Amanda Horein

My 7 1/2 year old (will be 8 in July), Marti, asked me two days ago if she
could have her own room so she could keep it clean and so she could make her
bed (uh, okay, right? <G>) So we have been reworking our house to suit her
desires.

Last night was her first night in her "new room" which isn't completely
finished and still has some of my sewing stuff in it, but she doesn't seem
to mind. She was perfectly fine with it all, even though she has slept in
our room (on and off, usually in her own bed) since she was 6 months old.

However, my youngest, Lilly, who is 4 years old (turned 4 in November) is
having a really hard time without her sister. Her and her sister have slept
together in the same queen sized bed for about 2-2 1/2 years. I doubt Lil
even remembers when she DIDN'T sleep with Marti.

I was wondering if I could get some ideas from you about how I can make Lil
more comfortable. Lil is still in our room, still in the queen bed which is
pushed right up next to mine and her "spot" is right next to mine.

I don't know if it would help to mention that we have a tentative "bedtime"
and bedtime routine only because Lil chooses it to be that way. Lil is a
morning person (like me) and gets up early. She usually mentions getting
tired around 8-9pm and that is when we go upstairs. We brush teeth (or I do
and she watches a good portion of the time), get pjs on and head to bed for
a story. Sometimes Marti is in there for the story. Sometimes she isn't. She
was last night and Marti was even nice enough to lay with Lil last night
until she fell asleep.

Any other ideas on how to help? Marti won't likely be willing to lay with
her every night.

--
Amanda
http://whatmykidstaughtme.blogspot.com/

"�or whatever other innocent sounding name where the child has been sent to
be stripped of his individuality and turned into an obedient, sole, dead
conformist of the American consumer culture"
---George Carlin
Complaints & Grievances


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Sandra Dodd

-=-Sometimes Marti is in there for the story. Sometimes she isn't. She
was last night and Marti was even nice enough to lay with Lil last night
until she fell asleep.

-=-Any other ideas on how to help? Marti won't likely be willing to
lay with
her every night.
-=-

My first thoughts are for you to talk to her in the dark, tell her
stories, rub her back, give her extra-much attention.
Maybe tell stories about when she was a baby, and about before she
was born. Maybe talk to her a little sometimes about someday she
might want her own room, or her own house, and you will come and
visit her and see what she has on her shelves. My kids loved chit-
chat like that, about them. <g>

I wouldn't try to put it all into one night, but make it all about her.

Sandra

jenstarc4

>
> Any other ideas on how to help? Marti won't likely be willing to lay
with
> her every night.
>

My sister's kids always slept together whent they were little and at
about the same ages as yours, the older one decided to sleep in her own
bed. They got a bunkbed so that they could be in the same room
together.

For about 2 yrs, the littlest one climbed into bed with the younger one
in the middle of the night and no one seemed to mind. They would start
off in their own beds and end up snuggled together.

The older child had really wanted her own bed, but ended up sharing it
anyway. She still had her own bed and I think that made most of the
difference, it was the idea of it being hers, and since it was hers,
she allowed her sister to use it too.