Lots of people have things they want me to write about. Some ideas are really interesting. Remember when I used to get writers block and I would have you guys give me a first sentence? Those exercises are SOO good for me. Then there's times that I want to get really serious and heartfelt, but i'm not usually drunk when I write anymore so that's out.
So I've decided to write a blog asking you for advice. Advice that I will, in turn, totally ignore and do the opposite of. So here we go.
My kids are 6 and 8 years old. My oldest is a boy with autism, and my youngest is a girl with "i want to rule the world" syndrome.
When we first moved into this house they each had their own room. Every night my daughter would ask my son if she could sleep in his bed. He always said yes but he didn't like to say yes. sometimes he just wanted to be alone.
This went on and on for about 2 months. She just couldn't, or didn't want to sleep alone. So I disassembled his room and turned it into my craft/office room. They share a room now. 3 months later and my son has HAD IT. She is terribly messy and he is beyond neat. I let him reclaim half the office which is now his "office". the only thing in the other room is his dresser and the bed they share. I figure they'll still be sharing a bed but at least now he has is own space.
Well now he's decided he can't do it anymore and he needs to completely break free of her. He needs to be on his own and she needs to learn how to be alone.
So the question is: how do we break her habit of not sleeping alone?
p.s. since his bed is now in the guest room I think I want to buy him a cute little twin size bed. Something small and only big enough for 1.
What say you?
I am not too familiar with this age group (I have a 9, 4 a 2 year old) so the advice I give will probably be wrong. I think what I would do in the situation is just really talk it out with your daughter and tell her how important it is to your son that he gets his own room. I would do the reward system with her. Each night or nights she sleeps solo reward her with something she likes. Praise her for being so awesome and grown up to sleep alone. If she doesn't like sleeping alone because she is scared, get some cool grown up night lights/lamps (Ikea has those wall lamps that are cool). I think you are right to split them, the older they are the harder it is to break habits. How sweet though that they were sleeping buddies.
ReplyDeleteMy boys share a room too but it's a bunk bed. Maybe it isn't that he wants his own room but maybe his own sleeping space. A bunkbed might help.
ReplyDeleteIf he still wants his space then this is what I'd try, get her a special stuffed animal to sleep with. If she already has one then I'd get her a cat! Seriously! Not a kitten, a cat. A big lovable Maincoone like my Max. In fact his head is pressed against my face right now while I type. Awwww he just gave me a kiss! Both Max and Topper (the kitten I bottle fed last summer) LOVE to sleep with my boys. Max even climbs the ladder to get to his favorite person Cameron. Just get an adult and get a fixed male tabby or Mainecoon mixed mutt from the shelter. They don't spray and are the most friendly (like dogs) and are easy to take care of. I had a cat as a little girl and he was my best friend!
I split my twins b/g up mid last year, up until then they had always been together, I bought two racing car beds one red one blue and they loved them. No issues splitting them up just a few late nights as they pretended to race those cars. once in awhile I'll find one sleeping with the other but that hasn't happened now for a few months. good luck
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