Should you lock your bedroom door to keep your 5-year-old from trying to get into bed with you each night?

Answer

Don't lock the door. Let your child be secure in the expectation that you will always be available to them when they need you.

Don't let them stay in your bed anymore. Any time that they try to crawl in bed with you, nicely take them back to their own bed. Be firm and consistent. From this point forward, they never stay in bed with you again. The only exceptions would be a storm. It may take a few weeks or even several weeks of taking them back to their own bed, even a couple of times a night. They will eventually realize the futility of getting out of bed just to have you put them back in to it again. If you give in, then you can expect to continue to be awakened each night. If you never give in again, then you will be assured of a peaceful nights sleep for years to come. Also, I think that your child will respect you just a little bit more for not being weak-minded. Sweet dreams. DaytonaHead.

Answer

IMO. it would depend on the nature of the child. Some five year olds are very mature and understand the idea of privacy. They even prefer some of their own at times. Others, might feel like they were being punished or something similar, by being "locked out." I suppose I would talk to my child, explain that everyone needs private/alone time. And they should always knock before entering my bedroom if the door is closed.

Answer

No. Don't lock your 5 year old out - doing this will A. Probably fill the child with terror that he/she is alone and can't get to you, and B. Create a dangerous situation should there be some sort of emergency or fire. The answer to getting your child to stay out of your bed is simple - when he/she wakes and finds their way into your bedroom, you must gently but FIRMLY lead them back to their own bed and explain to them that they have a bed to sleep in and you have a bed to sleep in. Reassure him/her that you love them and look forward to spending time with them in the morning, but for now it is time for sleep in our OWN beds. After a few times, he/she will get the message.

Answer

In a word, NO. Your child needs to know that he/she can rely on you when they need you, and being locked out in the middle of the night alone and crying is too much for a little one! Instead, create a very solid bedtime routine where you sit with your child in his/her room for a while before leaving, so the child feels attached without being in your bed with you. Each night that your child doesn't get in bed w/ you and stays in his/her own bed, make sure you give them lots of praise. If your child never learned to soothe himself back to sleep upon waking, now is a good time to start. REsearch this subject.

++ Follow-on Thought ++

I agree, in theory, because that's exactly what I tried with my son. Every night for 2 weeks, about 3 hours each night. After the 3 hours, we gave up and let him go to bed with us. I don't have any solution, but at some point I think options will run out and the lock will come out.

First answer by Nikki. Last edit by Paulusaemail. Contributor trust: 28 [recommend contributor]. Question popularity: 182 [recommend question]