WHERE THE PATIENCE COMES INTO PLAY
We're in that awkward childhood stage with Nadia right now where the transition to sleeping alone is believed to have taken place way before the child's first birthday. Yet the controversial advice I came across recently releases parents from the co-sleeping guilt and prescribes sharing the big bed until age three or four! What logic stands behind the idea? Co-sleeping is claimed to make it easier for mother and child to bond, it prevents damages in the development of the brain and makes a baby sleep sounder on a mother's chest as studies revealed the heart to be under three times as much stress when the baby slept alone.
I believe it is our choice to co-sleep or prepare the nursery bed for our children, what works for one family, will not be suitable or simply appealing to the other. Nadia slept in her Moses basket and a crib until eight months old as we wanted to avoid the increased risk of rolling over and smother her and simply wanted to teach her to sleep soundly on her own. We would bring her over occasionally to share our bed but were extremely careful doing it. Since eight months old she stayed there for good climbing in her big girl's pink sheets on occasions. We can argue and point fingers at each other but those have been the best days of our lives and couldn't be more different from other families'. I always believed in no pressure parenting, in things happening naturally and gradually. The more tension and expectations we create, the more disturbed personality is shaped. Not many routines are set up around our crazy household, let it be bedtime, mealtime or a learning schedule. Things happen as we want them to without being overly outlined. We're working on habits and manners, letters and sounds all the time. We're working on raising a happy child without pre-planned strategy. And we feel really good about things whether there will be changes or not.
But I was here to discuss co-sleeping not the structure of our household. It's happening, it's comforting and if introducing her own bed will bring the nightly wandering between our bedrooms, so be it. One sleepless night at a time, one naturally occurring step at one time. We'll figure it out as we go, as we always do. Fresh starts with flexible options. What is your view on sharing bed with your child? x
I believe it is our choice to co-sleep or prepare the nursery bed for our children, what works for one family, will not be suitable or simply appealing to the other. Nadia slept in her Moses basket and a crib until eight months old as we wanted to avoid the increased risk of rolling over and smother her and simply wanted to teach her to sleep soundly on her own. We would bring her over occasionally to share our bed but were extremely careful doing it. Since eight months old she stayed there for good climbing in her big girl's pink sheets on occasions. We can argue and point fingers at each other but those have been the best days of our lives and couldn't be more different from other families'. I always believed in no pressure parenting, in things happening naturally and gradually. The more tension and expectations we create, the more disturbed personality is shaped. Not many routines are set up around our crazy household, let it be bedtime, mealtime or a learning schedule. Things happen as we want them to without being overly outlined. We're working on habits and manners, letters and sounds all the time. We're working on raising a happy child without pre-planned strategy. And we feel really good about things whether there will be changes or not.
But I was here to discuss co-sleeping not the structure of our household. It's happening, it's comforting and if introducing her own bed will bring the nightly wandering between our bedrooms, so be it. One sleepless night at a time, one naturally occurring step at one time. We'll figure it out as we go, as we always do. Fresh starts with flexible options. What is your view on sharing bed with your child? x
2 comments
Lovely post, thanks for sharing! <3
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Very instructive post. Well done!
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