That's to Graphic

** Disclaimer: I am a parent and I do not tell you how to raise your children, please don't use this as a place to bash my parenting. **

The other day I was working at my job. For those of you who don't know me. I pretty much can do anything on the front end of Walmart. This particular day I was working in customer service. Not that extravagant of a day. Nothing much going on.

I had a customer bring back up a dvd series of "House", with a small boy in her cart. Probably about 4 or 5 years old.  I went through the normal questions; "Return or exchange", "Is there anything wrong with it?". The customer was very nice and in no way snotty. I found she wanted to do an exchange and there was nothing wrong with the movie. She wanted to exchange it for the "Bones" series. Turns out she already had this season of house.

I said something at that point that "Bones" was my daughter and I's favorite show. The lady proceeded to tell me that the show is to graphic for her young son.

This got me thinking. What exactly is to graphic? I'm talking in general senses. I don't let my children watch "Edward Scissorhands" or "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre", but my daughter really does love to watch "Bones" and we watch "House" on occasion. My children have also watched and assisted in kidding and lambing season. They have helped to butcher chickens and turkeys.


I don't find these tv shows to be to graphic and I'm very open with them about the tv being about actors and the storys and blood are fake. I think my children are well rounded for it and they learn, so yeah "Bones" isn't to graphic for my kids. Not after they've torn apart a chicken.

Why We Co-Sleep

Let me start out by saying I had no intention at the beginning of motherhood to co-sleep. I have friends who co-sleep. I babysat for a family that co-slept. I just didn't really think it was for me. I bought the crib, and bassinet. We were going to have the baby in the same room because of our living arrangement at the time, but that was as close as it was going to get. At least that was the idea.
Like all great plans this one was foiled as well. My daughter would not sleep in her bassinet. She would not sleep in her crib. Now remember I attachment parent so I had no intention of letting this little infant cry it out. I began holding her through the night. I found she slept better. I slept better and this arrangement just made nursing so much easier. Before I knew it I was a co-sleeper.
Now we are 5 1/2yrs into this endeavor and I think my husband enjoys it as much as I do. I have been trying to move our now 3 1/2yr old into the bedroom with his sister, but on the nights when I go to sleep early DH still will drop him in our bed. Almost every night DS still winds up in bed with us, but we both realize this is a slow and steady process.
The only real questions I ever hear about my co-sleeping arrangement are;
#1 Won't you roll over on the baby?- I have never rolled over on my baby. Do I believe it's possible. Yes I do, but I also believe that because I breastfeed and I'm a new mother my body is programmed differently.
#2 What about you and your husband?-Believe me if you want to you find time. The first couple months with a new baby a mom doesn't care about much else, but the new baby. So this isn't an issue in the beginning after that believe me you find the time.
Below is a link to an article that has some scientific stats the prove that co-sleeping can be beneficial to you and baby. I don't think I outright made the choice to co-sleep. I believe God made that decision for me and I don't feel bad or ashamed of the situation at all. In fact now I discuss this option with all new or expecting mothers. I realize it is a personal choice and one that worked to our families benefit.
http://www.breastfeeding.com/reading_room/co_slepping.html