Dad and tween daughter explain why they prefer co-sleeping as a family and it's resonating with many

The idea of co-sleeping as a family has been prevalent for quite some time. While earlier it may have been due to restricted spaces in homes, now it is a conscious choice made by many parents and children. However, for those unaware of the reasons why families could be co-sleeping, it may come across as absurdity. The TikTok dad-daughter duo from @deal_family shared that they have been co-sleeping as a family for quite some time for a wholesome reason. The family has dedicated their account to sharing various tips and family moments with their viewers. 

In their video, the dad explains how they go about their co-sleeping practice to get rid of any doubts or misconceptions viewers may have. “When people find out that we’re a co-sleeping family, they think we all pile up on one bed, but that’s not the case.” The dad then enthusiastically turned his camera to show the viewers his huge bed. He said, “This is our king bed.” Elaborating further, the dad explained the co-sleeping structure the family shares. “I sleep on that side,” the father said, pointing to the extreme right side of the bed. “Meagan in the middle, little Sarah and Grave this side,” he added as he pointed out the various spaces on the bed.

The dad then pointed out to a twin bed at the foot of their kin-size bed and mentioned that his teen daughter Mackenzie sleeps there. He then marched over to Mackenzie and asked her, “Why do you like to sleep on the twin bed?” To this, the girl replied, “I don’t know, it feels safer.” For the Deal family, co-sleeping was their way of being together and letting their kids feel safe and homely. The dad then turned the camera to himself and said, “You might be wondering what we’re gonna do when Sarah gets a little too big to sleep in here with us.”

Answering the doubt, he said, “Put another bed in here, I don’t know, we’ll figure it out when we get there.” The video received over 5M views, 214K likes and 4.2K comments. Fellow parents shared their thoughts on co-sleeping as a family. @susanhudson673 said, “We’re not a co-sleeping family, but we never turned our kids down when they wanted to sleep with us at night.” @i.have.a.dad12 said, “Nothing feels safer than sleeping in your parent’s room.” 

Co-sleeping is not as weird as many put it out to be. Many parents and children willingly adopt the practice as a way of expressing love and warmth among each other. As another prominent example, actor Alicia Silverstone shared that her preteen son, Bear, co-sleeps with her.

While the news stirred up mixed emotions from others, Silverstone stayed firm about her decision, saying that she was simply following what nature taught her. “I’m a natural mama, and I’m a loving mama. I believe in love, I believe in nature, and our society is scared of nature and love,” she said. The mom has often been called out for her attachment parenting style, but it doesn’t seem to affect her. “Every choice I make is either based on instinct or deep research,” Silverstone revealed. “The things I’m doing, I didn’t invent any of it. It’s just me following nature. Bear and I still sleep together. Well, if I were sleeping outside in a tent, I wouldn’t put him (Bear) in a separate tent,” the actor remarked.