Today's JuiceBoxJungle addresses the controversial question of co-sleeping.

For us, sleep is one of those times you can cherish with your child, and sleeping together is something that you and your children won't want forever. But American parents often push children towards a maturity they aren't ready for, and cosleeping gives children the security of knowing their parents are there. But again, that's us. It's a personal choice for each family to make.

Here's JuiceBoxJungle's take on the issue:

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But if you think you'd like to cosleep with your child, or are already, we have a few suggestions to make sure you're doing it safely and enjoyably.

• Get a big bed and a relatively firm mattress. We needed both after Jenni suffered a serious injury a couple of years ago, and better cosleeping was a bonus. Now, we couldn't imagine cosleeping without it. And a firm mattress provides the safest surface for your child to sleep on without obstructing their breathing.


• Make sure your bed has no cracks an infant or toddler (or their arm or leg) can slip into. In many cases, this just means making sure your mattress is pushed up towards the headboard as much as possible, rather than leaving equal gaps at the head and foot.


• Use thin blankets and comforters, no big fluffy stuff. Again, it's a breathing thing.


• In case it needs to be said, no one should be going to bed drunk or on drugs. In many countries where cosleeping is the norm, not the exception, this is the main cause of infant death while sleeping.

We put Z in her bed each night asleep, after cuddling with me on the couch. (This ritual used to involve breastfeeding, but that's fading away fast.) She usually wakes and cries for a second when Jeremiah puts her down in her bed, and he lays with her for a moment (it never takes longer than a minute) and then she sleeps halfway through the night. Then she wakes up, goes to the bathroom, and comes into bed with us to sleep through the rest of the night. Works for us!