to have snuggled up in geckos bed for 10 mins whilst she feel asleep and then dd2s for 10 mins whilst she fell asleep tonight

[TrinityRhino]

They have been increasingly unsettled at bedtime

starting to say they need a brighter lamp, cant bear the door shut, wont go upstairs on their own etc

they are getting more and more tired as they are ending up not falling asleep as early as they need

I just decided tonight that maybe they just need a little extra comfort to relax and fall asleep

I had no idea what I was going to do when I started. I just read them some of the book we are on and then said
I'll give you both a snuggle for a bit so you can settle down

they chatted to me, as their cuddly toys, for a couple of mins and them shushed down, gecko was asleep in less than ten mins

then I climbed in with dd2 and she was asleep in about ten minutes

then I fell backwards off her bed trying to get up (bottom bunk, got my foot caught in the bottom of the ladder)

and felt all calm and happy that they were asleep by 9pm and would get a good nights sleep

[TrinityRhino]

oh gecko co slept till she was 4 and a half
she never went in a cot

they both adore to be allowed to sleep in my bed for the night
but now they tend to stay awake till I come to bed so I let them do that one night a weekend

also they are quite wriggly and duvet stealing

[MrsOakenshield]

sounds lovely, might try it with DD (though she's in a toddler bed), she's out of bed, light on, play play play mess about mess about mess about, 'but I'm aloooooooooooone!' for days now.

Whenever I land on a toy it's always something like a Clanger or one of those bloody RSPB birds.

[TrinityRhino]

rspb birds?

I have been known to squeeze into a toddler bed at times
much harder and much more likely to fall on something loud or hurty

[PomBearWithAnOFRS]

If it lets them get to sleep, and makes them happy, and you are happy to do it, then why on earth not?
I sometimes think people who say "oooo you shouldn't do XYZ at {your DCs} age" actually mean "bugger that, I couldn't be arsed to do that for my DC and the fact that you can be arsed makes me feel somehow inadequate"
I think snuggles are lovely, and especially as DCs get older, they get rarer and are all the more appreciated It's not like you'll be there on the honeymoon co-sleeping with them and their spouse

[MrsOakenshield]

these, we have 3 of the little fuckers them, I don't know how, we didn't buy any of them. Always lurking about DD's bedroom, waiting to take you by surprise as you creep in and out.

[giraffesCantMakeResolutions]

hi trin x

[TheWomanTheyCallJayne]

I'm 5 ft 11 and have ended up spending the night in a toddler bed before


I thought you were going to say you fell and woke them both up. Glad you didn't

[TarteAuxRiz]

:) I now keep a spare duvet handy at the end of the bed for when I lose all of my share to them!

[BewitchedBotheredandBewildered]

Sounds lovely Trin.
One day they might not want cuddles, so make the most of it while they do.
When you have the patience
It sounds like they needed to be snuggled, and it worked.
So well done.

[TrinityRhino]

hey giraffes

dd2 is always on the look out for giraffe related clothing since you came

we would love to have you back

mrs oaken, loud bird toys are a bastard

[SecretWitch]

Trinity, I cannot think of anything more lovely. How snug and comforting to lie with your DD's. When the years have gone by and those bed snuggles are no longer needed, I will be very sad indeed. (although, dd age 15, still comes into my bed on the weekend to get under covers and fill me in on her life..)

[TrinityRhino]

dd1 13 stills climbs into bed with me for chats

[loveblackcats]

Yanbu

[Bearandcub]

YA most definitely NBU

It sounds heavenly to me. I can remember cuddles in bed with my mum 30 years on. I hope they will too. I can remember her perfume on my pillow, feeling safe and warm and loved, and how her hair was on my eyebrow but I was too dozy to do anything about it.

[CouthyMow]

Fucking Hell! Gecko is going to be 7??!! Where did home disappear to??!!!

[CouthyMow]

Home should say time. I dislike Siri.

[AlwaysDancing1234]

YANBU I think sometimes everyone needs a hug!
Our DS is now 6 and always likes me or DH to sit with him for 10 mins before he goes to sleep. He also used to BF to sleep in my arms when he was tiny. Despite dire warnings from MIL and SIL (who even tried to take him off me more than once to "put him down to sleep properly" in a pram etc) DS is one if the best sleepers I know amongst our family and friends, always settled quickly and resettled if woke in the night as long as he had a hug and someone with him for 10 mins before sleep he was happy. Do what feels right for you and DC. As long as it's not taking hours to settle them I don't see any problem.

[AlwaysDancing1234]

Our DS has also introduced what he calls "family cuddle" where DS, DH and I (oh and 'baby' in my tummy of course!) have to snuggle up on sofa or bed for a real proper big group hug together before DS goes to bed. It's so lovely we now make it part of our bedtime routine (sorry if that makes me sound like a soppy sod)

[NynaevesSister]

sure it would be nice to give son a kiss good night and send him off on his own. But that's not how he is. Plus I think a bed time story is just as important at 8 as it is at 4. Maybe they can read for themselves at that age but it is a lovely thing to share. If one of us lies down with him he is asleep in 2 mins if not less. If we send him to bed on his own he will be up and down for ages. So snuggling is both lovely and convenient :D

[giraffesCantMakeResolutions]

I would love to come back too - and I promise I will when I am not ill/crazy busy!

[TheRealAmandaClarke]

I think that sounds like a lovely bedtime.
Bedtime for my DCs is bf for dd and cuddle for DS while I read them a story on my bed. Sleep arrives for them by 730 and then I pop them into their own rooms.
Love it.

[Ixia]

My DD is 8 and I quite often snuggle her in like that, she finds it hard to wind down. The only downside is that it's so warm and snuggly, sometimes I fall asleep too, then wake at midnight totally disorientated!

[manicinsomniac]

At first I was thinking YWBU to sleep with first a lizard then your daughter - germ alert!

Sounds like a nice night though, YANBU. Weird thread though. Why did you think it would be unreasonable??

[TrinityRhino]

I sometimes struggle to see what is within the realms of 'normal'

social services are sniffing around again and I was just hoping that the way I'm trying to help them be more settled is a good way

to me, it seems completely fine and necessary right now

but they are a whole different kettle of fish

they weren't happy that gecko was co sleeping with me when she was 3

therefore I didn't tell them that she continued to cosleep till she was gone 4

[thegreylady]

Hi Trinity I keep looking out for you and here you are with a lovely snuggly post and a blue dragon :)