Kids can experience separation anxiety when they are moved to their own beds. (Source: Getty Images)Most parents to young kids find it challenging to keep their child in their own bed all night. Your child might feel insecure or scared and climb into your bed in the middle of the night. As parents, actor Ashton Kutcher and wife Mila Kunis, in this case, are no different.
The 41-year-old father of two kids recently opened up about how he broke his toe while putting his four-year-old daughter Wyatt back to bed.
Kutcher revealed that they were trying to teach their daughter to sleep in her own bed and it was during this time that Wyatt wandered into her parents’ room one night.
“She (Wyatt) comes into our room, and sometimes I just, like, scoop her up and put her in bed, sometimes I take her back. I’m supposed to take her back, but I like scooping her up,” Kutcher was quoted as saying. “So she comes in and I’m like, ‘OK, I’m either going to get 15 minutes of hell from my daughter right now, or 15 minutes of hell from Mila in the morning,’ because we’re trying to get her to sleep in her bed,” he added.
Like Kutcher, if you too are having trouble keeping your child in their own bed all throughout the night, here are some tips to help you:
1. Make your child’s room attractive
Your child is likely to spend more time in his or her room if you make it more inviting. You can also involve your child by asking for suggestions for decorating the room, picking furniture and so on.
2. Choose the appropriate bed
When you move your child to another bed, make sure it is of the right size and is comfortable. Kids might feel intimidated if the bed is too big for them. To encourage your child, you can also pick a themed bed.
3. Set a bedtime routine
Children need adequate sleep so that their body systems work correctly. Lack of good sleep can impact your child’s health and behaviour, and also lead to insomnia. To prevent this, you should follow a bedtime routine in the house. Before going to bed, get your child to keep away all toys, brush his or her teeth and change into night clothes. You can also read to them a bedtime story, something they might look forward to every night.
4. Address your child’s fears
It is natural for kids to experience separation anxiety and night-time fears once they start sleeping separately. Instead of ignoring the fears, speak to your child and comfort them. You need to reassure the child of your presence.
5. Make it a rule
Even as you reassure your child, don’t give in to his or her crying or whining or your kid will continue resorting to this behaviour. Make it a rule that your child has to sleep in his or her own bed. If the child ends up coming to your room, redirect them back to their own bed without showing any weakness.
6. Praise your child
Appreciate your child if he or she manages to stay in bed. You can reward them by making their favourite meal or gift toys, for instance. Don’t punish them either if they fail or they might start associating their bedroom with negative behaviour.