Locking children in their bedrooms

She would be frightened up there on her own. Very thoughtless parents, she is only a little girl, what if she becomes ill or has a nightmare.

And how about if she had friends to sleep over? Girls love sleepovers!

I would have to say something and say it fast !! this is not acceptable behaviour from parents and to think a sleep expert has advised them to do this is unbelievable who makes these people experts I would like to know ? I know it is being alarmist taking of the possibility if fires etc but the fact is that they do happen,how many times have we switched on TV news to be told of children loosing their life as the result of a house fire ? awful and dangerous practice which you should get stopped now.

All wrong on every count.

What a stupid, dangerous thing to do to a child.

Better off putting the parents in the loft and lock them in, while she stays with her siblings! Misguided to say the least!

Why pay a 'sleep expert'? All the wee girl needs is to sleep somewhere else, surely - where she can be with everyone else and not feel isolated. Beautiful room or no, the child won't see it this way. When I was little, I used to sleepwalk. My parents put a hasp on the outside of my bedroom door, so that if I did wander, I wouldn't fall downstairs, when all they really needed to do was put a stair-gate up. I hated the feeling of being 'locked in'. It was really quite frightening. I would have been about 5 or 6, I think, and when I think of it, my parents' habits of smoking in bed could have led to a fire and I would have been locked in! Even thinking about it now makes me come out in a sweat!

It's a dreadful thing to do! You need to protest, and loudly. And continuously, until it stops!

I'm not surprised she feels insecure, poor love. Definitely a no-no in my book. I agree with annobel.

How old are her siblings?

I'd be very worried, as you are. What if there is a fire? Also its very frightening for a young child to feel that she is trapped and unable to get to parents for comfort.

Personally, am a fan of the star chart approach for gently and supportively changing behaviour.

It sounds downright unsafe to me. The first thing that springs to mind is that the poor child could be trapped in the event of a fire. And the paid a so-called 'expert' for this piece of advice!