How we Co-Sleep & Side-Car with our Toddler (and plans for our newborn)

[nickiiraee]

why dont you share blankets?

[thephonez]

would any crib work for this? I co sleep but I want my daughter to have her own little area.. are there only certain cribs?

[TheCandidLadyVlog]

@MySweetBoyAnthony

[Hope1981ful]

I didn't co sleep because i was so scared however i live in a one br apt and my son's crib is right next to our bed. So i think that is some what co sleeping i'm not sure when i move into a bigger apt how i would feel letting my son sleep by his self we're not ready for that also. I think you are doing an awesome thing forget the haters do one you're happy and your kids that all that matters :)

[KattiesNo1Mommy]

Jen I have a question!! First, thank you for the video we now have our daughters crib next to our bed in the same fashion you do. My question, when I get into bed (I sometime work until 12am so she is already asleep) she wakes up to move over and cuddle with me and as much as I love it, some nights I would like a little space, any thoughts on how I can do this. I move her back to the crib and as soon as I get settled she is back in bed right next to me. Thanks for any advice and Merry Christmas

[Kelsey8587]

I wish my son would co sleep with us. He is a major ants in the pants at night though. We tried co- sleeping for about a month and none of us got any sleep at all. There has only been one time that he was able to sleep in bed with us and that was when he were in a hotel for the night. We did keep him in our room for quite some time though. He slept in the bassinet until he was 3 months old and then we moved him to the crib in our room until he was 14 months old.

[Nicoleveach]

I think the co sleeping idea is really cool and creative with the crib next to your bed like that

[missesrenegade]

people's reactions to co sleeping is really strange. What is more natural than mammals sharing a resting place where nurising and bonding take the strain off of mom and the trauma of separation off of baby? Human babies are not fully developed when they come out of the womb. Co sleeping may not be for everyone, but it's certainly not strange, dangerous (SIDS is more likely in a crib

) or "dirty" as someone called it. Best to you and your family.

[natrat1109]

my brother and i are 8 years apart and we both slept in the bed with our mom our dad snores so he slept on the couch but he slept in the bed untill he was 6 or 7 i slept in the bed untill i was 6 and we both turned out just fine

[psrini08]

Nice video ! What are the pillows supported on ? I have a similar arrangement except I have no idea on what to support the pillows on; there is a gap between our bed frame and the crib and I worry the pillows I put might through to the carpet below. Are foams a good idea ?

[jfishbar]

Kudos to you for being able to sleep with your babies!! I could not sleep well with them in my bed. Every little noise and movement would wake me up :( I love the cuddles but had to put them in their own bed. All 3 of my babies slept in a bassinet beside my bed then around 3 months or so they started to sleep in their crib. I think they slept better too on their own, maybe my hubby and I moved to much LOL Good video and your right everyone does whats right for their family :)

[KAvilez90]

love this video! I started following your videos and love them all..! I am expecting baby number 2 in september and have been looking for a way to continue co sleeping with my son and new little baby boy,!

[melkingcat]

I didn't co-sleep with either of my children but I have no problem with it if thats what you want to do. Whatever works.

But dogs in the bed....ewwwww....that makes my skin crawl. Your bed looks utterly feral.

[dypsajne]

As for me being overprotective and insecure, I would love to have my own bed back but I agreed to be a parent. That means my childrens need come before mine, so if my kids need the all night momma buffet, then so be it. And if they need momma at night to sleep with for a few years, bring it on. Overal their youth is so fleeting and short, we can sacrifice for our kids. We will be sidecarring a crib this weekend, thanks candidmommas :)

[dypsajne]

My son is 10, we coslept until he was 5 or 6 out of nessecity ( we only had one bed.) He never had a lovey, never sucked his thumb, never threw fits or had issues ( even though he is classed as high functioning autistic.) We currently sleep with our 8 month old since birth. She is way ahead of other babies her age, and is very independent. I fully believe cosleeping helps children feel secure and let's them know they are valued as individuals while teaching important social skills.

[CandidMommy]

@Jessmcee You know... I thought the same thing PRIOR to having my son. You should check out Jen's video on this (informationmommy)... she had the same typical mindset as you and did heaps of reasearch to learn that every word you typed is EXACTLY the opposite! Crazy but true. You should do a little research on it... you will be quite surprised! - or just watch her video... she even admits that she thought she was going into it to prove what you said is right- nope.

