TOUR CHARLOTTE GROENEVELD’S CHILDRENS BEDROOMS IN THEIR NEW YORK CITY UES APARTMENT

 Until this apartment, James and Stella shared their bedroom and they loved it. We loved it, too, because we believed the companionship actually helped them feel comfortable and secure when going to bed. They rarely woke up at night, or had trouble falling asleep – and I don’t necessarily think this is because of any sleep training magic, because we never did any in particular other than having a solid bedtime routine, which we vigorously stuck to. At all times.

Then there’s also an age factor that played part in the decision to keep them together, rather than separating them. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against separate rooms, I just have more Pro’s than Con’s, and in the end of the day, it worked for us… But this doesn’t mean it’s a formula for guaranteed success. Anyway, where I’m going with this, is that what I mentioned before, about James and Stella being secure and comfortable together and the the age-factor, is simply that we feel that when they we’re younger, they had stronger emotional needs to “support” each other. Now, James being almost 10 and Stella turning 8 in a few weeks, we noticed their emotional needs around bedtime, or at night, are different. James needs his own space, his own moments before bed, and even dare I say, some sort of privacy. Or call it personal space. Stella is definitely not 100% there yet, emotionally. She asks us frequently if she can sleep with James, or James with her, but sadly for Stella, James refuses more often than that he says yes. Stella therefore, we think, asked us if the new baby – arriving end of October if all goes well – can stay in her room. We obviously said yes to that, but explained that he will first be in our room, until he’s sleeping through the night. She agreed. We all agreed. And we went back to implementing a solid bedtimes routine for both of them, in separate rooms – god is this a challenge, after their summer break! But a week in, a week of waking up early for school, we feel we are getting there… now we have to just stick to it!

But sorry, I know you didn’t come here for parenting advice – nor do I want this platform to