Do you have a family bed?

Comment

Comment by Marsha on December 21, 2010 at 12:05am

At my house we do not co-sleep.  We started a no kids policy when our first child moved into her crib at about 6m.  Now please understand that excludes times that she is scared or wonders in during the middle of the night.  We know as working parents that if they crawl in it is easier to get them back to sleep instead of trying to keep them in their beds.  They must start out in their beds and can not make a habit of coming in each night.  Sometimes if they crawl in we let them fall asleep and carry them back to their rooms and other times we don't.

My 1st child  climb out of her crib before she was two and would not sleep in a toddler bed.  We learned that she was a spinner while she slept.  Her crib and toddler bed didn't give her the room she needed.  We then turned her toddler bed into a double bed and she did better.  I would lay with her each night and rub her back until she went to sleep.  Sometimes I would even fall asleep in her bed.  However my husband and I had a agreement that he would wake me up so I could get in our bed before he went to bed.  I did this on and off for about 8 months.  Then we start a transition of slowly backing out like Supernanny shows on her show and describes in her book.  She eventually got in the habit of staying in her bed.

Now all our rooms are on the same level so I didn't have to worry about the steps.  I think in that case that my children might have stayed in my room a little bit longer.  I always like to have them close by incase some kind of emergency takes place and I know that I can get them out.  When they are that little they are kind of helpless.

I have friends that don't allow kids in their bed and some that do and have up until 1st and 2nd grade.  I really feel like it is whatever work for the individual family!  What ever works and is a win-win situation is best.

Comment by Sundra Smith on December 9, 2010 at 8:26pm

We have a family bed or u can same room.  My 6 year old has been sleeping on a cot in our room off and on his whole life.  He moved from a play pen in our room to a cot.  He has a bunk bed set in his room.  Unless he falls asleep with friends or watching tv in his room,  he is on our room.  Our 1 year old has slept in our bed since she was about 3 mos.  She will fuss and it is just easier for us to let her sleep with us. My husband often sleeps on the couch... but it works for us.

Comment by Karen Martin-Wilkins-Ethan's Mom on December 2, 2010 at 12:17pm

I sleep much better by myself and I was always afraid of rolling on the baby in my sleep when he was little. I did the co-sleeping with the baby in the same room when he was very little, but he transitioned to his crib very easily and we have had no problems. I do think I would love to be able to take a nap and cuddle with my son now, but he is such a mover and a shaker in his sleep it doesn't work very well. He would probably knock me in the eye with his sleepy twists and turns! But I think a family bed is fine for folks if it works for them and it doesn't interfere with Mom and Dad's time/relationship.