I wasn't going to co-sleep with my baby. I thought it was weird and barbaric. But then my anthropologist friends talked me into it. (Yes, of course, it's always the anthropologists.) They went over all the reasons why it makes perfect sense, from the security it gives an infant to the way it bonds the whole family together. And then, when my son was born, I couldn't stand to be parted from him anyway. Co-sleeping just made sense to me.
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I get that it's not for everyone. But man, people who don't get it really don't get it. Can they please spare us the judgment? Because I have to say, co-sleeping was one of the best decisions I made as a parent and I wouldn't have done anything differently. And I'm pretty sure my kid is turning out normal. So for the parents out there who really don't like co-sleeping, maybe we can have a civil conversation about it. Or better yet, let me share the most annoying things I've heard as a parent who co-sleeps and would love to never hear again. So when we do talk about my co-sleeping, which we will unfortunately, at least I won't have to hear the same opinions AGAIN and AGAIN.
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Here are 10 annoying things one should never say to a co-sleeping parent. Seriously, don't do it.
"How do you not roll over your baby?"
Surprisingly, I don't go to bed drunk or on drugs. Also, you actually do have a physical sense of where your baby is, even when you're asleep.
"Isn't that illegal?"
No, actually. It's not.
"I know someone who knows someone who knows someone whose baby died from co-sleeping."
Okay.
"How do you have sex?"
1. Don't worry, sex happens. 2. You don't need to know the details. Do I ask about your sex life?
"You'll never get that kid out of your bed."
Yes, actually, I did. It's not easy, but when the time comes, you really can get your kid to sleep in their own bed.
"That's kind of creepy and incestuous."
Oh, and leaving your baby to sleep ALONE in a separate room is so humane?
"I don't see how you can get any sleep that way."
It's extremely cozy. In fact, I slept great because I never had to get up in the middle of the night. If my baby woke, I just nursed him quietly and quickly went back to sleep.
"You'll spoil your kids"
You can't spoil a baby. How many times do we have to say it?
"Babies need to be sleep trained."
Actually, they don't. You can not sleep train your baby and they'll still grow up to be a fully functional, independent adult.
"That's just weird."
I think you're weird! Okay, sorry, that was immature. I'll put it this way — more people co-sleep either deliberately or accidentally than you'd think. It's pretty common.
