do you check on your children every night before you go to bed?

[mistressmiggins]

I do...

my ex had the kids at the weekend & DD (2 1/2) told me shed been sick in her bed while away

I wrongly assumed she was making it up as exH had said nothing, but have just emailed him and he said that yes she was sick on Sat night but he didnt find it til Sund morning

I check every night b4 I go to bed & I know that ex doesn as he never did when we lived together

DD had suspected mengititus at 1 1/2 & only reason they rushed her into hospital was cos I checked her b4 I went to bed & called ambulance

I check them mainly because dh usually puts them to bed whilst I am at work. I like to watch them for a few mins before crawling into bed myself.

I always check.
jennifersofia what a lovely thing to say

"it is my time to realise that I do have the most beautiful gems in the world. I like going to bed feeling rich."

Mummyhill

i hate it when i have to work late and DS is already in bed (usually at my parents around the corner) when i finish. My mum has the thing about 'let sleeping babies lie' and mounts a gaurd on the stairs to stop me getting up to see him

It is the last thing we both do on our way to bed, a peep, adjustment of bedclothes, a listen to the barely perceptible breathing, a tiny bit of adoration and very rarely a tiny kiss (too scared of waking them). We call this nightly ritual "squidging" as they all look so squidgy and sweet.

I finish at midnight three times a week and after 10 once a week so DH gets to do the bath, story bed bit and I really miss it. I love going in and just watching them to touch base and make sure they are warm enough. I really love to do the whole bed time routine on my nights off and as I don't settle before midnight any way as my body clock is used to being up till then I check them every night before turning in.

It is a great way to remind myself what lovely children I have. I often lose sight of that durring the day when they are pushing each other around/trashing the living room or screaming for the fun of it.

I'd LOVE to but both of mine are such light sleepers I've learnt from bitter experience not to bother - was one of the things I always looked forwards to doing as a mum- silently watching sleeping babas ...

Yes, i can watch them sleep for aaaaaaaaaaaggggges!

Absolutely...i sit and stroke his hair and hold his little hot hand.
There is nothing so beautiful than a sleeping child.

I think dh and I try to be first upstairs just to do it, it is so lovely, sleeping babes, often two in a bed, they are so gorgeous lying there

no.

this flat is all on one level and has walls like paper, so i can hear them.

also, dd1 is a light sleeper like me.

if they're ill, i usually sleep in their room.

Yes, I go in every night on my way to bed and check on both of them. Ds2's always snuggled up with whichever soft toy he's taken to bed and I stroke his hair. Ds1 always leaves his light on so I turn it off and pull his cover over him.

I love doing this - it's my night time routine and settles me down as well!

But dp never checks on them - she worries about waking them up, so when I'm away over night they don't get checked on!

I don't check on them because I think they might have been sick - they could be sick at any time - it's just more the wonderfulness of seeing them sleeping - and quiet!!

yes.

Justus2 ... thanks for the offer

yes

Yes and tuck him in and I STILL put my hand on his back to check if he's breathing as I did as a paranoid new mum when he was a week old. He's now a big, chatty, agile toddler and I still do it! It's mad but I can't help it.

Yes well we co sleep with ds so that's easy but I cannot go to bed without looking in on dd no matter what time it is. I still check she's breathing and adjust covers so she's warm enough etc and whisper I love you in her ear.

I check on all of mine before bed, make sure they are covered/warm enough give them a kiss and stand and stare for a min...

i do, ds1 is 8 and ds2 whos 7 months is in our room still.
i cant help it, i have to check them dont now why, i feel something would go wrong if i didnt, and if i didnt and it had then i wouldnt ever forgive myself for not just poping my head round the door ( yes dp thinks i have obsessive compulsive disorder or something )

I do go and look at them most nights to tuck them in/gaze at their lovely sleeping faces but I am amazed anyone would think it was something that you had to do to qualify as a good parent. I certainly don't think it will save them from anything. The child in the OP could have been sick at 2am. Are you supposed to look at them all night long?

I don't check on DS and DD.

From reading this thread I am quite possibly a Bad Mother.

Idris - I know you are a good mum don't beat yourself up. It's just that I am paranoid.

I don't.

Dd wakes up enough in the night and I don't want to do anything that means extra wakes. The doors in our house are old and noisy and don't shut properly.

Ds wakes up a few nights a week and I'll always go to him and sort his covers out, kiss him etc. But not unless he wakes.

Golly it's not about being good or bad is it - we do it out of pure self-indulgence