I need advice, my 6 year old wants to sleep in my bed and I convinced her to sleep on the floor. She wont sleep in her room she say's she is scared, but my oldest is there with her. I can't lock my door as she will scream and wake everyone up. I can't have her in my room I would like some private time with my husband. I have tried buying her a toy with a promise she will sleep in her room and it didn't work. Her routine hasn't changed, she is a happy loving child and LOVES school, she even has a friend from Kindergarten a different teacher but rides her bus to go to school and they play so nice together.
Is this normal for a child her age? I had sleeping issues with my oldest but at 6 she slept in her bed. I have 3 kids ages 9, 7 and 6.
J.
Yes its normal.
My girl is 7... and she still occasionally gets scared at night... of just stuff in her imagination. She is a normal kid and normal habits and normal life... we don't expose her to scary stuff outside of her age etc. all the regular stuff.
It is developmental.
Even at that age.
When I was a kid I was like that too.
I grew out of it.
My parents didn't make a big deal of it.
Kids grow out of it.
All the best,
Susan
It can be normal if you have an extremely creative child with a vivid imagination. You need to help her find a way to cope with this.
First be prepared for tears. I would suggest taking her back to her own bed EVERY time.
Give her "Dream coins" for under her pillow and "Monster spray".
Purchase some unusual coins from a coin shop (buy several in case they get lost) and let your daughter know that when placed under her pillow, they will keep her safe.
The monster spray is a spray bottle that can only be used for the magic liquid (water) to keep scary things away. She is to spray it on the places that she feels are the scariest.
Also let her know if she wakes up from a scary dream, to roll to her other side and the scary dream will not come back.
Return her to her bed EVERY time.
my son still likes to sleep in my room sometimes, he used to every night, he is 7 now - he shares a room with his sister so its not lonliness.
I made him a bed up in my room on the floor, i purposefully made it a little uncomfortable, i said he can come in as long as he sleep in his special bed and doesnt wake us up -- took about a week of sleeping on the floor to be back in his bed all the time lol - make her bed in her room really inviting and comfy, make her "special" bed in your room cramped and thin - its a bit mean, but its their choice, and they usually go for comfort.
Hi, Joanna:
Get in touch with a therapist dealing with developmental stages of
children.
Good luck. D.
I would still lock your door even if she does scream. She will give up after a while. Sorry, it can be frustrating!
The monster spray and everything are good ideas. also read her Buttermilk, love that story and it's about being scared of the dark:
http://www.amazon.com/Buttermilk-reissue-Serendipity-Step...
My kids went through this phase too. I would stay in his/her room unitl they were asleep or told me it was okay to leave. They knew if they woke up scared they could come to our room and sleep on the floor, but they had to sleep in their room first.
