21 March 2012
Sleeping in
It's been two months since we made our three bedroom house a one bedroom, plus playroom, plus innovation suite* house. Merging a queen and a king sized bed together to create the biggest bed in the world. We enjoy long, languid lie-ins most mornings, taking time to get up when we are ready, each with our own space until then. Traditional Japanese homes have always had the whole family sleeping in one room. It makes sense. And for us, it does too. But there have been interesting little things, astonishing things, we've noticed along the way...
Little Owlet has lost her fear of bedtime. She no longer has to be tickled or cuddled to sleep. She takes herself to bed most nights, tucks herself in and dozes off while her big sister reads silently beside her. She wakes up, more often than not, smiling at me as we say good morning with our eyes. Her confidence has grown incredibly, to the point where she's now happy to leave our nest and sleep at friends' houses. She knows she has a safe, loving place to return to.
Big Owlet, who was always a little awkward in showing affection, now has confidence and comfort in her cuddles. She comes and cuddles and kisses us often during the day. She's much more content and secure now. Less angry. Able to communicate more clearly. Grounded. She enjoys a level of responsibility and care for her sisters too, particularly Tiny Owlet. She feels, for the first time in a long time, always accepted. Welcome. Loved.
Tiny Owlet will know no different to this. She'll always know the joy of waking up with your favourite people in the world, rolling over and crawling between them for a play and a giggle. She'll only know nurture and comfort and belonging.
Last night, Tiny Owlet woke just as I was heading to bed. She often does this as her sleep cycle finishes and she wonders where I've gone. Huz went to console her while she waited for me to brush my teeth. When he placed her on the bed to snuggle in next to me, she giggled. Then pointed at her sleeping sisters next to her. Then lay down next to me, sighed and fell asleep. "Smartest thing we've ever done", Huz said. "Yes. I know", I replied, listening to my owlets breathing and sighing contentedly next to me... dozing off into a blissful slumber with my Huz by my side...
* that's Huz's name for the grown ups play room... It's our space to create, to relax and innovate.
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Oh I love this. And I adore that fantastic photo of your special girls. The love they all have for each other is beaming. Beautifully captured. Beautifully said <3
ReplyDeleteThankyou. Thankyou. Thankyou. Your beautiful post just solved a major issue for me and I am all excited to tell The Munchkin in the morning that her unslept in bedroom is going to be her playroom and her bed is coming into our room next to our bed! We have always co-slept and I have always said it feels cruel to attachment parent and then isolate my child in another room when they're "old enough", but couldn't see my way forward. Our lives have been so rollercoastery these last few years that the small simple answers have often eluded me. I feel like I can breath now. Thankyou again so much for presenting this option as normal. X
ReplyDeleteYes! We too innovate in our playroom.
ReplyDeleteSounding and looking absolutely beautiful. What amazing love you're creating all between you! We've got 4 little boys sleeping with and next to us in a bed that just squeezes into our room, and the other 3 usually sleep in the same room as each other, though sometimes Griff is on his own....or takes Merlin in with him. And I reckon we've all liked it best when we've been travelling or squeezed into one room together. Something awfully safe and comforting about it for everyone I think...... Makes me feel like a real mum of the pack when we're all sleeping in the same room!
ReplyDeletehaving a family bed made a big difference for my biggest too. very jealou of you monster size one though!
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely update.
ReplyDeleteI'm so pleased this is working for your family xx
So lovely. Lewi has always coslept and still is (he's 12!). He's getting ready to move into his own bed now though and it won't be long before he does. But I've so enjoyed our bedtimes together reading and cosy and helping his fear of the dark (which seems to be all but gone nowadays).
ReplyDeleteWe loved reading The Biggest Bed in The World. It was one of our faves. Enjoy your biggest bed in the world!
Us too, in our case we've had to make the bed from two QS and two singles. We all have our quiet spaces elsewhere in the house. This is where we read, we walk the rainbow bridge and we sleep, all snuggled in together.
ReplyDeleteHow happy I am to see so many blogs about unschooling. When I began unschooling with my twin daughters over 12 years ago, I would say the majority of homeschooling parents (not just unschoolers) were still "silent", scared to their roots that their children would be taken away because they chose to homeschool. Yup, I'm talking "way" back just before the turn of the 21st CENTURY! Anywho, my DDs are almost 18 and we still cuddle in bed together, especially when we want some bonding time, but just to be together doing nothing at all as well. Enjoy your big bed years because they fly by so quickly.
ReplyDelete