Page 133 - The Intentional Parent

your relationship with your husband. Does having your daughter sleep in your bed interfere with your sex life? If so, that's a problem. I have found that after they've done it a few times, kids don't really like sleeping in their parents' beds. Those big, smelly adults snoring and crushing you can be just as annoying as squirmy little kids who flip around 180 degrees and stuff their feet in your face all night.
Other than the discomfort or inconvenience you'll have to put up with, there is nothing inherently wrong with taking your kids into bed with you. We certainly did it as cavepeople to protect our young. Virtually all animals sleep with their young, and many cultures have a "family bed." Parents sometimes worry that children will become prematurely sexualized by sleeping in their bed. This can only happen if the parents initiate isexual contact with a child or with each other while the child is in the bed, situations that are, of course, always emotionally damaging.
EATING AND TOILET TRAINING
Eating and toilet training are two topics that parents spend a lot of time worrying about. Each of these behaviors develops from habits that are established pretty early in life. With so much concern about health and nutrition, I will spend most of my time here on the topic of food. Although toilet training does create some stress for parents, eventually all children do become trained, and any problems a child may be experiencing in this area do disappear. There are a few standard tips and techniques, however, that will make toilet training a bit easier, and I'll discuss them here.
The Intentional Parent by Peter J. Favaro, Ph.D. 133