Ironworks Gaming Forum - View Single Post - Cultural Differences & The Sleeping Arrangements of Infants

09-19-2002, 10:25 AM

Here in the U.S. it is common practice for a newborn to sleep in the same room as but not in the same bed with its parents until the ages of 3-6 months when the child is (usually) moved into a room of its own.
This practice, thought to have a more positive effect on the psychological development of the child as well as preventing physical harm to the infant from being smothered (by co-sleeping) or being exposed to contageous illnesses (by sleeping in the same room) is considered brutal, cruel, and neglectful of the child from the point of view of cultures where co-sleeping and familial sleeping arrangements are viewed as a natural part of the developmental process.

The study I read only expressed the opinions of 18 U.S. families and 14 Highland Mayan families with reference to Japenese studies which support the Mayan view of co-sleeping and keeping a child in the same room as the parents for a number of years (2 to 3 being the norm).

I am curious again lol...how does either of these practices compare to your own community/country and your own point of view?

I kept my own son in the same room with me until he was close to two years old (mainly because by the time he was 6 months old I was living in a large house with only a fireplace and a space heater to keep us warm throughout the duration of a northern U.S. winter, and later space for us to sleep in was limited, but I think under different circumstances I would have done it the same way...just so that I could be sure he was old enough to understand that moving to a room of his own was a good part of growing up) and he never had a problem with it. [img]smile.gif[/img]

Keep in mind that I was a single mother with no husband or boyfriend to share those sleeping arrangements with us and my child was never exposed to "adult actions" which, some child-care experts say could have a detrimental effect on children who are exposed to them through co-sleeping and sleeping in the same room as their parents. If I had a husband or a boyfriend things might have been different but I think it would have been more stressful on my child to have been separated from me at night at an earlier age where communication could not have been possible as to what a "good thing" it would be for him.
I do support the idea of having a young child in the same room with its mother but NOT exposing the infant/toddler to sexual acts...people can be more creative than keeping that part of their relationship as a bedtime routine.

[ 09-19-2002, 10:35 AM: Message edited by: Moni ]

09-19-2002, 10:25 AM	#1
Moni Guest Posts: n/a	Here in the U.S. it is common practice for a newborn to sleep in the same room as but not in the same bed with its parents until the ages of 3-6 months when the child is (usually) moved into a room of its own. This practice, thought to have a more positive effect on the psychological development of the child as well as preventing physical harm to the infant from being smothered (by co-sleeping) or being exposed to contageous illnesses (by sleeping in the same room) is considered brutal, cruel, and neglectful of the child from the point of view of cultures where co-sleeping and familial sleeping arrangements are viewed as a natural part of the developmental process. The study I read only expressed the opinions of 18 U.S. families and 14 Highland Mayan families with reference to Japenese studies which support the Mayan view of co-sleeping and keeping a child in the same room as the parents for a number of years (2 to 3 being the norm). I am curious again lol...how does either of these practices compare to your own community/country and your own point of view? I kept my own son in the same room with me until he was close to two years old (mainly because by the time he was 6 months old I was living in a large house with only a fireplace and a space heater to keep us warm throughout the duration of a northern U.S. winter, and later space for us to sleep in was limited, but I think under different circumstances I would have done it the same way...just so that I could be sure he was old enough to understand that moving to a room of his own was a good part of growing up) and he never had a problem with it. [img]smile.gif[/img] Keep in mind that I was a single mother with no husband or boyfriend to share those sleeping arrangements with us and my child was never exposed to "adult actions" which, some child-care experts say could have a detrimental effect on children who are exposed to them through co-sleeping and sleeping in the same room as their parents. If I had a husband or a boyfriend things might have been different but I think it would have been more stressful on my child to have been separated from me at night at an earlier age where communication could not have been possible as to what a "good thing" it would be for him. I do support the idea of having a young child in the same room with its mother but NOT exposing the infant/toddler to sexual acts...people can be more creative than keeping that part of their relationship as a bedtime routine. [ 09-19-2002, 10:35 AM: Message edited by: Moni ]