[LiesieK]

We are planning to move him to his own room at a year though but we will see how it goes.

[LiesieK]

I believe everyone should do what they are comfortable with. My son is 7 months old and he is currently sleeping in our room in his crib, if he gets really fussy, i will take him into bed with us for an hour or so until he has calmed down. We were planning on moving him to his own room at 6 months but i still do not feel comfortable with him sleeping in a different room than us. He was born at 30 weeks and was in NICU for 2 months so i am so afraid something happens to him

[babytaylorful]

my understanding of this as an outsider... is u are a worker during the day... and ur son isnt with u... my 15 month old daughter has me allll day to herself at home... to cuddle to lay on to crawl over and sometimes nap with... i do work... just my work is either from home or in the evenings... my point anyway is at the end of a long day... its good for us to be apart and have a good long sleep in our own beds... i dont disagree with what ur doing... altho its definantly not for me..

[yeahdudewhat]

I never thought about putting the crib beside the bed that way! That would open up so much room on our bed!!!! Thanks for the idea!!!!

[kelly4918]

This is so cute i just love it. My son sleeps with me and my husband as well it works for us to:)

[drpeppercey68]

We never make our bed lol and we each have our own blankets as well. My little girl sleeps with ud as well. Her room is on the other side of the house and I just don't feel right with her on the other side of the house. many people think that this is a bad thing but it works for us! I mean it's not like they sleep with us ;)

[g3chico]

2 years of breast feeding?

[mebirdo]

I do the same with my son, who is nearly 2. He's in a lower level toddler bed, pushed up close. Sometimes he sleeps with his knees on his bed and his head on our mattress :D

It always felt the natural thing to co-sleep. I like to know he is safe and what he might be up to.

Seeing that pregger pillow made me laugh, forgot what a palava it was to turn over or get comfy when pregnant! My partner used to call it 'my boyfriend', hah!

[0625harmony]

on my own and i really do not want to do hte same thing to my child. i want them to be independent and not relie on me to beable to fall asleeep or feel safe at night, it took me a good 2 yrs to feel ok sleeping by myself cause i did not have a choice it was like going cold turkey off smoking so i am more affraid of cosleeping cause of what i went through I also want to breastfeed and hope that i can do so ans still have the baby in his/her own bed.

[0625harmony]

Ok, so what you are doing is the same idea my husband has in mind for when our baby comes in dec he is from honduras and this is what most of them do until the child is about 4. here is my issue, I was a co sleeper with my mom and when she passed away i was 10yrs old and still sleeping with her, late bloomer also suck my thum til age 15 and used a bottle til age 4 I did sleep in my own room sometimes but most of the time slept in my moms bed and it was very hard on me when she passed to sleep

[srossh888]

I've been looking for a creative way to fit everyone in. we have a queen with a bedrail like yours on my side and I sleep between my husband and 6 month old daughter, but lately she has just been wiggly and i scoot way over the middle and my husband gets pushed out. lol. This solution looks like it would work for us as well! Awesome!!

[ilovehandbags06]

Shock horror your bed isn't made Jeni tut tut lol;O) I don't let dogs on bed gross lol.

[sendmejuice]

Is it hard to make the bed?

[BooBear6607]

I wish I had thought to do this with our daughter. She will be 4 next monday & still sleeps in our bedroom, however this summer we are transitioning her into her own room, She is ready and I think it is time. I guess I am just that mommy who would LOVE for her to stay my "baby" forever & ever! Of course if she had the occansional night that she wants to be in our room we would never tell her no. We love the cuddles and so does she :)

[alandamandamama]

I love how you do the side car!! I never thought if that and I co-slept for a really long time!!

[MarandaB109]

Are you worried or have you thought about the new baby crying in the middle of the night and waking Deacon up? Not to be rude or anything. Just a curious question. We make alot of different choices but i still LOVE your videos!

[elisam34]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who never makes the bed! LOL

[TheJoyfuladventure]

I co sleep with my little guy and love it :) this is such a great idea!

I want to know what you guys do when you go on trips over night? I bought a pack and play but now i'm thinking i migh not ever use it and considering selling it. What works for you guys? :) thanks!

[juicedabouthair]

so IT can never happen in own bed?

[MadreMaven]

Pffft, dislike make me sad. Bugger off people, this is an amazing set up!

