And isn’t that what parenting is all about – finding out what works for you – and providing safety and comfort for your kids? I think so!
We all know sleep is important.
For kids – and us adults alike. And that not getting enough of it, can lead to everything from low energy and moodiness, to actual physical and mental illness. Sleep is vital to our wellbeing, but as every parent with young children knows, sometimes getting enough of it can prove a bit of a challenge.
Many sleep experts are keen to tell us how the best way for everyone to get optimal sleep, is for everyone to sleep in their own beds, in their own rooms once children are past the baby stage.
However, what works for one family might not be what works for another – and luckily, most parents are clever enough to realise this and just do whatever feels right for them.
In my case, my children have more or less slept in with us since they were born. Sometimes, they will start the evening by going to bed in their own (shared) room (I always hated the idea of putting a child all by themselves in a room), most other times, they just stay on in my bed after we have read a story and snuggled. And while I get up to tend to things like the dishes or getting tomorrow’s school bags ready or simply just sit down and watch a little bit of Netflix, they stay on in my bed, and I get to wiggle in beside them when I get back into bed later on that evening.
And yes, it might be a little crowded sometimes, and I am forever waking up to arms and legs flung over me or under me and not to mention trying to get comfy in between more than a couple of cuddly toys, but still – I wouldn’t change our sleeping arrangements for anything, and knowing this stage won’t last forever, I cherish it with every bone in my body. We have never – not since the children were born – had a night of sleeplessness, and everyone goes to sleep feeling cosy, safe and loved – and goodness, what could be more amazing than that?
Unconventional sleeping arrangements
Turns out, we are far from alone in our unconventional sleeping arrangements.
Kristen Bell recently shared a fact about her kids’ sleeping habits that may be considered somewhat unconventional: She and Dax Shepard share a bedroom with their two daughters, Lincoln, age 8, and Delta, age 7.
“In our bedroom, you know, the girls sleep on the floor of our bedroom,” Bell said during the most recent episode of Shepard’s “Armchair Expert” podcast.
The Frozen actress shared that her family enjoys watching How It’s Made together before going to bed, a family ritual that involves the girls sleeping on the floor of their parents’ bedroom, and hey, it seems to be working for them.
