Is there an age when it becomes inappropriate/unhealthy for a family bed? - Page 2

[Hykue]

I don't even know if I coslept as a baby/toddler or not, although I was always welcome to come in when I had bad dreams, but I did often co-sleep with my mom as a teenager when my dad was gone to work.  It really helped with my insomnia.  It was comforting to me and I think she might have appreciated the company too.  I had always shared a big room with my sister, but after my sister moved out, it would be just my mom and me for the winters when my dad was away.  So we teamed up to sleep.  Besides, our house was cold!  Anyway, we probably never mentioned it to anyone, because the topic never came up, but I can't imagine anyone thinking it was weird.  Which makes me think that people's perception of extended co-sleeping is colored by the idea of sexuality (since it comes up more often that it's "weird" when the parent and child are opposite sexes).  Which is a real shame.  Some people, like myself, just really like sleeping beside someone - for a while it was my old dog, when my husband would be away.  Or my best friend, because she also likes someone to sleep near.

Anyway, I think it's totally normal to want to sleep next to someone at ANY age, and personally would be pretty tempted, if someone tried to insinuate otherwise, to make them feel like the weirdo.  But I'm kind of subversive like that . . .

[SundayCrepes]

Here are some research studies that show positive outcomes for children (as old as 13 were studied) who  co-slept.

http://www.nd.edu/~jmckenn1/lab/longterm.html

[goldenwillow]

I wanted to say thank you mamas for this thread. 

We have been struggling with the addition of a second bed in our room (our room was one awesomely huge bed for a couple months) and I found myself falling asleep nursing our son pretty much every night and not moving back to our original family bed. 

We decided last night to move the second bed into our son's playroom and go back to the one family bed.  I appreciate hearing how you all are doing this in your households. 

We have no plans on removing our son from our bed, just wanted him to have his own.  Which ended up being his and mine, grateful to be back in bed with my husband too!

[Tonia Starr]

My boys argue over whose turn it is to sleep with mom. :) My oldest two are 8 and 10.....my 8 yr old would sleep with me every night if I let him but my ten yr old only wants to if it menas getting to stay up late and watch a movie in my room. :) My boys all have their own seperate beds and they all enjoy alone time and space but they know they are alwys welcome in my bed. My brother is 22 and i am 31 and when we visit my mom we seem to consistently wind up hanging out in her room, chatting with her while sitting on her bed or watching a movie. when I brought my first son home from the hospital I took a nap in my moms bed with my newborn son. when my brother got his heart broken by his first love he lay on my moms bed and cried. That bed is FILLED with memories. <3 I hope MY own bed will signify that sanctuary and haven to MY children as they grow up.