[SAHMommy42]

My son is 6 months and I breastfeed and have coslept since birth. We love it. My family gives us so much grief over it. When he was a week old they were already asking if he's in his crib yet. I have a question though....does he ever stay the night away from you, like with grandparents? If so, how does he sleep when you're not there?

[MySweetBoyAnthony]

I have a weird question......How do you guys have "alone time" with him still right next to you?

[xpalescales]

That looks pretty comfy to me!

[SunnyZoey11]

We use the Arm's reach co-sleeper for our 5 month old. I was thinking of transitioning her to her crib soon, but didn't really want her to be in the other room because she seems so tiny still and I am still nursing. I love having her there with me and I want her to feel safe and secure all the time. I plan on adopting the crib idea when she outgrows the Arm's reach.

[mayasa87]

i love this! i have been trying to figure out how to get my daughter in her own bed but still in our room because she has been sleeping with us for 22 months now and i still breastfeed but my man wants more room lol but doesnt want to kick her out either so great idea!!!

[sonofmog]

I don't get how there are so many dislikes on this video??

[zachsgrl04]

I think this is a great idea. I am struggling to get my 15 month old out of my bed (Was a nursing mom and my husband is currently deployed) I dont want him out of my room. Its just I believe we both will sleep much better if he was in his own bed. Thank u for this idea, I guess I will be rearranging the rooms tonight.

BTW Your a fab. mom and the please ignore the ignorant ppl that leave nasty comments.

[jadejussy]

And what you are doing is right for your family just like what we do works for us. It doesnt mean that either one of us is wrong we just do things differently. Love your vids honey! Oh and love your hairy babies. They are just too cute.

[jadejussy]

We dont co-sleep with our son but we do with our dog.....

Yes so many people frown upon it but Ford (our dog) gets cold and loves cuddles from his mummy. Riley (our son) never slept in the bed. We tried so many times, especially in the first few weeks due to exhustion but he hated it. He was in his own cot and room when he was 8 weeks. We even try when he is sick now to cuddle with mummy in bed but there is no way. He is 19 mths. You have it all worked out. Well done honey

[rachiibuu]

Love this! I think all children should sleep with their parents until they decide they no longer want to. Good on you :):)

[LovingNelia]

Great video! We don't co sleep since dd is to restless plus she'll only fall asleep in her crib. If we did however I would totally do this. It's something I would have never have thought of

[gilewil]

I believe all parents should choose their own parenting style and have no probs with this but in my own opinion it is important in a child's development to let them have a bit of freedom and independence with regards their own room. They may end up too clingy and the transition to their own room eventually might be too alien a concept for them as they have been so used to being with you. Again this is my opinion - every parent has to find their own feet x

[JenMarissa]

O my goodness I'm so glad you did this video! We've been talking about having Scarlett in her own bed and I think this would work great for us! Thanks so much for sharing!!!!

[eva0natural]

We've shared our bed with our lil one since day 1. Love it!!!! Just moved our crib to sidecar position today. Love nursing her to sleep and being able to check on her through the night. I don't care what any "good intentioned" family and friends say, I love it and it works for us!!! We have a Tempur Pedic bed and we def can attest that it's like being in heaven at night :)

[shanleighbean]

I was so nervous to share our bed with our son. I had a fear that paralyzed me that I would roll over on him. We tried it and no one got any sleep for weeks. However now for our family its nice that our son sleeps on his own although I miss the closeness and the extra cuddle time. Your a wonderful mom and I love your videos!

[Aliwisha1]

I never thought about buying a side rail to protect Ella from falling off def have to get one when our next baby comes. I loved co sleeping with Ella until she was about a year old. She slept sometimes all night and sometimes just in the middle or in the am. I never make my bed either lol

[CrystalVlog]

This may be TMI, but how do you guys have "adult time" when Deacon is right next to you?? Avery slept in our room, but I always felt awkward and we had to drape a blanket over the side of her crib. You don't have to answer, but it made it hard for my husband and I.

[smleblanc1]

I love the idea!!! I wish Chelsea would do that! Right now we are bed sharing and I love it! Weird to think my son slept in his own room/crib at 3 months!

[ouradoptionoption]

I love that your dogs are in your bed right now! LOL Sounds like my house. I only make my bed when I have guests come ; )

[laurettabear]

Thank you for doing this!! Right now our son cosleeps with his crib in our room and I'm toting with the whole sidecar idea. I LOVE cosleeping, and I plan to do it until Samuel is ready to move to his own room. My one fear is that when baby #2 comes he/she will wake Samuel. Are you concerned about that with Deacon?

