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I am looking for advice and hope this is the group that can help.
Background:
I have a 6 year old son, who was adopted at 21.5 months from Guatemala. He was with a super foster family in Guatemala, but he never was alone- at all, including at night. At the one point, I found out he was in the parents' bed, even though he had a crib right next to their bed.
When he came home, I did the absolutely worst thing possible and put him in his own crib in a room alone- it was a year long nightmare for us both. I never wanted to have a family bed, but I have ended up there. There was a point when he would go to sleep in his own bed, after the transition to a big boy bed, but it has be over 2 years since he has slept in his bed.
he goes to sleep on the couch next to me and then I carry him into my bed. If I attempt to take him to his room, he immediately wakes up screaming.
But now at age 6, I am really wanting my private space. I need the time in the evening when I have some seperation from him.
BUT- he has been diagnosed with anxious attachment, so I am not sure how to go about this transition without taking majoy steps backward as he has made huge strides since last year when he started kindergarten.
previously (3 years ago), I did the sitting in his room until he fell asleep. That worked until 2 am in the morning, then he was calling for me every 30 minutes, so he ended up in my bed just so I could get sleep. I don't have the 2 weeks off until November2012 where I could loose that much sleep again, but I can not go another year like this.
There has to be a way for me to get back my bed and still have his attachment not be disrupted.
Thanks so much in advance.
I feel your pain.
My 7 yr old daughter crawls into my bed the middle of the night - every night. looking back, i should have never given in. it is what it is
can your attachment therapist help?
is he in school yet? can he separate during the day time?
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Thanks so much.
Yes, he is in first grade now. He does fine during the day, although he is very attachement to me. If we are out with friends, he is fine so long as he can hear or see me. But a home, he has to be pretty much right next to me. It about drives me up the wall some days.
I know I should treasure this time, becuase there will come a time when he will not want to be around me, but I literally can not do anything alone- he sits outside the bathroom if I am in the bathroom- including when I shower. he wants to stand right next to me when I quilt in the dinniing room (living room and dinning room are open to each other and we have a small house, so he always in my sight when I quilt).
If I go to the basement to do laundry, he has to go too or sit on the stairs.
If I move in the house, the only question out of his mouth is "where are you going?"
I am at my wits end.
Attachment therapist says to let him decide when to leave the family bed, but I think he will never decide to leave the bed unless I push the issue.