Do you remember how your parents put you to bed?

[meow]

I have wonderful memories of hopping into my parent's bed on the occasional night when I was little. I thought everyone did this but then when I hear so much talk about 'they'll still be coming into your bed at 7 if you co-sleep" I realise maybe it's not the norm?

I used to get terrible nightmares when I was little and would wake up terrified. I remember getting into my big sister's bed every night. Apparently I did it so much and my poor sister couldn't sleep so my parent's bought us a double bed. This I don't remember- I must have been too busy sleeping!

[Aponi]

I used to co-sleep as well. Mostly I would fall asleep in my own bed but wake up really early and hop into bed with Mum and Dad. They only had a tiny double bed and all four of us slept in it!!

My brother and I used to sleep in the same bed during our day naps too (we are only 20 months apart).

When I was really little my Dad would drive me around the block EVERY night to put me to sleep. Worked every time!

[Heaven]

I remember my parents always putting me to bed until I was in my teens I think!! They would come into my room and kiss me goodnight and turn the light off. Never said goodnight and went to bed by myself, it felt so lonely!! So I will remember to always do that with my kids, until they're too old and protest, lol. And I remember running in and jumping in their bed in the morning for a cuddle.

[Daydream Believer]

I never slept in my parents bed, but I was scared of my dad lol
Mum used to read us a story before bed & if we had nightmares she'd come in and rub our backs or stomachs until we fell asleep

[Rouge]

I was never allowed to sleep in my parents bed. I can still remember crying myself to sleep when I was about 2 or 3, and I had this little pillow I used to cradle and I remember it got all soggy, I can still remember the smell (I know this sounds strange) of the tears on my pillow and the cracks of light coming through the strange little window from the bathroom that was near my room. I can also remember the pattern on the blanket. I don't remember bedtimes being an overly joyous or warm time in my house, I have a few memories of reading with my dad but that was very short lived.

I love the memories I am creating with my kids though Cuddles in the rocking chair, singing lullaby's, story time, fairy lights, midnight cuddles in our bed.

[Aponi]

Another memory I have is of my mum stroking my hair until I fell asleep.

As a child (and even now) I suffered from severe migraines where, more often than not, I would end up in hospital from dehydration caused by vomiting. Mum would sit there with me for hours, sometimes days, stroking my hair and singing to me. I think I might ring her now and tell her what I remember - it will make her smile

[Lady Zaidie]

Alone. Sometimes I'd sneak a book in with me. I had my teddy so I didn't need my mother - even when I had a nightmare. I remember crying myself to sleep too and yes, it does have a certain smell to it! And my parents being noisy downstairs but shouting at us to go to sleep when we couldn't!

My sister would be allowed to go into Mum's bed but not me - I guess my sister needed it more. I think I was told off once (age about 6) and that means don't do it ever again, my sister would persevere more.

When I was little we had bedtime stories, but that stopped when we were both at school, maybe a bit before for me. But when my sister was at school I was 7 and reading things like Famous Five all by myself so it was easier to just let me read alone.

[Astrid]

I remember often waking up in my mother's bed, could never remember how or when I got there. From what I can gather mum slept better with me there (she was single most of my childhood). Can't really remember how I got to sleep, just that when I was 5 or 6 bedtime was after the Sullivans.

[~Trish~]

My mum always tucked us into bed with lots of cuddles, a story and a prayer

I spent many a night climbing into her single bed when I was afraid, it was so squishy with the two of us that she'd wait until I fell asleep and then hop out and sleep in my top bunk bed LOL.

My mum was such a safe place for me, very important because I didn't have a dad to protect me.

[fionas]

Mum says that as a baby I wouldn't go to sleep so she used to let me stay up until she went to bed - at about midnight!!! Mum's a night owl and I am too, even now. I can be buggered all day but will miraculously then be wide awake at 10pm.

I don't remember sleeping in my parents' bed but I'm sure they would have let me if I wanted to because they let their 8-year-old grandson sleep with them when he visits!

