be “like a Mommy” and sleep with the baby like I did when Miller was first born.  I love it!  She goes to bed quickly and earlier than she has.  She can’t come out of his room and stall going to bed.  She also doesn’t get out of bed in the middle of the night and come get into bed with us.  She sleeps all night on the floor in Miller’s room.  She is so sweet to him, always.  Couldn’t have better timing either, now that Wilson has taken her spot in our bed.

For now, Wilson will be sleeping with me.  Will his sunny disposition continue?  That remains yet to be seen.  If it doesn’t continue, he will be back in his bed next week.   For now, I will be cuddling up with the snuggliest three year old I know.