C.T.
I did the "wean" him out of it method w my son starting when he was 5. I talked to him about how big boys go to bed and how his friends do it. We gradually lessened the time I stayed with him. He is 7 now and after reading stories he gets 5 minutes of snuggle time. He gradually got better and better at it. There are nights where he feels extra needy and I stay another 5 minutes. He does not complain any more...now he just knows this is the way it is from now on. Some friends did it a different way. They did the quick and hard approach. They removed everything from their son's room (he was 7 when they did this) and when they said goodnight they never went back in. I guess it was like CIO but with a big kid. They said their son complained, cried, yelled, etc. They had to lock him in his room or else he would just defiantly come out. They said it took a week and then he was good. I could not do it that way (I'm more of a softie) but that is what worked for them.