I haven't blogged much about this topic because I'm a little reluctant to admit that my kids generally won't go to sleep on their own. So, yes, we lay next to them. There, I said it.

My son is 2 and my daughter is 5, so I can understand their need to have someone keep them company. And I'm not against co-sleeping at all. I just want need to sleep in my own bed and it's nice to have my hubby next to me.

What usually happens is that I put my daughter to sleep (in her twin-size bed) while my husband lays next to my son in his big boy bed (which is a double). I try to just sit at the end of her bed but I am often so tired, I end up curling up in a ball and falling asleep. This means I fall asleep in an awkward position, without any covers and will wake up in the middle of the night with a sore neck and feeling cold.

I have always been steadfast against putting our kids to bed this way but they, mainly my daughter, got used to it during infancy. I did go through a period where I sort of 'weaned' her off the need to have someone lay next to her. But then we found ourselves getting lazy and becoming inconsistent. Especially when she would get sick. And sometimes it's just easier to give in.

But I want my bed. It's so comfortable. And big. And spacious. And I want my daughter to have a sense of security and feel comfortable going to bed by herself. Because I know she can do it. And she did! For the past two nights, I have been jumping up and down over the fact that she went to sleep on her own. Yes, it's true!

How did this happen?

A couple of days ago, I noticed a tweet by @DrGreene in which he shared a link to his "Bedtime Pass Program" and boy, am I glad I followed it. In this article, he suggests using a bedtime pass that can be used only once each night for whatever need your child might have. Once it's used, though, that's it. If your child leaves his/her, you need to take them back to bed without talking or making eye contact. Sounds all Super Nanny.

Anyway, my daughter and I used our Cricut to cut out a door hanger and decorated it with the poodle from the Cricut Create a Critter cartridge. This is what we use for her bedtime pass.

She has been pretty cooperative with this idea and the first night, she never used it. Tonight, she used it early on but after I took her back to bed, she fell asleep instantly. I wanted to cry, "Eureka!" You have no idea how amazed I am at the simplicity of this little trick. It requires such minimal effort and no begging. I love it! I could cry at how easy it is. Now, you know that by posting this, I'll end up jinxing the whole thing and she'll stay up late tomorrow putting up a fuss. But, I just had to share this with you. I really hope it continues to work for us. Oh, and thank you Dr. Alan Greene!

And by the way, if you or anyone you know owns a Cricut, you can win a Cricut Create a Critter cartridge in Jalisa's blogoversary giveaway. Just sayin'.