My 2/12 yar old sn has to have me lay with him while he goes to sleep. How do I stop this?
You put him down to sleep and walk away. It's hard to hear him cry but he will learn to soothe himself. Good luck.
Stop laying with him.
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You get up and go sleep in your own bed. He follows you and screams, you put him back. This will be repeated a number of times in all likelihood, but that's the only way. Or, you let him sleep on the floor near you. Or you get him a dog. Eventually he turns into a teenager and he doesn't want to look at you for a couple of years.
He is old enough to understand so explain to him that he needs to learn to sleep on his own and see what might help him to do so. A night light? a stuffed toy to snuggle? Then simply start putting him to bed and kissing him goodnight and leaving. The first couple of nights may be hard, but he will adjust.
I am laughing about the answer below...Teens are so (unfortunately) into technology...They don't have too much time for conversation w/ the parent. Also, they are growing up !!
Make sure he is not overtired. Have the same bedtime routine every night. Read to him...no tv (It stimulates) and say a few nursery rhymes, etc...
Give him a lovey to sleep with and tuck him in. If he gets up walk him back to his room. He needs to associate the routine with bedtime. Consistency is great !
It is so healthy and refreshing when a child can fall asleep !!! It may not happen overnight !
I always tried to follow Dr. Brazelton's advice. Let the child learn to fall asleep on his/her own.
As a parenting teacher, I have found that there are exceptions: Some parents just can't do it, some kids may have something like sensory processing, and the list goes on.
Yet, a typical child should get his/herself to sleep.
Did he fall asleep on his own a few weeks ago? Sometimes when a child is working on a new skill or is going through a developmental change...Sleep patterns can change. It's not easy being a parent sometimes !!!
PS: I love the bk "Goodnight Moon"
Mattress next to you or chair next to him. Let him know you're there but gradually wean him off needing you next to him until he's asleep.
I never actually lay down with my kids, but I did used to rub their back or sing or snuggle until they were dead asleep. So a transition had to happen. I started out by sitting near the bed, so they knew I was right there, and would wait for them to fall asleep. With my oldest, I did that for a few nights. Then I started making up excuses to leave (laundry, dishes, whatever) with the promise to come back. I always came back! Then I started increasing the amount of time I was gone. It wasn't long (a week or two?) before I was able to say goodnight and leave.
My youngest is a very active child and has trouble settling down. I'm still in the process of doing this for hi, because if I'm not sitting right there he will get up and find me. Hoping this will change soon, but for now I just sit in the dark and do something on my laptop.
If you go with the suggestions of the first few posters you might be done soon, but I was afraid that route was just insensitive. For me, it was worth the extra time.
The only way is to just do it.
I set my kids up with a cool nightlight, one that projects stars & the moon onto the ceiling & then I tucked them in, read them a book & gave kisses & then (this is the important, kinda cheating part) I told them I would be back to 'check on' them in a few minutes.
I told th all they had to do was 'try' to sleep in their own bed & after I did the dishes or switched over the laundry or took a shower (that is a good one because they know they can't call for you every 5 seconds) then I would be back to check on them.
Worked like a charm. Took a few nights of consistently doing it but eventually they just get it & it's not a big deal anymore!
Try to patiently wait until he is 10 or 11, he won't want you to then.😄😫