[EALoisel]

We have one of those soft rail thing for the top bunk in our RV for my 7 year old stepdaughter because she refuses to sleep in any of the lower bed and I love it!!!

[Angllbabie]

Thanks so much for sharing such intimate details like this - I love seeing how others do things. I really wished that our daughter had slept well with us and actually wanted to stay longer - I miss the closeness for sure. I gotta say though Mama, props to you for getting in and out of your bed from the foot with the preggy belly!!!

[mommyofEmeli5410]

I love it! I want to try this now.

[cassieconnell]

Haha just watched your video again I have really bad pregnancy brain :) I was reading some of the comments on this video, wanted to say we still bed share with my little one and she is almost two, next to all the haters of this video if you ever get a chance to travel outside of the west and visit someone's home you will see they too co-sleep and you will find a lot of that bed sharing, co sleeping having your youngest in the room until they want to move is the normal.

[xx1onthewayxx]

Thank you so much for making this video! We currently co-sleep with our 22 month old daughter and we have done so since birth. I can't believe we never thought of taking off the front of her crib and placing it up against our bed! Lol! Guess what I will be doing this afternoon?! ;o)

[lovecanbemagic]

this is exactly how we co-sleep! Her crib is right flush with our bed too!

[360olivia321]

I love you Jenn!!!! we have very similar parenting techniques my 19 months old is bedsharing with me and has been since the minute he was born ( even in the hospital, he felt to far away in those bassinet things) I'm sorry y0u are getting such negativity about this :( I can imagine putting my infant or toddler in another room to sleep there is something amazing about those night time cuddles.

[TheAmericanDream25]

Well, my daughter is 2½ years old, and she's sleeping IN our bed, right in between momma and daddy... :P And we love it! She rarely ever wakes up at night.. It feels so much safer to both me and her having her close at night. Sooner or later she's gonna get tired of sleeping with her mama, but until then I'm going to keep her CLOSE :P

[chall1011]

oh an my daughter is sooo into her own "space" shes never fell asleep in our bed. im afraid of our upcoming 4 hour plane ride across the country for a week, how shes gonna sleep. even when shes really sick w/ a fever she refuses to fall asleep next to us or in our bed, she MUST be in her own bed w/ no pillows...toys..blankies ect...just her lmao shes sooo stuborn about that but that goes to show you how diff kids are an how you go w / what you got- your next may hate sleeping w/ you , never know

[heaven317]

we do the same thing, and we loooove it. My son is tooooo cute, i love when he wakes up b4 me leans over and gives me a big wet kiss on my check. GREAT WAKE UP CALL!!! :) he is also 2yrs old!

[chall1011]

i dont have a problem as far as co sleeping, but i feel a toddler should be able to get into their own bed in their own room and independently sleep, but thats just my opinion idk why anyone who doesnt agree w/ you would get upset or say bad stuff about it....we all have diff ways of doing things

[TheAmandagreen]

how do u guys get intimate with him always in ur bed???

[CandidMommy]

@TheAmandagreen Well... there are a lot more places then just the bed (-;

[annamariechristine]

@CandidMommy I Was thinking the same thing! haha, but then i thought to myself the same thing.. I have my son in the same room too, I dont have him that close but close enough he can throw his cuppy or stuffed animal at me when he wakes up in the am! I think Ill be switching sides with the hubby soon!

[oswestryGIRL]

@CandidMommy haha its not only us young-ens (well nearly 19yrs) that think like that haha xx but if not ged room that would mean different room at night or finding time in the day, how do you work that 2 haha? xx

[xxxandieapplesxxx]

@CandidMommy haha Amen sista!!!!

[misssarah8999]

Great ideas! I think co-sleeping is awesome if it works for your family. It seems so natural and maintains that close family bond. I think western culture has made it that if children don't sleep in their own bed in their own rooms something is 'wrong'. When in fact many cultures around the world co-sleep and it is a very close family bonding experience! Great video, thanks for the ideas!

[CandidMommy]

@misssarah8999 EXACTLY! It is so natural and utterly sad that it is so taboo! Sure, it doesn't work for everyone but to bash it because you know nothing about it just isn't right!

