how to get a 6yr. old to stop sleeping with his parents

Question

my grandson still continues to sleep with his parents, always going to bed with his mother(our daughter-in-law)and our son gets no where talking about this to her. they are both concernrd about this now because his dependence on both parents has become a problem,he has a separation problem. when he is away from them he constantly asks what time it is,when will they be back?,how much longer will they be before they come for me?. we as grandparents have never experienced this with any of our other children.he cries when you tell him that they will be here in 3 hrs or so and it is awful. i wondering if there is a publication or info on this subject of children sleeping with parents and in sodoing, their world becomes so small that they feel it difficult to function by themselves ?? he is a very brite boy but we fear that if kids in school find this out, they can be very cruel and this would be devestating to him! we all know this esp. his parents but they feellost!!

This discussion is related to sleep problems 6 year old.

RockRose · Answer

I forgot to add this,  it's unlikely his friends at school will "find out" he sleeps with his parents.  It's not like they are wandering the neighborhood looking in the windows.

If he wants to have friends over for sleepovers,  he needs to sleep in a bedroom with his buddies.

Otherwise,  his friends will never know.

RockRose · Answer

Sandy,  I would guess that you're confusing cause and effect.

You think his mom sleeping with him is causing his separation issues,  and I think his separation issues are causing his mother to insist on  sleeping with him.  

Children who are confident and mature want to sleep by themselves at this age.  Children who don't have those skills act the way your grandson acts,  and it's not because the parents sleep with him.  The parents sleep with him because of this.  

I really think you need to back off and let them handle the parenting.  He sounds like he might have long term issues that are completely unrelated to sleeping with parents.