When our girls were little Bill and I cuddled with them every night. It started with our first born, Aubrie. Then when the second one, Taylor was old enough to sleep in a big bed we cuddled with her too. Then the third child, Sydney came and you guessed it we cuddled with her every night too. When I say WE cuddled with THEM, I mean that Bill cuddled with each child and I cuddled with each child EVERY night. When they got a little older and wanted to stay up to watch a movie or television show we would give them the option…cuddle or show…they would choose CUDDLE EVERY TIME!
Open communication comes from spending quality and quantity time with your kids!
I loved those times. We would sing, make up stories, read or just lay there. One child (to remain nameless) would throw her arm straight above her head and INSIST EVERY NIGHT WITH FORCE, “TICKLE MY TIPS!” She of course meant, “Tickle my pits,” but got it a little mixed up. 
I loved that mistake so I didn’t correct her for a very long time. It was too cute.
As they got older the cuddling was more challenging because it was so time consuming. We cut it down to taking turns, Bill one night, me the next and so on. Then over time as they were all in school and started having homework and life got busier the bed time “cuddling” stopped. After a while I started noticing behavior changes in the two older children. One tended to act out in frustration while the other tended to whine more often.
One day I just went in the bedroom where they were playing and SAT ON THE FLOOR. Both girls started telling me all about their friends and what was happening in school and with the neighbor girls, etc. These were things I had no clue about! I was in their territory on their time and they liked it! So did I. It dawned on me, I remember my dad coming into my room one time when I was younger and sitting on the floor. I don’t remember anything we said that day but I remember I felt like the MOST IMPORTANT PERSON IN THE WORLD! He came in MY ROOM! Wow!
It’s not really something I plan or do in a manipulative way. It’s actually quite natural because we broke the “door” down so to speak. We are all allowed into each other’s rooms. No “stay out” signs at the Shulers! Taylor found out what my blog was about and she said, “Oh sitting on the floor…yea that works every time.”
SIT ON THE FLOOR…THEN LISTEN!!! They want to talk. Don’t miss it! No lectures though…I learned the hard way, that defeats the purpose! LISTEN ON THE FLOOR!
(My kids are finding out my secrets with these blogs) I think they will still like it when I sit on the floor in their rooms or climb in their beds!
smart girl!
