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If you found out that a 4-year-old boy was sleeping in a cardboard box at night, you’d probably have some follow up questions
But for Susie Allison — whose son does exactly that — she’s calling it one of the “best parenting moves” she has ever made.
The story begins in June 2022 when Allison took to her Instagram account — which boasts more than 2.4 million followers — to share that her son, Matt, has been sleeping in a cardboard box for 18 months.
But before everyone rushes to judgement, it wasn’t her idea. It was her son’s.
Matt was just four years old when he “fell in love with a dryer box and asked if he could sleep in it,” according to Allison’s post.
“I didn’t jump to answer, took a pause, and weighed it,” the mom of three wrote in the caption. “It wasn’t a dangerous request, it didn’t topple family systems, it wasn’t complex or expensive or time consuming.”
“It was unusual,” she continued. “But I shrugged and said ‘Sure! Absolutely!’”
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Allison went on to explain that she “had no reason to say no” and wanted to avoid “inventing one through the ‘what if’ game of parenting.” So, she agreed to her son’s odd request.
“It’s actually been amazing. He loves his box, his space, his independence, his autonomy. He’s 5 and a half now and I don’t see ‘box’ leaving us anytime soon,” she continued at the time.
Now nearly five years later, it’s safe to say that Allison was right about her son’s sleeping arrangement.
Matt is now nine years old — and still sleeps in a cardboard box
In an interview with Today.com, published Oct. 27, Allison confirmed what many have been wondering.
"I never expected that four and a half years later, Matt would still be sleeping in this box," she said. "But I have to tell you, I get it. It is cozy in there. It is warm. It is quiet. It is dark. It's like the perfect sanctuary."
She went on to explain that they’ve had to swap out the box when it breaks, but Matt has never wavered in his desire to sleep in a box.
He is, however, starting to physically outgrow the idea — and he’ll be transitioning to a bed soon.
"He requested a refrigerator box. That would be his dream," Allison told Today.com. "That's not going to happen. The room cannot support a refrigerator box."
The family ultimately decided to invest in a low loft bed — but the transition hasn’t exactly started yet.
"We're not in a rush, and Matt's not in a rush. He loves where he sleeps," Allison said of the cardboard box, which is currently situated in the cubby underneath his bed.
What Susie Allison has learned from her son’s ‘odd request’
Through the years, Allison has turned her son’s sleeping habits into a valuable piece of parenting advice.
In fact, she has an entire Instagram Highlight dedicated to “Matt’s Box” — and she even describes her decision to say “yes” as one of the “best parenting moves” she has ever made.
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“How often do we say no when it could have been an easy yes?? This was an EASY win for my son that didn’t impact us at all,” Allison wrote in her 2022 Instagram post.
“Every night he goes to sleep in a reminder that he has ownership over his life. I love that for him,” she added.
While talking to Today.com, Allison described her son’s inquiry as a “softball underhand request.”
"I can end up looking like such a hero for saying yes when really I didn't do anything extravagant or extraordinary. I just paused and said yes to something that I had no reason to say no to,” she explained.
She went on to encourage other parents to say “yes” from time to time.
And even if the answer is a “no,” Allison says a short pause goes a long way.
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"It can be really easy to want to just jump to a 'no,' because it wasn't your plan. But even if you say no in the end, that moment of reflection and that moment of consideration can do wonders,” she added.
