Topic : Where Should Your Child Sleep?

I co-slept with both of my children.   My son is almost five and my daughter is three.  Both are in their own room, own bed and never once did either have to cry it out.  My son never slept one day in crib and the crib was sold and gone even before my daughter was born so she never had a choice.  I will admit it's not the best for the sex life, but such a short time in yours and their lives.  I let them both sleep with us until my son was three and my daughter was 2.5.  We actually at one point had two queen beds pushed together to get space.  Don't get me wrong, sometimes the sneak into bed with us and to me thats fine.  I wouldn't have changed anything.

Im not sure if I need help or if im offering it to be honest :)

I learnt loosley about a book that came out in the 60's called the Family Bed. To be honest I never read the book but when I heard the basic concept I wanted to do that when my children were 1 y/o & upwards until the age of 5.

When my 1st son was born he'd cry NON-STOP - which we found out later was related to my weak breast milk, rather than my "bad-mothering" so in he came to my (our) bed.

From about 6 months onwards he was fully out of a cot and in with us. To make it safer we resorted to taking the legs off our bed so we were closer to the floor and put a single mattress next to us "just incase" it got cramped lol

Anyway my son just turned 3. He sleeps on a single bed which is against our bed. He tops and tails with his brother who is 1 & 1/2 and they crawl over quite often. With the younger one he'll come over about 2 or 3 times a night. Sometimes if he's sick or if its particularly cold I'll let him stay but usually I get up and put him straight back in his bed.

They're really getting the concept of their own bed and im REALLY enjoying my own space again cuddling up to my husband.

They're confident and secure (not that I can really know) but they're happy and are pretty well behaved.

Then I watched some nannying program recently and suddenly feel like I'm not allowing them to be independant.

I know the bedding situation is prob more about me than them but I thought it was working...

Any thoughts or ideas?

Acually you can let her cry for hours. a child has never died from crying. I know it my be hard on you but it my only take a few nights. I have put books and mega blocks that my son can play with until he is ready to sleep. you might want to try that. good luck and let her cry it out for a few nights.