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Family Bed:

The family bed (where the children are allowed to sleep with the parents on a regular basis) has become a common thing among most families. Whether or not it is a good thing is strictly dependent on the parents' beliefs, and it may work for some parents and not for others. If you are unsure whether this is a good idea, below are some pros and cons, along with some tips if you decide to have a family bed:

Pros—
• It spawns closeness—there is nothing like waking up snuggled up between your child and your spouse to make you feel close to them. Your child likely feels the same way—waking up snuggled next to someone is much better than waking up alone, no matter what your age.
• Your child will likely go to sleep easier—it is much easier to relax when a baby is hugged up to mommy or daddy than if they are in their room alone. They aren't as likely to get scared at night, or worry about monsters under their bed.

Cons—
• It's a hard habit to break—if you start your baby out sleeping in your bed, the longer you go before having them sleep in their own bed, the harder it will be to get them to actually sleep there. If you wait until they are 3 or 4, it will take a lot of work to get them to sleep in their own bed.
• Personal time for the parents is nearly impossible—while the family bed does spawn closeness between all members of the family, it can completely eliminate the private closeness that the parents need.

Tips—
• Both parents must agree—this is one of the most important aspects in this decision. If one of the parents doesn't want the baby sleeping in the parent's bed, they shouldn't.
• All children should be included—if you have an older child, and then you have another baby, and you want the baby to sleep with you, you should be prepared to let the older child sleep with you as well. It just isn't fair to the older one if the "family bed" doesn't include them.

Whether or not you want to have a family bed is strictly the parents' decision. For some families it is not the best thing, and the children sleeping in the bed creates more problems than it does create closeness. For others, it might work opposite. Both parents should evaluate the pros and cons closely and make a conscious decision when the baby is young, because it does affect everyone, and there are many important factors to consider, and once it has started it is a very difficult thing to stop.

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