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is five years to old?

angryman14's picture

General question... Do you guys think 5 is to old to have to go to sleep with a sippy cup and have someone lay with you till you fall asleep ? Just a question.

blueorblackink's picture

The sippy cup will rot his teeth out. And yes 5 is old enough to sleep alone. If the child is scared get a night light and some monster spray. Monster spray is a water bottle filled with water and a few drops of vanilla extract for smell. It can be sprayed to drive away any monsters, ghost and other excuses. It is highly effective.

angryman14's picture

Sometimes she wakes up and wants a refill. Very very annoying. And I'm against co sleeping. When my bio child arrives none of that after age 2 if I can help it. My wife usually falls asleep in there. So I either sleep alone or go get her. I dunno why but I really dislike it. And we have many night lights and monster spray and it does not work in our house

BethAnne's picture

Sounds like it isn't SD that needs breaking of her habit but your wife.

My husband broke his daughters co-sleeping before I moved in (thankfully). He tried the tactic of moving further and further away from her bed until he didn't need to be in the same room as her. I'm sure there are other methods.

BethAnne's picture

Oh and as for the sippy cup. Is it just water? Why is your SD so thirsty at night that she needs a refill? Is she not drinking enough during the day? Is there a fan or something on in her room that dries her mouth out? Or is it just a "security blanket" for her and an excuse to get up and ask for a refill when it is empty?

angryman14's picture

A security blanket most definitely and and excuse to get DW attention or try to get her to lay with her again.the habbit is definitely put a strain on our marriage and sex life.

counseling.advocate's picture

Absolutely no way. My son has never had a sippy cup in the bed. At 5 years old, my son would get a drink of water before brushing his teeth and he is 7 now. We have rules that the kids get their drinks, brush their teeth and go to the bathroom before they go to bed so they don't come out all the time. If they have to go again, they can of course but at 5 there's no reason they need a sippy cup. Bad for their teeth structure and if it's not water then that's even worse.

If you ever have to question if they are too old for something, chances are they are. But you should always be trying to keep them ahead of the game if you can. A sippy cup is just another inconvenience/thing that needs to be gone. It's better for their development to get kids off of it as soon as possible, whatever it is.

A child also needs to develop the ability to be secure in his bed, on his own. It's better if you let him fall asleep by himself and raise him to be an independent person. It's hard for a mom to detach herself emotionally from a child and it's understandable to feel the need to comfort. However try to think along the lines of his future, and what kind of person you want him to be. Skills, emotions, mental hang ups, etc. And take the time to fullfill your need to cuddle during the day and other playful playful moments where you can show love.

Hope this helped! Xo

Orange County Ca's picture

I use monster spray to this very day and I've never seen a monster in my bedroom. At my ex-wife's home yes and the spray doesn't work on that type.

nikki_01's picture

lmfao

angryman14's picture

See those were all my thoughts bout the subject but I have been criticised about my point if view and told I'm insensitive. . validation of my point is great.ahhh the world of step parenting. Sometimes we are good for everything except opinions

OrangeUGlad's picture

I think a sippy cup in the room for water is fine.

I wake up in the night for water and always have a glass by my bed. I often wake with a sore throat, dry mouth, etc. I have been known to knock that water over now and again, so it only makes sense to me that some kids might need a glass by the bed at night and if a child has a glass by the bed at night that it be a bottle with a lid or sippy cup. FWIW, my dh puts a regular cup of water in sd's room and *she* has never spilled it.

However- by 5 a child can (should) be taught to fall asleep on their own.

This was a MAJOR issue in our home when we first moved in together and sd was much younger (3 I think). I gave dh a ton of articles about how to train kids to have healthy sleep habits. But ultimately- his child, his rules. I told him I would help him if he decided to use any methods to get her to go to sleep, but I would NOT help him coddle her in this way.

So, as it turned out, his choice was to let her wake him up several times a night for a few years- water, bathroom, pull up her blankets, etc. *I* would not under any circumstances respond to her, but he could do what he wanted.

Kids do grow out of this. Whatever way this might be affecting YOU, figure out a way to set boundaries, but there isn't much else you can do, IMO.

Calypso1977's picture

my sister had 4 kids and never had to lay down with them to get them to sleep. so i think any age is too old.

any any pedi will tell you a sippy cup with anything but water in it is not good to fall asleep with. but really having any liquid or food in bed is not a good habit at ANY age.

nikki_01's picture

I think it is, I have been sleeping on the couch because DH has avoided buying SD(5) a bed for her own room just because he "loves his babygirl's cuddos" and she "can't sleep without someone wiff me". Bullshit. A parent's room is for PARENTS. Kids have no place sleeping in the parent's bed. After what I have gone through I no longer believe in co sleeping. I don't even want my newborn ever co sleeping with us once he arrives, solely because I know it's going to be a pain in the ass just to get them used to sleeping in their own damn bed, and who wants to spend months up and down all night because the kid keeps coming in saying they can't sleep, trying to use that as an excuse to crawl back in. Nope. Nope. 1000x nope.

Calypso1977's picture

wait, you are PREGNANT sleeping on a couch?

your husband is an ass. im sorry, but he is.

and no man should be sleeping and cuddling with his daughter.

AllySkoo's picture

Meh. I don't think it matters. All kids are different and just because "my sister's best friend's cousin's kids don't need to do that!" (or some random stranger on the internet) doesn't mean squat when it comes to your kid (or skid). My 5 year old won't go to sleep alone. WON'T. My 2 year olds will, no problem. (Thank GOD.) They're different. And since I'd like to sleep myself eventually, I lay down with my 5 year old. He'll grow out of it.

How about this? If you have a problem with your WIFE and how she's treating YOU (like missing intimacy with her, alone time, whatever), then deal with THAT and stop trying to judge her parenting. Talk to her about what's affecting YOU - "I feel like we don't get enough adult time together, I miss feeling that connection with you" - instead of trying to tell her what to do - "Stop parenting your child the way you want and do it they way I want". I guarantee the first way will have more success.