[Kaylandsky]

Love it!! We don't make our bed either lol....what's the point?!? If we are having company over then we do and put all the pretty pillows on it. But the majority of the time there's blankets thrown everywhere :)

[CandidMommy]

@Kaylandsky LOL ya! We used to... oh, those pre-baby days! LOL

[JenNTim509]

We are planning on side carring with our next baby.

[CandidMommy]

@JenNTim509 It's awesome!!!

[PrettyLittleLiar98]

I love co sleeping with my 9 month old son. My husband doesn't. He thinks he should be more independent and sleep in his own bed which is in our room. 

[CandidMommy]

@PrettyLittleLiar98 ughhhhhhhh at 9 months? I'm sorry... thats gotta be a hard debate! Guess the line i would use is "hard to be independent when you can't walk or talk!" (-; lol

[xxxxjunebugmamaxxxx]

That is sooo funny if our son could sneak the cat into his bed at night he would buit they are outside cats that get to come ocasionally for a few hours then back outside for them!!! But Coltan wakes up in the morning asking to let the cats in!!!

[CandidMommy]

@xxxxjunebugmamaxxxx lol aweeeeeeeeee!!! that is so cute! Kids and animals are such a great combo! lol

[mszeineb]

I was gonna speak my mind on this comment but I rather keep it to myself. have a nice day

[CandidMommy]

@mszeineb LOL ehhh I'm sure your comments and my answers have already been mentioned below (-; 

[CandidMommy]

@jiwan13 That would make it hard! Just gotta do whats right for everyone!

(-:

[maraJason1]

cool video :)) we cosleep with our son. I was wondering, do you think the baby will wake up Deacon and interrupt his sleep? I ask because I am curious for when we start ttcing for our next. Thanks

[CandidMommy]

@maraJason1 I guess we will just cross that bridge when we get there if it is a problem but no... not really- our room isn't quiet- we have 3 dogs, my husbands snoring and my constant peeing that he already sleeps through.  He is also used to napping with many other kids at his school who sometimes wake up crying so I don't really envision it being too much of a problem, but if it does I will be sure to share that journey. I think I am more worried about Deacon possibly waking up the baby! lol

[sanjapanja]

@CandidMommy Don't worry about the baby waking up. The baby will be used to all your noises by the time it's born. I think that's why they are able to hear so early on in the pregnancy.

[theoffs87]

We cosleep with our 2 year old because if not I would be up allll night checking on her !! I don't know why people judge so much . Oh well to each there own I always say ! Great video !!

[CandidMommy]

@theoffs87 Exactly... if it's not right for you then great but don't judge something that works perfectly for someone else. I think a lot of the judging stems from it being a bit taboo (for some stupid reason!)... I also think a lot of people don't admit to it because they worry about others judging. Just gotta do whats right and stand by your decision! Thank you!

[08jaydensmommy08]

Jayden will be 2 1/2 next month and he still stills right in our bed! lol I have tried and tried to get him to sleep in his toddler bed that is in our room per hubby's request (cause of a space issue) but Jayden wants NOTHING to do with his bed and likes being snuggled up with mommy and/or daddy : ) I wish his bed would fit up against our bed like that!!!

[CandidMommy]

@08jaydensmommy08 Love it! lol Deacon only sleeps about half of the night (on occasion all) in his bed then he wants to spoon (= I wonder if you could raise it up?

[marmar31484]

Im not surw if my second comment went through... I was sayong that qhen

Its my turn to be a mom since were ttc ill see how i feel because im

Such a bad sleeper and roll alot so

Im scared og myself not necessarily because im afriad of co- sleeping... All my friends kinds were in their own beds by 2 1/2! And all her siblibgs also co- slept so i guess they all turned out normal!!!

[carlynicoleelliotte]

Love the side carring idea! Never thought about that. Currently we are co-sleeping half the night on most days with out son and sometimes co-sleeping all night. If he goes down before we do he sleeps in his crib in his room. When he wakes up in the middle of the night he goes back to our bed. He's 11 months old and I don't see him sleeping in his own room 100% of the time for quite a while yet.

[CandidMommy]

@carlynicoleelliotte That sounds perfect... and when the time is right you will know it deep down! Were not there yet either- heck, nowhere close! (-;

[marmar31484]

Babysitting because im so afraid of the rollung and sids.... But im sure there are many great benefits!

I am

Such a bad sleeper and roll alot and turn because i dont sleep very well through the night but ypu never know! I am ttcing so until my time has come these videos are so educatipnal and make you want to question and explore your feeling! Good for you!

