Page 132 - The Intentional Parent

well with some kids who like to get up and wander around a lot. Offer a bedtime coupon that is good for either fifty cents or fifteen minutes. If he comes out of the room he can wander around for fifteen minutes, but he has to surrender the coupon. If he stays in bed, he can trade the coupon in for fifty cents the next morning. Should you pay your child to go to bed earlier? That's up to you, but considering what fifty cents will buy you these days, peace and quiet seems like quite a bargain.
Also, be mindful of permitting kids to use their devices before bedtime. The blue light given off by devices can keep children up. Look for a separate eBook on Kids and Devices on centerihr.teachable.com. This topic deserves its own treatment.
LETTING YOUR CHILD SLEEP WITH YOU
My husband and I have been arguing over whether or not to let our five-year-old daughter sleep with us at night. I came from a big family, and we all climbed into bed with one another. My husband says she will become dependent on it and will never learn to sleep in her own bed. What's the verdict on this one?
The verdict is "it depends." First, NEVER sleep with an infant. You run the risk of suffocating your child. Second, older kids will not usually become dependent on sleeping in their parents' bed. You slept in your parents' bed, yet somehow you were able to grow up, move out, and sleep in your own bed. But you do have fond recollections of sleeping in your parents' bed and might even have preferred to do that when you were young. If your daughter gets cozy in your bed, she might come to prefer it, but I doubt if she'll crave it like some strung out "Mommy-and- Daddy's-bed-junkie." The downside is the effect it might have on
The Intentional Parent by Peter J. Favaro, Ph.D. 132