A three year child made it a habit to have her mother lay in bed with her as she fell asleep. Her mother’s presence gave the child some type of comfort, knowing that mommy is right there beside her. Once the child fell asleep, the mother would quietly sneak out of the room. This is not unusual for a child of that age, but at some time, the child must be broken of this desire.
The mother tried in many ways to break her daughter of this behavior. The parent gently explained to the child that mommy has her own bed, and that’s where mommy sleeps. This, not surprisingly, did not convince the child. The mother, as many parents do, attempted to bribe the child, telling the girl that if she slept in her bed alone, she will buy her a new toy from the local toy store. The child, however, with her own view of the universe and the way things should be, could not be easily bribed. The possibility of receiving a future toy simply could not outweigh the comfort of mommy next to her as she fell asleep. The parent failed in every attempt of reasoning with the child.
One night, the child started to cry, and wanted mommy to sleep with her in her bed. Giving in to the child, the mother consoled and comforted the child as she lay down to sleep. Thinking to herself “how did I get here again,” the mother got an idea. With the daughter almost asleep, the mother started to cry. The three year old girl asked “what’s wrong mommy?” Still crying, the mother said “I want to sleep in my own bed.” The child took her mommy by the hand, and led her back to her own bed. Pulling back the covers, the parent got into her own bed. The child tucked her mommy in, gave her a kiss, and said “you sleep here mommy, you’ll be OK here.”
The child never again asked her mother to lie in bed with her as she fell asleep.