[CandidMommy]

@marmar31484 Ya, I think it is different with your own kids... if you choose to nurse/formula feed, etc. It all just depends... however with SIDS (if you co-sleep safely!!) co-sleeping can reduce it... so it all just depends on your own personal lifestyle at the time and what feels right to you.

That was very nice to help our your friend!

[marmar31484]

I helped my best friend raise her three kids

In 3 years! Obvioualy co-sleepimg disnt inhibit there baby making either! i think whats important is that we all realize whar we want out of life for ourseles and our kids and just let people luve their lives there own way! I dont know if i could co-sleep even though my beat friend and i dud it with her kids when we were all helping out...

[Obudzinski]

Sorry...sent message before I was done. Lol I meant to say I love having her sleep with us but she has become a crazy sleeper and gets a little uncomfortable. But I don't think she's ready to sleep on her own in her own room. Awesome idea!!

[Obudzinski]

Love the video! We cosleep with our 22mth old daughter and is getting kinda crowded. Lol I love the side-car idea! I might have to talk to my husband about possibly doing this! I love having her in

[CandidMommy]

@Obudzinski That awesome! And I know what you mean there... my husband HATED the side car idea... he thought it would be dumb and not work. Well the next morning he immediatly said 'you were right' lol So even if he hates the idea just ask to try it out... can't hurt to try it!

[ONcloudCUTLER]

We did co-sleeping. I think the side car is a great idea!

[CandidMommy]

@ONcloudCUTLER Thanks!

[dreamflight6000]

Cool set-up! Andy and I always tried to get Henry to sleep in bed with us but he is one of those kids who just doesn't like to be snuggled and was not able to sleep with us in the bed. He just needs his own space in his own room. :( BUT..just recently we started rocking him and him sleeping in my arms is the greatest feeling ever!

[CandidMommy]

@dreamflight6000 Awe, I LOVE that!!! How sweet!!! Nothing beats snuggle time!  (=

And ya... every kid is so different that you really just have to do whats right for them and you!

[jessedholm]

I dpn't get the cosleeping thing...is it done for ease of nursing?? Or are you seriously afraid of leaving the baby alone at night?

[jessedholm]

@jessedholm another question...how do you get any "alone" time with your hubby??

[carlynicoleelliotte]

@jessedholm Alone time doesn't have to only be in the bed and only at night time. :)

[CandidMommy]

@carlynicoleelliotte That’s hard to say. So for us and our children it is w/o a doubt the 'right' decision. I don't see why we would make him go into his own room at this age

[carlynicoleelliotte]

@CandidMommy I'm not sure you meant to reply this comment to me???... Maybe it was meant for someone else? O'well. :)

[CandidMommy]

@carlynicoleelliotte Crap no! lol sorry! Had to cut and paste in a new so that it all would fit!

[CandidMommy]

@carlynicoleelliotte EXACTLY!!! (-;

[CandidMommy]

@jessedholm Ya the way I see it is that the 'bed' is not the only place! (-;

[CandidMommy]

@jessedholm Originally for us it was for ease of nursing... hadn't thought past just that for quite a while. Then we started to realize that we all really enjoyed sleeping together in the same space. We did some research on it after months of bed sharing and were shocked by the findings (ranging from decreased SIDS, more confident children, better sleep for all, etc.).

[CandidMommy]

@jessedholm It's unfortunately a bit taboo and not mainstream but I honestly believe that you have to do what is right for your family and this is FOR SURE the right decision for us. I also enjoy being able to check on him throughout the night- it's easy to just peak over my husband. I enjoy the close family time and spooning my LO. So no, it's not just fear of leaving him alone but at this stage in his life I can't imagine the fear he may have if alone in his own room?

[jessedholm]

@CandidMommy I watched one of those tv shows...I forget which one where they are trying to handle toddlers who refuse to sleep in their own beds after co sleeping and it was a nightmare! I have always held to the "start as you want to proceed." At what age do you consider it appropriate to move them into their own room? I just had my 3rd baby on March 2nd and I have never put any of them in bed with me. They were all wonderful 11 hour sleepers by 3 1/2 months.

[CandidMommy]

@jessedholm I think when the parents and child are both ready. By no means are we ready to sleep separate. He is 2- not 20 he is not going to want to sleep with us forever- why push him out? I honestly don't see a reason why we have to sleep separate. I think those shows showcase parents with underlying parenting issues- well, that is obvious. But it is sad to give co-sleeping a bad name because of it.

