Sharing a bed with kids has the same pros and cons as carrying them: It is nice for both of them, builds trust that makes later autonomy easier (in my opinion) but also takes its toll—you get exhausted quickly. And while carrying may count as free exercise, lack of sleep doesn’t.
Every now and then, my youngest (10) still wants to sleep in my bed—especially after a stressful day—and I know that I will need about two hours more sleep—because he turns and moves a lot.
Bigger beds help. We had a self-build 3x2m family bed (which counts as extremely big in Germany) and filled most of the family bedroom—bordering on three walls, so there wasn’t even a risk of falling out at the side—on some family evenings, all six of us slept in there.
Sharing a bed with kids has the same pros and cons as carrying them: It is nice for both of them, builds trust that makes later autonomy easier (in my opinion) but also takes its toll—you get exhausted quickly. And while carrying may count as free exercise, lack of sleep doesn’t.
Every now and then, my youngest (10) still wants to sleep in my bed—especially after a stressful day—and I know that I will need about two hours more sleep—because he turns and moves a lot.
Bigger beds help. We had a self-build 3x2m family bed (which counts as extremely big in Germany) and filled most of the family bedroom—bordering on three walls, so there wasn’t even a risk of falling out at the side—on some family evenings, all six of us slept in there.