"Don't try this at home!"

This week Allison Charleston of New York, USA asks,

“Where does your little one sleep? Do you co-sleep?

When did you transition your child to their own crib or bed?”

Here’s how our World Moms Blog writers answered…

Margie Bryant of Arkansas, USA states:

“My kids are older so thankfully, my 15-year-old sleeps in his own bed. Clearly, we would have a problem if he was still co-sleeping! My 9-year-old, who loves scary movies, tends to find his way to my bed in the middle of the night. I have had to restrict him from all things scary now!”

Kirsten Jessiman of Toronto, Canada writes:

“We’re very laid back about the kids’ sleeping habits. Our only rule is that they have to start the night in their own beds. If they wake up in the middle of the night and migrate to our bed, we’re OK with that.”

Galit Breen of Minnesota, USA exclaims:

“Oh, sleep. You have not been my friend for a very, very long time now! We have always started kids in their own cribs in their own rooms. BUT if anyone gets up in the middle of the night, we just bring them to bed with us. Why? Because it’s cozy and easy and honestly? We’re too lazy and weak to try anything differently.”

Veronica Samuels of New Jersey, USA writes:

“Sarah’s in her own bed, but it wasn’t always that way. It took a VERY long time to get her to sleep the night. And, when she wouldn’t she’d coming into our room looking for a party,…and if we were too tired, she climbed in with us.

We moved her into her own bed from a crib when she was 2-years old. She became really miserable in her crib at that time. Now, at 3 and 1/2-years-old she has a digital clock in her room, and she knows to wait and play until she sees 7:00am on the clock before she comes tearing into our room!”

Eva Fannon of Washington, USA says:

“Sleep? What’s that? (LOL!) Although our babies always started their night’s sleep in the crib, once they woke up crying, we let them co-sleep with us thinking this meant more sleep for everyone.

Once we knew #2 was coming, we started working on getting #1 to stay in her own bed by using a reward system. (A queen size bed is not big enough for 4!) It was a process that took several months, but now she does stay in her own bed. Now, I just need to start weaning #2 off of those middle-of-the-night nursings…any suggestions?”

Courtney Cappallo of Massachusetts, USA chimes in:

“Both of my daughters were out of their crib and into a transition bed on their second birthdays.

My youngest daughter slept on my chest at night for the first four weeks of her life; it is one of my most cherished experiences in my life!”

And, Allison Charleston of New York, USA explains:

“Chase was in our room in a cradle for the first 12 weeks (lots of time sleeping on me in the rocking chair, though!), then a crib in his own room until he was 2.5. He slept through the night from 5.5 months until 2.5 years when he decided to climb out of his crib (that earned him a toddler bed)!! We had a really hard time keeping him out of our room once he was in his own bed.

So, after weeks of trying rewards, silent return to sleep at 3AM, etc., we decided to get him a gate for his door. He didn’t love it at first, but after one night of some complaining, he is fine with it. It keeps him in his own room, and he’s getting great sleep again. He is still an early riser, think 5:30am! But, he goes to bed at bedtime–around 7:30–and doesn’t come visiting at all hours anymore!”

What about your children? ย How are their sleeping habits?

Catch us back on the blog on Sunday when we post the World Moms Blog “Travel Itinerary” for next week!

Photo credit toย http://www.flickr.com/photos/namibnat/5292163543/. ย This photo has a creative commons attribution license.

World Moms Blog

World Moms Blog is an award winning website which writes from over 30 countries on the topics of motherhood, culture, human rights and social good. Over 70 international contributors share their stories from around the globe, bonded by the common thread of motherhood and wanting a better world for their children. World Moms Blog was listed by Forbes Woman as one of the "Best 100 Websites for Women 2012 & 2013" and also called a "must read" by the NY Times Motherlode in 2013. Our Senior Editor in India, Purnima Ramakrishnan, was awarded the BlogHer International Activist Award in 2013.

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