🛌🏻 Freeschoolin': Cosleeping @ 10
We ❤️ Cosleeping/Bedsharing!
Since Hope was 3, when we first discovered the practice of bedsharing, she has slept next to me or Jaze most every night.
She slumbers soundly, without nightmares or tossing and turning. She never fears bedtime. (Like I did.) Had we known about cosleeping at her birth, Hope would never have spent anytime in a crib or bassinet. She taught us her place is safely by our sides as long as she needs.
Now with less than a month before Hope turns 11, she is still happiest snuggled up with me or her Daddy when she goes to bed and we embrace her happily.
How It Started
As I wrote above, Hope was 3 when we started our bedsharing journey. She all of a sudden did not want to sleep in her crib and asked to come into our bed. There was no way we were going to say no to that cute face so she rested with us that night. And pretty much every night since. I started reading that other families also coslept and had great, bonded relationships, so we decided to let Hope choose. As long as she wanted to stay in our bed, she was welcome. As soon as she desired her own space, we'd facilitate that for her.
How We Manage
Our cosleeping set up is different than most I've observed. We were gifted a bunk bed in 2017 that has really helped with space saving in our tiny 600 sq ft, 2 bdrm apartment over the garage of a country home. Most nights, Jaze sleeps up top and Hope and I sleep on the bottom. Often Hope will use the top as an art/tik tok hang out when it's not being used for sleeping. Her room is exclusively a play room, Hope's choice. It's also now being used as our chick's room until their coop is built and the weather is warm enough. The biggest worry we hear about cosleeping is intimacy. How can you and your partner get together if you don't share a bed? A good question. For us, we get creative. I was very traditional before our cosleeping adventure so it was not easy for me to adapt to new ways of being close with Jaze. But we were committed to having Hope in our bed as long as she wanted, so we knew the only options we had were to think outside the box when it came to the rooms and spaces in our apt. We find time when Hope is asleep fairly easily. And because we have to actively pursue opportunities, it's kept us close after 12 years of marriage. It still feels like falling in love all over again. Bottom line... cosleepers find a way.
The Future
We're not worried that she'll never leave our bed. In the history of cosleeping that has never happened.
One day, she'll want her own space and all the lovely moments of cuddling in bed with my sweet girl will be memories. It nearly breaks my heart to think it will end so to soothe my mother's heart, I take advantage of every single night that remains of our bedsharing journey.
THIS WEEK
Hope reverse cycled so it meant she was up all night and sleeping during the day. Still there was time for bike riding in PJ's, chick play and getting fresh air. We all enjoyed the weekly D&D game Jaze runs for a few friends and ourselves on Wednesdays. Hope and I love to draw while we roleplay. There have been lots of cuddles, as per usual, Hope has been keeping her hair pristine since her year of not brushing and her new favorite thing is Youtube videos on hidden words in songs played backwards. She's been playing Pokemon with Jaze and pretending as often as possible. I've been working on a graphic design project and Hope has been watching me. I know this always invokes creativity in her, pursing my passions.
SUBJECTS:
Art, Dramatic Arts, Retail, Time Management, Energy Regulation, Animal Care, Math, Finances, Conflict Resolution, Healthy Communication Skills, Socialization, Bonding, Community, Phys Ed, Responsibility, Compassion, Technology, Construction, Decision Making, Reading, Biology, So Much More...
VIDEO
HOPE RIDES HER BIKE IN PJ'S (clip)
Much Love Always, Wendy BOOKS, CLOTHING & MORE
About the Author
Wendy Elizabeth Hart - Author, Illustrator, is a radical unschooling, homesteading Mom of 2 amazing kids and wife of more than 12 years to her bff, Jaze. Together with their daughter Hope, 10, they live a life of daily discovery in rural Ontario, Canada and share it with the world to connect with and support other families in the unschooling community.
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