Single Mom With Two Boys Says They Both Sleep In The Bed With Her Because She ‘Wouldn’t Get Good Sleep’ Without Them
She feels safer with her children near her while they sleep.
Alena Ozerova / Shutterstock A single mother took to TikTok, questioning if her children's sleeping arrangements are unique among parents.
The mom revealed that her two sons sleep in the same bed as her despite having their own bedrooms.
The woman, a mother to 9 and 6-year-old sons, shared her current sleeping arrangements that might seem bizarre to other parents.
“They have always slept in the same bed as me,” the mother shared. If the boys are not in the same bed, they are at least in the same room as her each night.
While she said that both of her sons have their own bedrooms, they only use them to play with their toys and have yet to sleep in them.
The mother claimed she 'just couldn't imagine not sleeping with them' in her room.
“All of us are just more comfortable sleeping together,” she said. “I just feel like it’s more safe.”
It makes sense that she feels safer — Their sleeping arrangements may have saved their lives one night. The mother revealed that they previously had a break-in in which the felon entered the house through her son’s empty bedroom window while they all slept behind a locked door.
However, after her eldest son turned eight, the mom considered making him sleep in his own room, a decision that she could not bring herself to follow through with. “Maternally, it just doesn’t feel right to me,” she admitted.
Photo: Studio Romantic / Shutterstock
She shared that other parents have judged her choice, but she won't let their critiques stop her.
"I've been judged on it before," she shared. "I really don't care. I just wouldn't get good sleep if they weren't in there with me."
“I’m also not gonna be peer-pressured by society," she added. "But I know there is an age where it’s weird.”
The mom begrudgingly admitted that at some point, her sons would need to sleep in their own bedrooms. “They can’t sleep with mama until they’re 16,” she said. “I have to let them grow up.”
She asked other parents if they had similar sleeping arrangements with their children.
The comment section revealed that this mother is not alone in allowing her children to sleep in her bed.
“I didn’t stop sleeping with my mom until I was 12. I’m 18 now,” one TikTok user shared.
Photo: Alena Ozerova / Shutterstock
“My girls shared my bed until my youngest was 10. They just always wanted to be with me and I didn’t mind,” another user commented.
“We have three bedrooms and me and my three little ones sleep in the living room,” a third user wrote. “Ever since our first apartment, we had one bedroom and we just always loved the living room to sleep.”
Every family has different expectations that work for them regarding sleeping arrangements. However, sleeping in the same bed as your children, even when they are at an age perceived as “too old,” is not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, there have been several benefits linked to co-sleeping.
According to Healthline, sleeping in the same bed as your children can promote bonding between parents and children, allow them to have an increased sense of security, and enhance sleep quality for some families.
However, there are also a few drawbacks that come with co-sleeping with young children. You may not have the best sleep if your children are kickers. Your children may also face criticism from their peers if they learn that they still share a bed with their parents.
Still, there is no rulebook when it comes to raising children. Whatever works best for your family is what you should do.
Megan Quinn is a writer at YourTango who covers entertainment and news, self, love, and relationships.