First there is a difference between "spoon feeding" him and growing out of something. You have to give him chance to let him adjust to sleeping alone. Im defending the kid because I used to be like him too, I stopped sleeping with my parents at a old age (11.) It is very important to be patient and kind. You know you can't just snap your fingers and think he will atomatically sleep in his room. You need to give him time, the poor kid is used to sleeping with his mom every night. Here is some advice, put him in his on room and see what he does. He might respond and actually sleep there ( very unlikely though) or he will come in the middle of night. When he does take him to his room and sit there for a while or even resort to sleeping with him. Ask him why he wants to sleep with his mom. It could be because he is so used to being close to her. If he is scared put some tv in the background or a night light, if you keep up with this process then he will slowly adapt to his room. I know you asked this question three years ago but still....
tell him that you will give him a big surprise if he sleeps in his own bed whatever he wants
My brother is 10 he still sleeps with my mom im almost 13 i got over that when i was a baby she baby's him never me so like above what someone said repeat putting him back in his room so he sleeps in his room were ever my mom is he go'snso again we go swimming he all up on her go's between her legs i think thays to inappropriate for him also like sometimes i catch him staring at her
How about acting like a parent? If you child cries so hard he actually gets sick just because he doesn't get his way about sleeping with his parents you have already abdicated your role as a parent for so long it will be very difficult to put him back in the child role and you in the parent role. You have done your child no favors by letting him make his own choices at an age when he is incapable of wise choices and he is likely to fight you tooth and nail in order to keep getting his own way. Does he get to choose the food he eats, the time he gets to go to bed, does he have chores to do so that he feels like a contributing member of the family or is he/she the little Prince/Princess of the house and served by Mommy and Daddy?
Children do best in a structured environment when they know what the rules are and who makes those rules and enforces them. Not a dictatorship but more like an enlightened monarchy. To do otherwise makes them into intolerable little brats that nobody, adults or children, want to be around. And even worse they are not happy children themselves. Who wants to be in charge of all the rules of a home when you are only 7 years old?
The problem here is not with the child but with mom and dad and I feel confident that it will take more than a short answer to remedy the situation. I would suggest a family therapist but so many of them are in the business of empowering our kids at too early an age that they are more likely to be a contributor to the problem than a solver of the problem.
Perhaps this would work. Go to your grandparents if they are still alive and, if not, go find someone that would be your grandparents age. Ask them how their children turned out. I would suspect well and, if so, ask them for advice on what you should do. I would suspect that their first response (after rolling their eyes and shaking their heads) will be to say let the child cry himself to sleep in his own bed. After that follow their advice to the letter for the other problems. It may not be too late for your child to teach him how to be a child. Hopefully it's not too late to teach you how to be parents.
OMG I did not read all the foolish comments when I posted my earlier response. All of the problems listed are from parents who let their children sleep with them. Does that tell you anything? The bed is for two things. Sex and sleeping. And by that I mean sleeping alone.
Now really you are supposed to sit on the floor with your head to the ground while....no, I can't go on with that stupidity.
Moms who allow children to sleep with them after a divorce are using their children as "comfort toys" to assuage their own lonliness and it is just plain wrong. What is wrong with the adults in our world today? Is it just too hard being an adult that you would turn over the responsibility to a child? C'mon people grow the hell up and be a responsible adult. As wrong as our parents were about some things they were sure right about many others. I look at the fat, whiny children we are raising these days and wonder what will happen when we go into combat with some Middle Eastern Joe's who haven't had everything handed to them but have been facing challenges all of their lives? Not looking good.
Since this was written a year ago I can only imagine that you are not there anymore nor in a relationship with him. He obviously cares far more about them than he did you. Am I right?
Is there not a lock on your door? If not , get one. Now was that so hard to think of? What's wrong with you?
Get her in a child's bed and put her to sleep and close and lock your bedroom door. Let her scream. May go on a night or two when you don't get sleep but you're not getting any now anyway, right? Will be all over in 3 or 4 nights. Don't give in.
You made the situation last a lot longer than it would have if you had just been tough about it. Sorry Mom but she played you.
You know the answer.
Why can't you tell her that? Aren't you the adults?
Yes, break up with this woman. There are more problems down this road that you will want.
He isn't going to care that your husband will not be happy in the future. All he wants is Mommy. Tell him "NO". End of story. You don't always own children explanations.
You were so screwed up by your parents.