I put my daughter to sleep, she went down like a champ as usual. I come back down stairs and my wife is going to lay down with my son in our bed, which is a bad trend we started a while ago and haven’t really worked on stopping yet. That was about 1 hour ago and now they are both sleeping soundly. I am drinking the glass of wine I poured for my wife, after I finished the one I poured for me, of course.
Ah, the crazy lives of parents. 
If you are interested in stopping this little ritual of wife laying down with son to get him to sleep, I may be able to offer some helpful advice. How old is the boy?
I have a very close friend who started laying down with her son when she switched him from crib to bed. He is now 9, and still bugs her most nights to lay down with him while he goes to sleep!!:eek:
Am - Bi - En.
I had to put my cat to sleep once. I was really sad.
I’m sorry to hear you had to do this with your children.
Yeah, you’re like really funny Seven. Shaddap will ya!
Thanks for the offer norinew, it’s not every night, but it 's something I’d like to stop, sometime.
I think the whole thing is kind of sweet.
When my youngest was, well… younger (she’s now 13), we would let her sleep in our bed anytime she wanted. We knew she would be our last child. It was not an easy transition to get her in her own bed.
E3
My son’s nine and I like to sit with him until he falls asleep. It’s not going to be long until he won’t even want to be seen with me in public, much less want me there when he’s going to sleep. I figure I should cherish these moments while they’re there.
I love sleeping with my son. If my husband didn’t object, I’d snuggle down with him every night. He falls asleep sooner, and I go to bed hours earlier than I otherwise would. Sometimes after a day of struggle and battles of wills, it’s nice to have that closeness. Like Gundy said, I know this won’t last forever; he’s not going to be begging to be in our bed when he’s 17.
At any rate, we take turns putting him to bed. We switch off nights.
Don’t be so sure, Cranky.
My little sister is 16 and still crawls into bed with my parents sometimes. Or she sleeps on the living room couch. Or in my bedroom while I’m at college.
She doesn’t like her own bed for some reason.
It IS sweet…and no huge deal 
Just FYI Gundy; my children are now both teenagers and both (I’m not deluding myself here; this is quite true) are happy to be seen with me in public even still. If I’m in my wheelchair that day - I’m not always - they get furious if anyone laughs (and people do.) In fact if I am walking arm in arm with my daughter (mid teens) sometimes I see people stare, but she never notices it, and I feel like I should disengage so she won’t be embarrassed…but she just isn’t, if she even notices it. Their friends like me (I work at it lol) so no one she knows teases her or anything. And my son, same thing. If I forget myself I might just give him a hug out in public and he doesn’t care; he’d kiss my cheek if I did so…but I think to myself I don’t want any kids laughing at him so I don’t do it.
Anyway, I’m just saying it isn’t necessarily true that they will be embarrassed by your presence; so long as you afford them some privacy ordinarily. Just something to hopefully look forward to
And no child is going to be sleeping with their parents when they’re 17 years old; relax and remember it isn’t always nice to sleep alone; hell I don’t like to. I hated sleeping alone as a kid and I hate it now. Eh, just don’t get too hung up about sleeping arrangements is all. Some people have whole families in one lousy room, after all - at least most of us are luckier than that.
Nocturne…I just realized what you said…yeah my daughter, even at her age, will also, after my husband is gone to work, sometimes crawl into bed with me. I don’t consider that “sleeping with parents” but more of switching off mid-sleep. This last winter was so cold we all HAD to huddle together (our house was freezing!) hehe. And sometimes I go to get in bed and my son is in there with his father. Sometimes I kick him out and sometimes I go elsewhere. After all, the parents’ big bed is the most comfortable in the house isn’t it? 
I certainly didn’t mean to imply that there’s anything wrong with this if everyone involved is happy to have it that way! I agree, they won’t be babies forever (and don’t you still think of your youngest one as your baby, even if she’s, like, 8?). I was only saying that some people get into this habit, and then regret it. My friend hates it. She loves her kids and is a great mom. But, she lives, with her two kids (she’s divorced) with her parents, because both of her parents require care. Her mom has uncontrolled diabetes, and her dad has cancer. So, she’s feeling like she has no time for herself. Then, on top of her other demands, she has to spend over an hour getting her kids into bed, at an age where she feels they should be able to do this herself.
My own parenting style (and it is a matter of style, not who’s right and who’s wrong): sometimes I nap with my 3-year-old. But at night, the bed is for my husband and I. We occasionally make allowances, if one of them is truly sick or something. But for the most part, they stay in their own rooms. Knowing that I will have this “grown-up only” time at night (not to mention the possibility of gettin’ some:)) helps me not to lose my patience during the day.
I meant, of course, they should be able to do it themselves. Dammit, I even previewed that!
I was just trying to post a sweet little mundane detail of my parenting life. My comment was directed at no one in particular, other than myself.
Everyone woke up today quite well-rested and happy. That’s a good thing. 'Cept for me, I’ve got a teensy hangover. Carry on.