"Checking in" with the kids before I go to sleep.

[gemloving]

I don't even know if this is unusual but I just went upstairs to get ready for bed but I check on the kids every time before I go to sleep. It's become such an embedded routine that I find it hard to settle if I didn't or if I forgot, I'd lie there, get up and check on them, then I can go to sleep peacefully as if I know everything is ok.

My eldest gets a couple of kisses and I tell him I love him, youngest gets a stroke over his head and me telling him I love him (he's still in a cot, otherwise he'd get a kiss too). They're 4 & 1 (almost 2).

Do other parents do this or is this just me?

Surely this is the normal thing to do???

Only when they were little

Yes, can't settle until I do!

I always tell them I love them.

Now a teen and tween staying up later I often get whispers back. 😊

Yep I do do this, DS is 10.
Luckily my mum did it as when I was 17 she came to check on me and realised I wasn't asleep I was unconscious and had actually fallen really ill with diphtheria. I had gone to bed with what I thought was a hangover from the night before.

Yep every night for me too. Always look in at the little beasts 🥰. Suspect I always will. My mum always looked in on me.

And DH does it too!

Thank you. We miss him terribly.

Absolutely, my ds is 10 but I go in, tell him I love him and make sure his electric blanket is off.

I don't think so personally, I've never known anyone basically wake their kids up when they go to bed and I think it would have annoyed me as a kid. Different if you don't disturb them.

Of course isn't this normal. Mine are now much older DD1 at uni but I always check her snap map and send her a goodnight snap. DD2 is 15 always stick my head in and check if she's asleep or a kiss and love you if she's not.

My mum always checked in on us. I only know because a couple of times I wasn't fully asleep and heard her come in and whisper something and then leave again. I always meant to ask her what she said each night but now that I'm a mummy myself I can imagine ❤️

I feel a bit sad that I don't yet do this for my 2, but I probably will in the future! The youngest is still in my bed and the other is only 2 and was such a bad sleeper until recently that I daren't disturb him!!

Surely it’s totally normal to check on them? Ours are 10 and 7 and both dh and I go in and give them a kiss and check over them every night.

We don’t wake them up though.

Yep every time. Go in, straighten their covers, turn out night light give them both a kiss. They're only 2 and 3 buy can imagine always doing this.

Mine are 14 and 18 and the last thing I do before I go to bed is pop my head round their doors (after knocking) to say “Goodnight, love you”

Mine are 13, 10 and 6. I look at them all before going to bed, can’t sleep without doing it. I don’t get too close, sometimes just pull their duvets up if they’ve wriggled around. I just need to look at them, make sure they’re in there I suppose!

DH never does this. Unless I’m too tired and ask him, then he will.

Yes, I check they are breathing and they are 6 and 9! Often my 6 year old is completely entangled in his duvet or on the floor so I'm glad I check. I don't check my 16 year old unless she hasn't been feeling well or she's fallen asleep with her light on.

Yes, I do this
and if I haven't I get back out of bed before I go to sleep
They are 14/12/9

Yep every night. 9,8 and 2 years old here.

I text good night to my daughter at Uni and she texts me back