[CandidMommy]

@jessedholm Technically, we as humans are not meant to be apart from our children overnight in their youth. Think about other mammals... it's not like cats say "okay, kittens... you must sleep in your own space tonight" they like most all other mammals co-sleep. Gosh, kangaroo babies sleep in their mothers pouch and nurse for up to 2 years. Western society has made something like co-sleeping and heck, breastfeeding completely unnatural and taboo.

[CandidMommy]

@jessedholm On the co-sleeping/breastfeeding point our babies are not meant to sleep through the night early in their lives… our bodies produce more milk as night for this as you can see in more undeveloped countries where the mother is working all day, wearing the child and nursing all night. It's natural and the way were meant 'to be.' (and with that said, frequent waking and co-sleeping (as baby and mothers sleeping patterns match up reduce SIDS)…

[CandidMommy]

@jessedholm

Granted the natural way doesn't work for everyone and that’s fine… just sad that people judge others for doing what feels right (as was intended by mother nature), and I honestly hope your opinion or thoughts were not dervided from Super Nanny. Check out some of the studies. You may be surprised to find that some of the most confident and independent children co-slept. Another little tid-bit that somehow has stuck with me is that co-sleeping children need way fewer "lovey"

[CandidMommy]

@jessedholm objects as they have their parents for security and not a blanket, thumb, etc. (in fact every in every single study I have ever read not one child sucked his/her thumb). I'm again, not judging… just saying that I wish others would open up to 'alternative' (although that is totally the wrong word as not co-sleeping should technically be alternative) parenting choices. It's just 'different' here. (sorry so long!)

[CandidMommy]

@jessedholm That’s hard to say. So for us and our children it is w/o a doubt the 'right' decision. I don't see why we would make him go into his own room at this age

[jessedholm]

@CandidMommy Well, by no means am I judging. You can do what you like with your kids. I was just trying to understand the logic behind it since sleep training is such an important part of parenting. I was curious about the reaasoning is all. Kids need to learn to sleep well from a young age or they will struggle with bad sleep habits their whole lives. None of my kids sucked their thumbs either or had loveys. I kinda think that thumbsucking is genetic!

[vicsterrrful]

Looks like you allow your pets to be in the bed with you at night? We have 2 dogs and a cat and are expecting our first in 10 days (Ahhh) I read not to let pets in the bed when co-sleeping but would love to hear your opinion and experience :)

[CandidMommy]

@vicsterrrful When he was first born they were not allowed in our bed and they didn't want to be even though prior they ALL slept with us EVERY SINGLE night. We got them nice beds to sleep next to our bed and they don't seem to mind. About 6 months ago Deacon started calling Gauge up to cuddle him during the wind down time. So since Gauge will sneak up in the middle of the night. We don't let the cats in our room at night for a few reasons... attackng our feet, kneading our blankets, etc. ct

[CandidMommy]

@vicsterrrful so we do shut our door at night. When this baby is born we will not allow the dogs in our bed again because of safety but in the meantime I can't tell you how many times I have woken up to find Deacon spooing Gauge. We figure that it is his choice to cuddle with him ( or me of my husband) and he doesn't go into Deacon's bed so we don't really worry. Now when he was younger we didn't go for it- now it's cute (-: We wouldn't let him do it with the other two...

[MissMarz4444]

Hello Jeni, love your videos, especially this one :) This is the best part of vlogging in my opinion as you get to actually 'see' what people do which I think is even more educational that just telling them. I just wondered what size bed you have? Double? Queen?

[beautyisnteverything]

Glad to see we arent the only parents that do this style sleeping :)

[CandidMommy]

@beautyisnteverything I honestly think that a lot more parents do it than talk about it... Unfortionatly it seems to be a bit taboo )-;

[cassieconnell]

Great video

[CandidMommy]

@cassieconnell Thank you!

[sterlingwalters]

Hubby and I have co-slept with our babies since our first was born. Isaac went into his own bed at 3. Naomi will probably start sharing a room with him when she's two because we're having baby #3 in December. I love co-sleeping, and hubby and I think it is so good for their development to be with parents the first couple of years. Our kids are happy and healthy and well-adjusted. We love co-sleeping! :) Thanks for showing what you do. I think it's wonderful!

[CandidMommy]

@sterlingwalters That is awesome!!! It really is so wonderful! I love it so much and he is so confident that it really just works out perfectly for us!

