Not available to order
Publication date:
17 March 2017Length of book:
184 pagesPublisher
Rowman & Littlefield PublishersISBN-13: 9781442249066
Co-sleeping—parents and children sharing a bed—can be a fraught topic for parents. Some experts recommend parents never bring children into bed with them, while other experts extol the benefits of parents and children sharing a sleep space. Given the importance of sleep to our well-being, the topic can generate such strong feelings and controversy that parents can be afraid to share their experiences.
Co-Sleeping takes readers inside the reality of co-sleeping for a diverse range of families in America, with varying family structures, races, incomes, and education levels, and with children from infants to teens. Drawing on original research and extensive interviews with real parents—both fathers and mothers—author Susan Stewart goes beyond the fads and vehement arguments for or against co-sleeping to look at what actually happens, and the impact of co-sleeping on families—for better or worse.
Co-Sleeping takes readers inside the reality of co-sleeping for a diverse range of families in America, with varying family structures, races, incomes, and education levels, and with children from infants to teens. Drawing on original research and extensive interviews with real parents—both fathers and mothers—author Susan Stewart goes beyond the fads and vehement arguments for or against co-sleeping to look at what actually happens, and the impact of co-sleeping on families—for better or worse.
Susan Stewart’s book is an important contribution to the understanding of couples, parenting, and families. With rich interview material carefully analyzed, and with astute reviewing of diverse writings on the topic, this book adds a great deal to our knowledge about what parents do about co-sleeping, why they do it, and how co-sleeping affects couple relationships, quality of life, and much else. It is a real contribution to the sociology of families and of everyday life. It provides an informed and balanced perspective that many readers, including parents and health practitioners, will find very helpful.