Reclaiming our bed, a happy ending

By Amy M.

In my first DotMoms post, I wrote about our struggle to get our then-23-month-old to sleep in his crib rather than mommy and daddy's bed. We had been "enjoying" a family bed for several months and, well, the novelty had worn off -- for my husband and me, at least.

Now, about six weeks later, I'm happy to report that Alex has slept in his "big boy bed" (a full-size) for nearly two weeks straight -- and he's done so happily!

I had forgotten what it was like to share a king-size bed with just one other person (and occasionally, two dogs). Needless to say, three people plus two dogs in one bed is a little crowded, especially when one of those people tends to migrate to your side of the bed, leaving you with just a few inches on which to sleep.

Not to mention the freedom Brian and I now have to actually watch TV together downstairs (instead of one of us keeping an eye on Alex in our bedroom), knowing Alex is safe and sound in his OWN bed (against a wall, very low to the floor and with a rail, of course, and also with the doors to all "dangerous" rooms securely locked and a baby gate at the top of the stairs).

I think we were quite lucky with the transition.

We talked about the bed before we got it and praised Alex for becoming such a "big boy." Ironically, I think the transition was easier because he had already been sleeping primarily in a bed, rather than a crib.

The first night, Brian and I both lied down in the bed with Alex. We read him a couple stories, he soon fell asleep, and that was that. Not a peep from him until morning.

Since then, he's been occasionally resistant to getting into bed, but because his mommy and daddy are both lying there, he quickly realizes he might as well join us. I harbor no misconceptions that Alex will get into bed on his own -- without a parent to join him -- and just fall asleep. But that's okay. Because I have my own bed back!