If your DCs call downstairs for a cuddle after they've gone to bed do you oblige?

[Cadelaide]

This happens most nights, they're all tucked in and ready for sleep, DP and I haed downstairs and then at least one of the 3 will call downstairs asking for "a snug please?". This means getting into bed with whoever it is, then I fall asleep and my evening's gone.

I feel so guilty if I say no. How can I deny cuddles? What do you do?

Put them to bed

Tuck them in

Give them a really lovely cuddle

Then state - "Right, that's it, that's your last cuddle, ok?" (in a lovely voice, obv)

Don't go back in

They get a last cuddle of the day.

No more after that as it's usually a ploy to avoid actually sleeping.

No, but we'll say that we'll come check on her later in the evening. If she's awake then she gets a quick kiss and a hug.

Actually, I have just realised that I am not consistent on this.

My dcs go to bed beautifully 99% of the time.

Once in a blue moon ds will come down and ask for a hug. He usually gets one and then taken back to bed.

Once in a blue moon dd will scream and rant and rave like a lunatic that she wants a hug. I usually go in and tell her to be quiet. If she asked without the screaming she would get one too.

Having written this, I'm not sure I'm being fair on dd.

I will go up ONCE, give a quick hug, then back downstairs.

Yep, we do the same SmugColditz. It happens very rarely though so we´re very lucky.

same here, great big hug, maybe a lullaby to get her to lie down and close her eyes and then 'right, night-night now, love you' and back down stairs.

I know just how you feel. How on earth can you ever refuse them cuddles? (Especially close to my heart as I never had any.) But, when they have been put to bed and DH and I are having our dinner and DS1 appears silently and scares the life out of me, it is hard not to be cross.

We're having this problem at the moment. ds is 5 and has only just started really trying it on at night. comes up with all sorts of excuses. his leg hurts, he's banged his head on headboard, he's banged arm on headboard, his feet are itchy, he doesn't remember if he said goodnight or not! I don't have much patience after 7.00 pm, so we go up once, at a push twice and then it gets nasty. I hope he stops soon. I would agree with smugcolditz. We do the same, go up once or so, tuck him back in etc and let him know you won't be coming up again and then if he still don't stop we usually start threatening things.