Supernanny

It is important that children learn how to self soothe. Parents that don't allow their children learn to self soothe properly are handicapping their children. I love to snuggle up with my kids and always have loved it. It was never allowed to be regular practice and expected by my children because I realized very early on with my first child how important it is for a child to learn to calm his or herself. Making exceptions for illness, onset of stress such as family tragedy, or simply a special occasion is quite acceptable. Otherwise it is a very slippery slope to sleep with your children on a regular basis. This is my opinion after over 12 years of experience as a mother (of a child with special needs as well, TS, ADHD, and OCD) and years of experience as a fulltime child caregiver with glowing recommendations from those children's parents. This does not mean that if you feel differently or have different experience with your own children that you are wrong and I am right. Of course every child is a unique individual with different needs. So long as it is your child's needs that inspire your decisions and not your own I fully respect your decisions as a parent. I hope you respect mine.   See 8 other replies

What is it about internet commentary that turns people into "know-it-all experts?" Supernanny would put some of you in time-out for being so rude! Haha. I think a good solution is sharing a bed with a sibling. My older brother and I shared a bed until I was 5, we actually slept on the hide-a-bed in the living room because we lived in a really old house. My parents' bedroom was downstairs and the two bedrooms upstairs were up really steep stairs, so far away from them. I can still remember how frightening it was to me as a child up there. Then when I was about 5, we got our own beds but still shared a room till I was about nine. Then we finally got our own rooms. We were very comfortable and happy and were the type of siblings that got along really well, we were very tight. I couldn't imagine sleeping by myself up there from age 1 or 2. Waking up in the middle of the night, trying to go down those stairs! Now, I have a 4 1/2 year old that co-slept with us till she was 3 1/2. We loved it, it was right for us, even my husband didn't mind it. So many places around the world people co-sleep with their children. Why are people here so anti-co-sleeping? Despite 3 1/2 years of co-sleeping, our daughter adjusted to her own bed really well, so much faster than we thought she would. I think it just depends on each family. If you absolutely resent your child sleeping in your bed, don't do it. If you BOTH are ok with it, why not? Getting snuggly with your family can only serve to strengthen your bond together, provided you aren't getting absolutely over-dependent on each other.   See 8 other replies

CB, that is the funniest thing I've read in a long time. Thanks for the laugh!   See 8 other replies