A mum who shares her bed with her two pre-teen children says it isn't weird and explains why they are so close.
Bernie Watkins has had her son Caden, 12, and daughter Frankie, 10, sleeping with her ever since they were born. She says both have their own rooms but prefer to sleep in next to their mum at night.
The 49-year-old, originally from Liverpool, lives in Spain with the children and she is adamant it is a "totally natural" thing the children are fully behind, reports the Hull Daily Mail.
In fact, the freelance copy writer says it is the best time of the day
She said: "We have always been in a bed together - right from when they were newborns and I didn't want to leave them in a different room on their own.
"They can stop when they want and have their own rooms but have always preferred to sleep with me. We're a very close cuddly family so it's perfect for us - and getting into bed at night is a lovely part of our days.
"We don't normally share mealtimes so bedtime is our time to all be together and have a cuddle and talk about anything. People told me they would grow up to be clingy and dependent if we kept sharing but they're the total opposite."
Bernie first came up with the idea to make breast feeding easier but despite repeated warnings abut safety she says she was "never concerned about that."
She said: "I am a light sleeper so I always knew where they were in the bed - as soon as they stirred I would wake up. For me it felt wrong to take a tiny baby and leave them in another room alone. I was always set on co-sleeping from birth.
"For us it's the most normal thing in the world and none of us want to stop. I wish other people wouldn't make comments or put barriers up around co-sleeping - people make an automatic judgement. It's the reason we have such a close bond."
Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our daily newsletter here.
