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Posted by bbullard

Hey, lady, it's been a while since I've been here, so I had to go back and read a few posts. Bless your heart, you've been pretty busy! No wonder that you've not been here too often.

I'm not the expert on this, but I've been there with the kids when they were a bit younger. Each of our kids currently has his/her own bedroom, but I have to laugh in realizing that they all sleep in our son's room! I keep telling my husband, why do we have all this space?

If it is the comfort of a parent that your daughter needs, could one of you sleep with her long enough for her to fall asleep? If she sleeps lightly enough that this won't work, maybe you can set limits on the time she can come to visit--not before 2 a.m., 5 a.m., whatever works. Those limits can get later and later as she grows more comfortable. I don't know if the television will calm her or wake her up, but our kids (after Christmas) are loving to doze off to their music via iPods--not a cheap item, but cheaper than a monthly cable bill.

Finally, my 12 year old sometimes wants to stay in our room when there is a storm. Sometimes we allow them to sleep on the floor with a sleeping bag, although on those nights the 4-year old sleeps in the bed. Yet, I use opportunities to talk to our 12 year old about husband-wife relationships, and that we need our time, just as she will one day need to spend time with her husband. Your 9-year-old may not be ready for that, but I have a girlfriend who describes it more simplistically as the parent's bed being for the "king and queen" of the house--princes and princesses sleep elsewhere. If she's feeling bad about it, maybe even a dollar store tiara, a new nightgown, and a "welcome to your castle" sign to usher her into her own quarters?

I know that you know to pray about the wisdom of what to say and how to say it. Also, for you and your husband, remember that this, too, is a season, and if you hold on with God, you'll look back at this one, too, and laugh about how it used to be. God bless you, Julia.

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