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The OP has not indicated where she's from and so it may/may not be culturally accepted.
If she's from the United States, it certainly would be considered abnormal. At some point it won't be only other mothers who give her sideways glances. The kids will be subjected to ridicule at school.
Embracing this practice has deep rooted sentiment which the OP has yet to express. "raised like" offers no real explanation as to why the OP and her husband engage in a very non-standard practice. (assuming they live in the USA)
Actually it's not abnormal in the USA. There was an old book out long ago "The Family Bed" and it's a fairly common practice.
ONE of Britain’s leading experts on children’s mental health has advised parents to reject years of convention and allow children to sleep next to them until the age of five.
Margot Sunderland, director of education at the Centre for Child Mental Health in London, says the practice, known as cosleeping, makes children more likely to grow up as calm, healthy adults.
I don't believe in "cosleeping". I understand it when babies are, well, babies, and you have to get up and down with them all night. But past the age of 1 I think it's laziness and comfort on the parents part. At your kids ages I think it's down right weird.
I read the reasons your "friends" gave for it being bad, and read where you rebutted them. My concern with cosleeping families that take it so far is when the kids are older. I feel like they are the type that will be clingy and always want a boyfriend or girlfriend and won't want to be alone or sleep alone.
I'm not attacking you. If it's what works for your family, have at it. I just wouldn't expect many other people to agree with what you do, and be ready for the "looks" you'll get when you tell people.
Do your kids friends know they sleep like this?
It depends on what "laziness" is. Many two-career families co-sleep with children because neither parent can afford to give up a nights sleep to be up with frightened or lonely children. Newborns will sleep through the night if they sleep next to mother but some people prefer getting up at all ours to deal with a screaming baby.
Kids that sleep with the parents don't have terrifying nightmares, and they can get the cuddle time they need even if the parents have to rush off for work in the morning.
Even in the past American families often had kids start out in their own bed but by morning the whole family under age 6 is in the parents bed. And dogs and cats. Everyone all cuddled together.
Feeling weird to admit this, but I slept in the same bed with my mom until I was around 9/10 or so (estimating b/c I can't remember the exact age...I may be off). I always found my room to be particularly creepy at night and didn't like sleeping there as a child. I still find my room creepy, although I sleep in it or just rest on the family room couch w/ the TV on. Plus, my dad slept upstairs since his snoring was quite cumbersome and ridiculously loud...more room for me! Eventually, I realized that sleeping in my mom's room was weird (by going to friends' houses for sleepovers and realized that they slept in their own room) and just started to sleep in my own bed in my dark and creepy room.
Needless to say, I still have issues with the dark...at my old, creaky house. Not so much at college. But I have grown accustomed to sleeping with the lights/TV on.
what does "un-schooling" mean? I can understand co-sleeping with an infant that is nursing. Beyond that, it is a little strange to me. It's your family, and you can do what you want (just like the Duggars can) but most people are going to find it a little strange, I think. My kids are 5 and 7 too and I can't imagine sharing a bed with them.
Has anyone seen the movie "Away we Go"?
ETA just to clarify, You and the Duggers are both extremes. I find both extremes kind of strange, and so will most people.
Last edited by Kibbiekat; 09-05-2010 at 11:31 AM..
what does "un-schooling" mean? I can understand co-sleeping with an infant that is nursing. Beyond that, it is a little strange to me. It's your family, and you can do what you want (just like the Duggars can) but most people are going to find it a little strange, I think. My kids are 5 and 7 too and I can't imagine sharing a bed with them.
Has anyone seen the movie "Away we Go"?
ETA just to clarify, You and the Duggers are both extremes. I find both extremes kind of strange, and so will most people.
Unschooling is a particular philosophy of homeschooling. It ranges from following your child's interest and using the world as a classroom to radical unschooling where the parents do little to structure the child's education and s/he chooses for him or her self.
Unschooling is a particular philosophy of homeschooling. It ranges from following your child's interest and using the world as a classroom to radical unschooling where the parents do little to structure the child's education and s/he chooses for him or her self.
Co-sleeping is more common than most people think. I co-slept with both of my kids and they are confident, friendly, and well adjusted. Be careful what you call weird or strange, because in most cultures, it's the norm. Don't worry what other people think, do what feels right for you and your family.
Unschooling is a particular philosophy of homeschooling. It ranges from following your child's interest and using the world as a classroom to radical unschooling where the parents do little to structure the child's education and s/he chooses for him or her self.
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Just look at how many people in this thread don't understand cultural differences of second and third generation immigrants. 
