Come and advise me whether to tackle this very minor sleep issue with 13 month DS....

[Ceebee74]

Or whether I should adopt the 'if it ain't broke, don't try to fix it' attitude?

DS is a fantastic sleeper and always has been - slept through from a very early age, sleeps from 7-7(ish) on most occasions. He will be put down awake in his cot for his naps and fall asleep quite happily (as longas he is actually tired).

However, there is one niggling thing that is when it is bedtime at night, we have fallen into the routine of putting him on our bed, putting him in his grobag and sitting with him until he falls asleep (usually 5-10 minutes) and then I move him into his cot and we don't hear another peep out of him most nights.

I know this is not ideal and I think, that as long as he is tired enough, he probably would fall asleep in his cot - but I just can't be bothered to tackle it as I can't face a few nights of running up and down stairs etc when, the way we do it now, we know we have the evening to ourselves (and a glass of wine ) from about 7.15-7.30.

Am I just being really lazy and a bad parent in not wanting to tackle it?

I think all things considered if you are happy enough for the situation to continue, go with it. But how about trying to put him in his grobag, then move him into his cot, get him to lie down and read him a story?

If you and your DS enjoy this time together then I would say why not continue for now?

What happens if you put him in the cot awake and stay with him while he falls asleep?
If he will tolerate this you could move a little bit further away each night.

Crocky - I don't know because we have just never tried doing it

Strawberry - yes I do love this time with him because he lies there and stares at me with his big brown eyes and a really peaceful look whilst his eyes close - but this is obviously more for me than him.

Should be a gentle way of doing it when you are ready.

I expect it's different from child to child and I'm sure that what you are doing is doing no harm at all. If he is a good sleeper then you are one of the lucky ones! I would just say that I heard about a child at my DS's school who when she was 5 would not fall asleep in her own bed -never had done. Her mother had to sit with her in their bed and then she had to be carried to bed asleep. I would imagine it is pretty hard work carrying a 5 year old. Perhaps you could consider tackling it now while he's young enough to forget all about it - just a suggestion of course- as I said at the start all children are different and he might change over later with no problems.

we have always sat with ds1 until he went to sleep, sometimes stroking his hair. he is now 3.7 yo and I have dt's at 21 weeks and it is now a nightmare as everyother week I have to do bedtime on my own.

it is not ds1's fault, but it is a hard habbit to break

LEAVE IT

it's FINE

He'll be throwing up WKB Blue into your bay trees soon so enjoy the nice times now

Its up to you if it doesn't worry you at mo, you know how to tackle it when and if you feel the time is right. But it just may get harder to settle him in cot the longer you leave it. Reading story in cot is def good idea tho.