Sleeping Together

As regular readers of this blog know already, I am a student of many disciplines, and a master of none.  In fact, in an attempt to dispel any reason for you to think that I may be an expert Daddy, I’ve labeled my self as a “not-so-perfect Dad with an attitude.” With that said, today I want to dive head first into a topic that is rarely discussed in polite company.  With no fear of the repercussions, with no fear of the naysayers, and with little or no regard for the facts, I plunge through this doorway of no return.

[WARNING: The following contains graphic language not suitable for the emotionally squeamish soul.]

Even before we began having children, all two of them, The Wife and I were proponents of co-sleeping.  Yes, there are dangers, but it was our opinion that the emotional benefits outweighed the risks.  We have found that to be true.  I love my family and I love being close to them.  I love the fact that they seem to be emotionally secure and we share an intimacy that I never thought possible.

Sure, there are times that a sleep-flopping toddler can be annoying at 3am.  Yes, it’s no fun when one child awakens the other.  And of course, there are times when even the king-size bed just doesn’t contain the fam damily very well.  But that’s OK.  I still love it.

Recently we’ve been moving our three and three-quarter year old into her own bed.  Her kid-sized bed is in the corner of our room, and that helps.  And after hearing from other co-sleeping families (my brother being one), we decided that not being rigid about the extrication will help.  Also, we are moving Darling Daughter’s bed time up an hour and putting her to bed sooner than the rest of us.  But, if she glides over into the family bed in the middle of the night, we’re OK with that.

Last night, after a rough start (e.g. too hot, fell out of bed, etc…) she settled into a long sleep and didn’t join us until this morning – that’s when the real fun began!  We all laughed and played and giggled – and then I went back to sleep for a bit! 🙂

Before you ask… The answers are yes, yes, and no.  Yes, finding a time for sex is challenging.  Yes, sometimes I just need space and I sleep on the couch.  But no, I wouldn’t trade this time for anything.  It will be too soon before my kids have grown up, moved away, and settled into a too-busy life of their own, probably in a city far away from us.

My family – this is the coolest thing I’ve ever been a part of!

I’d love to hear from you.  Why do you, or don’t you choose to co-sleep?