I do remember mum reading me stories while I was in bed until I was old enough to read on my own and then I'd do the usual toddle off to bed without a fuss because I knew I could then stay up till all hours with a torch under the blankets.

So for me going to bed did not mean sleep, it meant reading. And that was a very, very difficult habit to break.

[meow]

Aww... some lovely memories. And also some very strong sad memories- good on you girls for changing things for your children.

When I was 12 I think the puberty hormones hit me hard and I went through a stage of nightmares and bed wetting. I used to hop into my Mum's bed (divorced then) but she made me feel really unwelcome so I stopped doing it. Instead I would lie in my room wishing soooo badly to hop into her bed and feel safe. It always makes me aware of how parents may think the cosleeping thing has been 'fixed' but have no idea that it's not fixed at all and instead their child is actually suffering. I don't want to do that.

[LisaL]

We used to get tucked in - and even when I was till home at 24 mum used to tuck me in on the nights i was home and going to bed early. My brother and I shared a room until my teens so he used to jump in with me if he was scared.

My gran lived with us too, so every morning we would jump into her bed for morning cuddles. I did that right until I moved out (at age 24).

So i dont have any bad memories really. I do know though that as a newborn I refused to sleep at night, so mum would put me in the pram and dad would rock it with his leg while they slept. Awwww.

[[M]umma[M]ia]

i remember when i would pretend i was asleep and mum would come in and tuck me in and kiss my forehead and tell me she loved me. Everytime she did that i fell straight to sleep. Weird that. I miss the smell of my bed when i was little. it was always so perfect and ironed and smelled like mum. its funny the small things u remember....

[Ozziehoffy]

Hmmm nup nothing for me! I used to read a book under my covers with a torch though...lol. We didn't sleep in our parents bed or mum's after they divorced. On the VERY odd occasion we may have gone in there in the morning for a little while, but nothing that sticks in my memory or has a good memory to it. Maybe because when mum and dad were separating they called us into their room and onto their bed to tell us??

I still most nights go and tuck Joshua in and give him a kiss and tell him I love him and he's 15. He doesn't care that I still do it, sometimes he'll lay there having a chat with me.

[BellyBelly]

Thats so sad Cailin

[Rouge]

It is but I'm kinda glad in a way as maybe without this memory I would have chosen different methods to settle my children in bed. They tell adults they should never go to bed angry, yet children can go to bed crying their little hearts out

[SeaChange]

My Mum says that we all used to come into bed with them, but only when we felt scared or unwell. I got kicked out first because I was the eldest and sometimes acted like a prima donna!

The routine was that my brothers and I would chose a book each and Dad would read each one. Then Mum would tuck us up in bed and sing prayers with us. Then we would go to sleep.

I also used to jump into Pop and Nana's bed when we were away with them on holidays.

It stopped when I went to school - although I used to get up for my younger sister if Mum didn't get to her first, or I couldn't settle her. But she'd either go back to her bed, or go in with Mum and Dad. My sister also needed a light on at one stage.

Other things I remember were the plastic sheets with bells on them to stop bedwetting - used to wake up the whole house! And finally, Mum coming in to sing to my youngest sister to get her to wake up. It went something like:

Mum: Good morning to you!

Sister: Mmmmurrff

Mum: Good morning to you!

Sister: (louder) MMMRRRFFF

Mum: Good morning dear (name)
It's time to get up!

Then Mum would stick on a musical toy to keep her awake.

[Dasharity]

I remember my mum or dad coming in and tucking us in and saying good night and then i would go to sleep and the on weekends in the morning we would climb into their water bed for a cuddle. i dont remember geting up to sleep in their bed though but i think if i did i would of been sent back.

Ds1 has a story and then rings daddy to say good night as he works away, then we have a cuddles with silly kisses (rasberrys) and he snuggles in with teddy and goes to sleep, he is a good sleeper but he is always welome in our bed and comes in quite frequently, i think it makes him feel close as he feels a bit left out sometimes since ds2 arrived.