[kaliekisses]

Your bed looks super comfy!!! we have my 3rd baby who is now 1 in our room in her crib, and we have a 4th on the way, so finding time to make babies with babies iun your room is not that hard lol!

[CandidMommy]

@kaliekisses lol thanks! It is! LMBO! Exactly! And there are also more places than just 'your room' LOL! (-;

[frowniebrown86]

thanks for showing this! I definitely want to co sleep longer next time. Jack outgrew his bassinett by 4 months and at the time I wasn't educated on co sleeping...next baby we will get a co sleeper or side car a crib!

[CandidMommy]

@frowniebrown86 Ya I would have never thought that I would love it so much but it just felt right after he was born and has worked since... we love it! I think most cribs will convert like that?

[hartrose33]

Co-sleeping is the best thing I ever did besides nursing. Co-sleeping gave me the peace of mind I needed to for my baby and I to get the best sleep we ever had.

[CandidMommy]

@hartrose33 EXACTLY- Same here!!! I check on him multiple times a night... it's nice to be able to just peek over my husband (-;

[rmmartin92405]

I wish I could like this video more times to cancel out the haters!!!!

[CandidMommy]

@rmmartin92405 <3 U! lol I knew there would be a ton of people who hate the idea yet still waste their precious time watching something that doesn't flow with their own personal parenting beliefs... ehhh their loss- not mine!  lol

[thesocialbutterfly22]

We sort of co-sleep to right now well since birth because he had bad acid reflux he would shock and stuff so being first time parents we got a sleeper that rocks really well it is set right next to my side the night light is there too so when we wakes I got a clicker for the light and I can see and hear him at all times :) it's working for us

[CandidMommy]

@thesocialbutterfly22 Thats awesome! So nice to find something that works well! That sounds perfect!

[MariaHelFutura]

This is insane!!!!!!!



[CandidMommy]

@MariaHelFutura And that is the beauty of being a parent… to each their own. Personally I think that it would be utterly "insane" having a 1 or even 2 year old in their own room away from their parents. But that is just me and I don't judge others for making that choice.

[CandidMommy]

@MariaHelFutura Each family should do what is best for them and this is best for us. Part of being a good parent (in my eyes) is accepting that my way or your way isn't the right way for anyone but yourself and your family. You may want to do some research on the benefits of co-sleeping prior to judging… you may be quite surprised (-;

[Racllie]

@MariaHelFutura You should have kept that comment to yourself! Why did you watch?

[lovethyart]

i never make my bed eather i hate it lol

[CandidMommy]

@lovethyart Ya... there is no point- and for us I don't even know how we would since there are two seperate big blankets! lol

[Mommy2angelplus2]

Love it!

[CandidMommy]

@Mommy2angelplus2 Thanks!

[BrandonandKelly06]

I hope this isn't super nosey, but I am really curious. With Deacon sleeping with you, how do you and the hubby make time for...well...making the new baby? :) We don't have kids yet, and we've discussed whether or not to co-sleep and this is one of the things we've wondered about.

[lovethyart]

@BrandonandKelly06 ha i was gonna ask about how they have sex to some im glad u did lol

[CandidMommy]

@lovethyart Ehhh the way I see it is if the bed is the only place then that is sad! lol (-;

[lovethyart]

@CandidMommy haha lmao so true girl :) 

[CandidMommy]

@BrandonandKelly06 LOL not at all... It is one of the questions I get asked the most. The way I see it is if the only place you can 'make a new baby' is in your bed then your (not 'your' but just generally speaking) then they may have the problem (-; lol It has not at all been a 'problem' for us (-;

[ljewkes]

looks very cozy!! I don't like sleeping with my kids they hit and kick me at night and they hog the whole bed but it sure would make me feel better bc you always know where your kids are and that they are safe!!

[CandidMommy]

@ljewkes Ya... that is my favorite part... I love being able to check on him throughout the night... gives our family peace of mind being together

My sister slept like a wild woman! Kicked like crazy! lol

[MBShrewsbury]

O I love the idea of using the bed, and taking off the front. Our baby bed does that. We just put both our mattresses and his on the floor. lol Now that we are moving i am going to try that. THANKS!!!!!!!!!! YAY FOR CO-SLEEPING

[CandidMommy]

@MBShrewsbury Yes, I LOVE it!!! It is really nice like that! I hope it works out for you guys too!