Exploring Our Children’s Potentials

Do your kids fall asleep easily?

Do you sleep with your kids, in the SAME room?

Do you share your bed with your kids and/or baby?

When did you let your kids sleep in their own bedrooms?

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Some people do ask me those questions sometimes.

And here’s what I usually share with them:

1. For all three children, yes, we placed their baby cot in our master bedroom, ie. After they’re born.

Reason:
I breastfeed all three babies, and with the frequent waking up for night feedings, I simply choose to have the baby in the same room, for convenience sake.

Some moms choose to place the cot in a different room and sleep in THAT room (to avoid the going back and forth when breastfeeding the baby at night). I personally choose to NOT go with that option though as I’d prefer to sleep in the same room as my hubby =)

[Vai at 2 years old]

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2. When Vai was born, all four us shared the master bedroom. We had a toddler bed for Anya, and a cot for Vai. Yes, EVERYONE inside our bedroom =)

Vai was a light sleeper though and he really didn’t like to sleep in his cot.

I mean, he’d sleep in my arms (after having been breastfed), and when I super-gently put him down on the cot, he’d wake up, crying, screaming, refusing to fall asleep UNLESS he’s breastfed again. And it went on and on like this with NO improvements.

After trying for TOO many times, I gave up, and let him sleep next to us, on a separate single mattrass (This way, I could lie on his mattrass, lean towards him and breastfeed him sideways. When he’s fallen asleep, I slowly moved away and he continued to sleep! It worked wonderfully!

[Vai was about 1.5yo, and Anya was 4yo in this photo]

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3. When Vai was around 1.5 years old, we introduced the other bedroom to BOTH of them (where we had a ‘top and bottom’ beds for them).

Anya was around 2.5yo when Vai was born and so we didn’t want to make her feel ‘rejected’ by sending her to sleep in her own bedroom before or after Vai was born.

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4. We introduced ‘Family Nights’ to the 2 older kids since some 2-3 years ago.

This is when Anya and Vai could sleep in our bedroom, on a separate bed, on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

We felt this arrangement worked well for us, because while my hubby and I had the privacy of having the bedroom to ourselves for 4 days, we also got to enjoy those 3 nights spent with the kids in our bedroom.
(They had their own bed in our room, BUT usually we ended up sharing one bed together anyway, hehe. We love such family moments! =)

And yes, both Anya and Vai always looked forward to spending their weekly ‘Family Nights’ with us! =)

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5. When we had Brie, the baby slept in our bedroom, while the kids continued to sleep in their own room (and in our bedroom on Family Nights).

Brie was a relatively easy sleeper who didn’t reject the cot, AT FIRST.

But when we returned from our one-month trip to Jakarta last December (where we didn’t have a cot and she slept next to me on my bed), she didn’t like the cot anymore *yikes*. She’d easily wake up after being put in the cot (though not all the time).

So, I used the same method as what I introduced to Vai, ie. On a single bed mattrass in the master bedroom, I’d sleep sideways and breastfeed her. When she’s asleep, I simple get up and leave. On some nights, before I myself go to bed, I slowly pick her up and put her in her cot.

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Now.

I wonder, how is it done in YOUR family?

How’s YOUR sleeping arrangement like?

I’m sure lots of parents out there are wondering about the same thing, and we’ll all benefit from the stories and experiences shared! =)

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AND, to end this post, I’d like to share this great news, that will help your little babies sleep even better!

There are THREE ‘Love to Swaddle Up Lite’ (Size Small, Cream colour, worth S$55.90 each), up for grabs!

Great product for your own little one or as a GIFT to another Mom to-be!

[Click HERE to read my review of this product, on my Facebook!]

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Here’s how to enter the giveaway:

1. ‘LIKE’ Our Everyday Things Facebook Page, if you haven’t done so =)

2. Share this giveaway post on Facebook or Twitter

3. Leave a comment here on this post, and share your baby’s sleeping habits and arrangements in the family.

[Please still do share your stories even if your children are older and you don’t wish to enter the giveaway. We’d LOVE to hear from you!]

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More info:

– Contest ends: Friday, 2 March 2012, 11.59 pm (SG Time)

– Opens to those with local Singapore addresses

– Please check your ‘spam’ folder to make sure that my email to you does not go there! =)

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Have fun with this giveaway, everyone!

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Added on 17 March 2012

My apologies for the late announcement of the three winners. The commenting system somehow went funny anddd we also happened to be relocating overseas this week.

But, we have found three winners! Some have submitted their replies / entries directly via email, and here are the names:

1. Jane Koh
2. Vivien Chao
3. Vicky

Congrats everyone! =D

Please do email me your mailing address within 48 hours yeah, so that the sponsors can mail the prizes out to you!

Email: leonny[at]oureverydaythings[dot]com

Thank you so much everyone who has participated in the giveaway too! =D