Kama Sutra For Parents of Young Children
14 months.
Just in time for the spirit of Valentine’s Day, I found this helpful illustration of Kama Sutra for us parents with small kids.
Through Facebook, I found it on another daddy blog, called How To Be A Dad. The clever artist behind this picture is Andy Herald.
By now, despite my purposely misleading title, it’s obvious the “Kama Sutra” positions I’m referring to are the hilarious sleeping positions that two parents and a baby end up in when they all share a bed. My personal favorite is “Jazz Hands.”
Back before our son was born, my wife and I fully intended to let our son Jack sleep in the bed with us, but it just never really mutually caught on. Thank God.
What was I thinking?!
For the first several months he slept in his Pack-N-Play next to our bed. Then at 7 months old, I trained him to sleep through the night, in his own bed. (Yes, I’m very proud of myself for that.)
I love my son.
Without hesitation, I would die for him. But I wouldn’t let him sleep in the bed with my wife and I at this point.
It works for a lot of parents. And I honor and respect them doing what works for them.
Here’s the thing: I simply don’t care what other parents do. I have enough to keep me busy.
Sure, I offer up plenty of parenting advice here on The Dadabase, but that’s all it is: advice for parents who are like-minded or at least open-minded in regards to my way of parenting. It doesn’t mean I’m right. It just means I found what works for me and my kid.
Every child is different. And that scares me, because if (big word) my wife and I end up having another kid, I hate the thought that he or she may not be the kind that will sleep through the night in a separate room and bed down the hall.
I would like to think that my son’s trained sleeping routine is simply because of my deliberate efforts, but what if I’m simply lucky and/or wrong?
In the likeness of Cesar Milan being able to train dogs to make him a 7 course dinner while polishing his shoes and trimming his goatee, I want to believe that I can train any child of mine to sleep through the night in a separate bed.
Only time will tell if I’m right.
Man… I hope I’m right.
*I invite you to check more hilarious illustrations like the one featured here, as well as really cool blog posts about fatherhood, by going to How To Be A Dad. They’re on Twitter too; they have like 85,000 followers!
@HowToBeADad
Categories: Growing Up, Health, Home Life, Must Read, Storytelling | Tags: co-sleeping, funny, funny pictures, kama sutra, parenting, sleeping, Spanish
14 Comments
by Blanca
On February 14, 2012 at 8:09 pm
haha love your article, and you’re totally right, if you did a great job with your son (really, you did!!) you can do the same with the next… but good luck! every kid is different. My first girl sleep the whole night and take naps almost every day, since my second child still sleeps in our bed =…( I try really hard to get her out of OUR bed, but I think my husband doesn’t help so much, and even though she start sleeping on her bed, by midnight she just make it trough ours… anyway, just patience and hard work.. i can do it!
by lepabrena78
On February 14, 2012 at 8:12 pm
Totaly against babies/infants sleeping with their parents–NOT SAFE=NOT worht it!!!
by Kristina
On February 14, 2012 at 8:43 pm
This is me and my 19, almost 20 month old daughter. Lol! I just laughed and laughed when I saw this article. I may not have to share the bed with another adult but my one baby whacks me on the head, farts in my face, kicks me in my boobs, almost makes me pee myself nightly with her swift kicks or leg drops to my gut! I just love “The Neck Scarf”! I have actually had this happen! To all you happily sleeping through the night parents laughing at this article be very grateful! lol!
by Charlie
On February 14, 2012 at 8:44 pm
ThanksgMind giving
by Kristina
On February 14, 2012 at 8:47 pm
I also have to add that I have 3 children. My son 12 slept with me for 3 years until his sister now 9 took up his place. She moved quickly out of my bed for her own comfort. Of course the 3rd almost 2 year old is still in my bed. All children are healthy and happy. I know I could use more sleep but for me it’s worth it. All 3 of these children are completely different from each other. Every time I go to try and make a comparison they switch it up on me lol! To each their own though.
by Dawn
On February 14, 2012 at 8:54 pm
Oh My! I thought I was the only one who had to sleep like this. Both my children were terrible sleepers and no matter what we tried the ONLY way to get any sleep was with them in the bed. It turns out I was a much better mother with sleep than without it lol!
I guess the main thing when I was getting kicked all through the night AKA “H is for Hell” I just kept focusing on that they won’t be still doing this at 10!
Thankfully around the 3 mark both of them were down the hall on their own
Thanks for the laugh
Dawn
by Paula
On February 14, 2012 at 9:27 pm
Hahahaha! The pictures are so funny!!!
by Sarah
On February 14, 2012 at 9:45 pm
I was one of the lucky ones. Both kids were in their own rooms by 9 weeks. I need my sleep. The good Lord knew what he was doing when he gave me two sleepers. My sisters-in-law were not so lucky. I have been in most of those positions but only after I took the crib apart. Wish I could have made that last longer.
by Melanie
On February 14, 2012 at 10:01 pm
Ha!! The Neck Scarf is a daily occurence in my house!! I’d also like to add the one where they lay on you chest to chest juuust right so that their little shoulder is pressing directly into your neck. That is a favorite of my son as well.
by Dr Ryan
On February 15, 2012 at 2:34 am
Co-sleeping is now one of the top causes of infant death. They make cribs for a reason folks, let them cry it out.
by SHERI POUNCEY
On February 15, 2012 at 1:26 pm
loved this, and ea kid will be different, thats the ONE thing you can depend on
by Nick Shell
On February 17, 2012 at 12:59 pm
Thanks Sheri
by Veronika
On February 20, 2012 at 7:58 am
I prefer everyone to be sleeping in their own bed in our house. I have two kids, very different, but we never co-slept and my husband and i were also pretty good with keeping a sleep routine, which for the first few years meant leaving parties ( with kids) before anyone else so that we’d be home for their sleep time. People called us unflexible etc. But i still laugh now (kids are6 and 4) because we have the easiest time when it comes to night time. Into bed by 8:30 and forgotten till morning.
by Dorothy
On May 23, 2012 at 8:19 pm
This practice is extremeley unsafe. The American Acadmey of Pediatrics recommends that babies sleep on their backs, in a crib without bumpers or other items to prevent accidental suffocation or strangulation.
Bed sharing is a very dangerours practice, contrary to popular belief adults are unaware of their body positions while they are asleep. Any accidental movement could suffocate the infant. Co-sleeping is a major contributing factor to infant death in the U.S. When it comes to an infant’s life, better safe, than sorry.