Parenting: Pros & Cons of the Family Bed

The family bed is a form of attachment parenting that has been very popular with the last generation of mothers who are hyper sensitive to their children’s needs.

Proponents of the family bed feel that the main benefit is that the baby feels attached to the parent/s and secure. This tempers the child’s growth and development positively for the rest of their life.

Dissenters from the family bed feel that the marital bed is for the husband and wife and that any children in the bed cleave the husband from the wife.

The other pros of the family bed are:

*Better sleep for everyone in the family.
*Nursing on demand is easier.
*Intimacy between the baby and the parents.

The other cons of the family bed are:

*Sex life is interrupted.
*Not everyone sleeps better with a baby in the bed — especially dad.
*Fear and/or danger of rolling onto the baby and crushing it.
*If nursing isn’t a priority, the family bed discourages weaning.
*Eventual separation issues.