There is officially nothing I miss about Alabama now except my family. And I'm only saying that because they read my blog. Well, my family and that chick at the airport wearing a "Friends Don't Let Friends Attend Auburn" t-shirt. What I mean is I don't miss the heat and humidity. The weather in Chicago has been perfect, with enough of a nip in the air to sometimes require a sweater. Reminds me of standing at the bus stop each morning in the fall during junior high wondering how to scam the school nurse into letting me go home sick that day.Anyway, have I mentioned lately how much I love my children? Because I do. But not enough to want to sleep with them every night. Why do people do that? Let's be clear -- I'm not one to judge. My almost-two-year-olds still drink milk from the bottle, hate most human beings and are so attached to Dora's pal Boots that in a recent episode where he got a "boo-boo" I thought they were going to collapse from grief, which I guess is a strong indication I let them watch too much television.
Despite my love, I want to co-sleep with my children about as much as I want to co-sleep with Danny DeVito every night. Maybe even less. Danny probably doesn't take up as much room. For parents who do that (sleep with their children, not Danny DeVito), don't you want a couple of hours to yourself every night after they go down? At 7:30 pm every night on the dot, I have TWO GLORIOUS BABY-FREE HOURS. More if I could actually stay up past 9:30.
A few times when the girls were sick and needed comforting, I tried laying down with them in bed and they inevitably kept popping their heads up to chat like we were 13-year-olds at a slumber party. They looked at me expectantly like I was supposed to juggle or do something equally amusing to entertain them. By the time they finally fell asleep on me, I stared wide-eyed at the ceiling all night afraid to move or even breathe lest I wake them up. It's a talent to sleep with children on top of you, I learned. One that might come in handy if you want to be one of those guards outside of Buckingham Palace some day.
PS -- Do my kids need a haircut? They will freak the f#@$ out.
PSS -- I know some parents co-sleep due to health issues or past health issues and it's a comfort to just hear them breathing all night. I understand that. Please resist the urge to lambast me.
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yep totally agree. Once in a hotel my then two yr old daughter woke up in her play pen and started screaming so I tried to put her in the bed with me and, same thing, she kept looking at me like "what the heck is this all about?"
ReplyDeleteThere are some instances where it may be convenient but, overall, how the heck would you survive without being able to put the kids down and chill the hell out for a couple hours?
I am right there with you! I do not understand co-sleepers at all. I think everyone sleeps better when they have their own space. My SIL does this (as well as nurse her 18 mo. old), but I digress. I think it boils down to this: who are you doing it for? I think most people would say the children, but when you boil it down, it's really for the parent. I put a premium on raising independent kids that have healthy boundries, but to some I'm sure I look like a cold-hearted mommy. I also do CIO so there!! (Sorry if I sound a bit soap boxy)
ReplyDeletePS- your kids do not need a haircut! they look adorable.
I hate co-sleeping!! There is no way that parents get any real sleep when this is happening. Whenever one of my children have slept with us (meaning they are deathly sick or something), I lie awake waiting for my husband to roll on top of them and suffocate them in his sleep. It's horrible. Skip the haircuts for now. They look adorable!
ReplyDeleteWe co-sleep (I was breast-feeding for years). Now Mr 4 starts the night sleeping in his own bed. At some point in the night, he joins us in the "family bed". It's how our family has managed to get the most sleep. And I'm lazy. Judge away!
ReplyDeletePS "If I could stay up past 9:30" - I would have lots of alone time.
Wow! I just reread my post, and it sounds a bit militant. I am blaming it on lack of sleep and my cocktail of meds to rid me of this nasty bout of pneumonia.
ReplyDeleteAll moms want to raise good kids; that means something different to every mom, and the road to reach that goal is just as different. For me that road will not include co-sleeping. But if that's someone else's deal, then co-sleep away!
My baby co slept with us and still does sometimes (he's going to be one in a month)but he always starts in his bed. He knows bed is for sleeping and doesn't play around, he knows he'll go right back to his bed. I think parents get used to it if it is something they do from the begining.
ReplyDeleteAlso, my baby is actually quite independent- I stick him on the floor with a couple of books and some toys and he's good. He's not super clingy and he likes most people.
Point is- whatever is most comfortable for everyone usually works out best for the whole family.
I co-sleep with both my kids (3 yo and 16 mo),and it sucks. For us, co-sleeping was 'natural' in the sense that we were raised that way back in Indonesia. We're hoping that our kids will get out of our room by next year, and don't follow my example of co-sleeping with my mum until, err, my 25th birthday!!!! Aaaaaargh!
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