When my children were very young, I stood toe-to-toe with many people insisting they respect my wishes and not threaten my children with tales of dragons and the boogyman that hides under beds.

I literally demanded that my children’s bedroom be considered a safe haven for them – a place to be respected – a place they’d never fear slee

ping.

Creating that safe environment made my life so much easier!

I made certain my kids were home at their naptime every single day so they could sleep safe and secure in their own bed.

Like clockwork, the boys were ready for bed between 7:30 and 8:00 PM every single night. In fact, there were times I was actually insulted, telling me I should not force my kids to be on such a strict schedule. That was until the one person who criticized me most was visiting when one my boys began insisting “mommy, I want to go to bed NOW!”

The boys room was as dark as it could be to allow for solid sleep – and to this day, they like to sleep with their rooms as dark as they can get them. I used to play a radio or keep a fan going on their room to create a sleep habit that wouldn’t be interrupted by low level noises. And to this day, I can sit in the family room, watching television and it doesn’t disturb them in the least.

As the mother of twins, I found it an absolute necessity to create positive habits such as this. Without them, I would have never had the ‘me time’ that was so necessary for me to keep my sanity.

I don’t believe there’s anything wrong with creating a strict schedule where sleep habits are concerned. I do think that a parents room should be a parents room. In as much as children should have their space, parents should to.

Children should feel as though their room is the one place they can always feel safe from dragons and where they are the hero in the fairy tale.

What are your thoughts? Should children sleep in their parents room or bed?