Let your child sleep in his own bed? This is how you approach it according to an educator | kek mama

“Follow your own feelings, otherwise it won’t work,” she explains.

Transition baby to own room

For night feedings it is useful to let your baby sleep next to you, but in the end a room for yourself is nice. How can you best tackle that? Tischa: “Nothing is right or wrong, but the longer you wait, the more difficult it becomes to let your child sleep in his own bed. And, very important: make sure you support it yourself. Are you If you’re not ready for it yet, your baby will feel it.”

By letting your baby get used to his own room during the afternoon naps, the transition to nighttime usually goes more smoothly, says Tischa. “They get used to the smell, to the bed and to the atmosphere. And as soon as you put your child to bed in the evening, make sure you have a fixed ritual: always the same song, the same hugs, you can fill that in yourself. This also applies to older children.” According to the educator, letting your baby cry for a while is not a bad thing, so it is preferable to stay close by and reassure him. “Babies can’t talk yet and by crying they want to say something: they have colic, a dirty diaper or something else. Always take these signals seriously.”

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Let the child sleep in their own bed

And what if at a later age your child suddenly crawls into your bed in the middle of the night? Then don’t make a fuss, Tischa advises. “Keep it small and quiet and do not give too much attention, because your child should not have a pleasant profit. If you do not want a child in your bed, put him or her back in bed and if you notice that your child has a bad dream If your child asks for a glass of water or something else, pay attention, because before you know it you unconsciously create something cozy and then the nighttime scene may occur more often.

Tischa thinks it is important that a child learns to go back to sleep on his own if he wakes up in the middle of the night. “Explain, for example, that he does not have to call mommy every time, only if there is really something. And give them control from the age of three: do you like a light? Which hugs do you want to have with you? something from daddy or mommy in bed? Your child decides, but you set the boundaries.” It’s no use getting angry. “Then you will only make your child sad.”

Tischa Neve is a child psychologist, educator and mother of a son and two foster daughters. She is also the founder of Groot & Klein. Here you can find parenting advice, parenting courses, lectures and workshops.

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