How to wean your child off from your bed to his or her own
From ArticleWorld
To wean your child off from your bed to his or her own will require a lot of patience as well as time but in the end the effort will have been worth it. In the Western countries babies usually never sleep in their parent’s bed or even their room but if you have been one of those different parents who wanted their baby to snuggle up to them every night then you are now faced with the tricky problem of weaning him/ her off this habit. The baby is going to find it difficult to adjust to sleeping all by itself and so are you. Here are a few helpful hints to make the process less painful.
[edit]
A few suggestions
- Explain to the child that he/ she would be sleeping alone in a few day’s time and make the prospect exciting. Tell them that it would be fun to have their very own room with their very own bed now that they are all grown up.
- Highlight the day on a calendar and call it the “big day” and have the child cross out days before the big day by himself/ herself. This would get the child enthusiastic about moving without dwelling on the move itself.
- Get a toy for your child that is only meant to sleep with in your child’s bed. Let the child choose the toy itself though you will probably need to help to pick out one that is soft and cuddly.
- When the child does start sleeping in his/ her own bed you might have to share the bed telling stories or reading till they drop off to sleep. You might need to do this for a fortnight, at least, before the child is comfortable with you tucking them in and switching off the light and leaving.
[edit]
Do’s
- Crack the door of their room a little so that they do not feel lonely and scared. You could alternatively leave a night light on. You might find the child wakes up in the middle of the night and wanders into your room crying. If this happens you will just have to escort the child back to its room and tuck it back in. Be prepared to do this at least three to four times a night for a few nights before the child gets used to waking up in its own bed and turning over to go to sleep again.
[edit]
Don’ts
- Don’t spring the move on the child as a surprise. Let it get used to the idea of sleeping alone while sharing your bed.