When a 4-year-old asked his mom if he could sleep in a cardboard box, she couldn’t think of a reason to say “no” to him. Although it might seem like an unconventional choice, it served as a reminder about the importance of giving a child autonomy and taking their ideas seriously.
In early 2021, Susie Allison (@BusyToddler on Instagram) explained that when her son asked her if he could sleep in a dryer box, she paused before answering. After thinking about it, she concluded that the request was definitely “unusual,” but “it wasn’t a dangerous request, it didn’t topple family systems, it wasn’t complex or expensive or time consuming.”
With all that in mind, she didn’t have a good reason to say “no” to her child — so she said “yes.” In that post, the mom explained, “The thing is: I had no reason to say no…so instead of inventing one through the ‘what if’ game of parenting (what if he sleeps bad, what if the other kids want one, what if it’s a problem…), I said yes. A simple, easy, (I knew I could say no the next night if it was a bust) yes.”
And sure, as a parent, it can be hard to quiet those “what ifs” and just say “yes.” But now, years later, the mom has no regrets. In an update shared in October 2025, Susie revealed that her son has been sleeping in a cardboard box for four and a half years, and it’s been “amazing.”
“He loves his box, his space, his independence, his autonomy,” she explained. “He’s 9 now and on his fifth box thanks to my amazing Father-in-Law who has a friend in the appliance business.” Even though the unconventional arrangement has been working out well for their family, her son’s sleeping arrangements will be changing in the near future.
“This is his last box,” the mom admitted. “Physically, he’s outgrowing the box and it’ll soon be a thing of the past, but never gone from our memory.”
In her post, the mom reflected on why the experience has been so meaningful for her family. “I remind myself often how important it is to show kids that their ideas are valuable and valid,” she wrote. “Even if I had ultimately said no, the amount of time I considered it was crucial. It showed I cared about his idea.”
She added, “I love when my kids ask for something big (to them) that makes no difference to me, but I can be such a hero saying yes. All it took was a quick pause & a second for me to process to give him so much joy and autonomy…and a great story for when he’s older.”
