to let my five year old still sleep in my bed, or are the 'eyebrow raisers' BU?

[mummytowillow]

There are just the two of us in our house, my daughter is five and loves sleeping in my bed.

She went through a stage where she went to sleep in my bed and stayed there all night. I've managed to get her to go to sleep in her bed, but by about 1am she's sneaked into my bed. Sometimes I notice, sometimes I just wake in the morning and she's there!

To be honest, I quite like it, were very close and rarely spend time away from each other apart from work and school. I have a king size bed so no space issues and she doesn't wriggle and sleeps all night.

BUT people who find this out raise their eyebrows and say its not normal?

My mum is very vocal about it, thinks it wrong, she'll get used to it, she's not a baby blah blah blah. I'm single, no boyfriends so that's not a problem, so who is being unreasonable, me, her or the 'eyebrow raisers'.

And if I need to get her out of the habit, how on earth do I do it. Its just easy to let her get in when its 1am, cold and I'm cosy and warm!

I can't really understand why anyone enjoys co-sleeping, and am incredibly glad that my eldest has always happily slept in her own bed, and that my youngest, if having a bad night, will only settle on DP

I get hot, their movement and noise keeps me awake, and they take up space. I like my space, and would quite happily evict my DP some nights ;)

Saying that, I wouldn't say anything if someone told me about their co-sleeping. I would just be happy for them, whilst being joyful that I don't have to :)

There was a time when i thought having to share my bed with my dd was ok for a while then she was put back to bed. Now I have twin boys who are nearly 5 I really don't care if I'm a mummy sandwich, until they start fighting over me before I've woken up.
So my view is enjoy it while it lasts. I would love my big girl to stop for a minute some weekend mornings and give me a cuddle but she's too grown up for that now.

But what do y'all do about intimacy? There was a time when i was early pregnancy and exhausted and went into the spare room, great sleep but couldnt help feeling kicked to the currrrrb, girlfriends

Yanbu
Ignore your mum

My boys (12) and (17) have just been in for a morning cuddle. :) They both stay ON the duvet rather than under it these days, except DS2 will sometimes still come under if he's poorly. He'll also sometimes watch a film with me in bed in the evening - known in our family as 'a snuggle and a movie' - and would happily stay all night if I didn't turf him out!

Do whatever works for you I say.

We have a Kingsize & one or both of the kids used to get in.

If it disturbed one of us-we´d go to their bed.

When husband was away they would often both sleep with me.

They have a double each & there was a time when we both were sleeping in their beds with them!

They are teens now so stay in their own beds.

It´s just the cat now...

My 6 year old DS sneaks in to my bed at some point between me going to bed and my DP attempting to. Then DP takes one look an goes to sleep on sofa.

I am hoping this won't still be happening when he is 13 and am prepared to just let it take its course.

Wallison fellow neck sniffer here

"I am a neck-sniffing co-sleeping weirdo! Christ, this was never how I envisaged myself being..."

Me too!! My DS is 8 and still gets into my bed on Friday nights when DH does night shift. We have this quite ridiculous pretence, at 9pm DH leaves the house, about 5 seconds later DS sneaks out of his room which is at the opposite end of the hall from the livingroom. He creeps down the hall to my bedroom and hops in my bed and I have to pretend I don't notice. If I acknowledge him he gets quite cross with me :D

I love it because it means the bed is nice and toasty when I get in, and yes, I LOVE snuggling up to him and nuzzling the soft downy hair at the back of his neck.

Enjoy every wriggly snuggly moment of it! Won't last forever and it's absolutely nobody's business but your own.

Our 5 year old gets into our bed almost every night too. I hear a little groan from my DH when she creeps in and jabs her legs into his stomach and have a little giggle to myself because she only stays on his side as we have DS in with us on my side.

If everyone is happy I don't see the problem. Dp doesn't like co sleeping but I don't mind. Ds (5) slept with me when dp was away at the weekend because he had a nosebleed. I went and slept with dd (2) the other night because she kept crying and it made life easier for everyone.

Fergus, I'm going to blow your mind here. You can have sex in places that aren't your bed. God won't smite you. Amazing innit?

I would like to know how to stop an 18 month old from jumping all over me at 6am though. From memory the cure is another year of growing up!

Dear thread, Dont make such presumptions about the way i conduct my love life please. I am talking, above all, about the ability to lie in bed having a cuddle with my husband. I dont actually think its healthier to put affectionate times with your kids above same with your partner. I'd never relegate him to a spare bedrom and im quite amazed that so many people do. Times with him are just as important with my son.

Don't worry about the eyebrow raisers. My 11 yo DD sleeps with me every night. She has her own double bed which lies empty.
I'm making the most of cuddles from her, as no doubt in 2 or 3 years time, I'll be lucky to get a grunt from her.

When my DH is away my DSs aged 10 and 12 fight negotiate who will sleep with me in my bed .

YANBU, co-sleeping is lovely. Don't worry what anyone else thinks. Do what works for you and your family.

I currently co-sleep with DS2 (5 months) on a big mattress and DS1 (4)sleeps next to us on a smaller mattress. He wriggles a lot and grinds his teeth (I hate this) but I love waking up to them smiling at me. :)

My 5 years old DD does exactly the same thing. She falls asleep in her bed but around 1am she comes into my bed. Sometimes I notice, sometimes I don't but I am wandering if this is healthy. I do like waking up and having her smiling next to me.

What a breath of fresh air this thread is !
My DS( 10) still climbs in to our bed every night around 3/4am. And he also climbs in beside me when his dad is on nights.
My thoughts are this is not forever and I will miss it when it stops!
( I am also a secret neck sniffer)

Another LP who co-sleeps with DD(5) and loves it. I love the cuddles, and it's a good chance for her to talk about any worries she has. Although I enjoy the nights she's at her father's and I have more space in the bed!

When we stay at my parents' house, DD wakes up early and we go down together to squash into their bed too! Only a short while because it's pretty crowded in there, but I feel like I've re-discovered a whole new level of closeness with my parents as a result.

My 3.5 yo DS ends up in with us most nights. If he's restless DH or I will go and get in his bed.

I don't always like it but I know when it stops I will miss it. Like this week when DS stayed in his own bed for two nights running.

Whenever DH is away I like having DS in with me.

oh dear god i want a baby

My dd (5.5) goes to sleep in my bed and stays there all night. I like it, she likes it - do whatever suits you!

Nothing wrong with kids sleeping in your bed.

Kids used to always come in Sunday mornings and would sneak in if they woke. However, my bed is my bed... And unless I have a sparrow's start/ a cold so I snore badly/ have had too much beer I stay there. As does DW unless her foot hurts, I breathe too loud.

Yes. I know you can have sex in other places. It's still nice snuggling with DW in our own bed.