: The appropriateness of a parent and child sharing a bed can depend on the child's age. As children grow older, they may need more independence and personal space.
: This is often the stage where parents begin to consider transitioning the child to their own bed to encourage self-soothing skills and independence.
In fact, many boys who have secure, non-anxious co-sleeping relationships with their mothers report less confusion about bodies and boundaries, because the body is not treated as a secret or shameful object. The problem arises when bed-sharing is secret , shame-based , or rigid .