Co-Sleeping

Some may ask what is co-sleeping? I found out what co-sleeping was shortly after my daughter was born.
Co-Sleeping, is having your baby in bed with you and your spouse when he/she is supposed to be sleeping in their own bed. This may or may not have a positive effect on how you sleep and on how your child sleeps.
In my experience, I put Tara in bed with me while I was still home on maternity leave, hoping that having me close would help her sleep a little longer so I could get a few more hours myself. It worked a few times and I was not as sleep deprived.
However, I do not still allow her to sleep with me now, and she sleeps just fine on her own at night in her bassinet next to my bed.
I have heard very negative things on co-sleeping and even a friend of my family is now having problems with her nearly three year old daughter not sleeping in her own bed at night and screaming to be in bed with her mother.
I think that co-sleeping is permitted when the mother is breastfeeding. At least that is what all the books I read say. This helps the mother stay in bed during feeding and the baby can drift off to sleep while nursing. I never tried this with Tara but only because I was too scared that I would roll over on her, but I have heard that it works well.
Co-sleeping after 4 or 5 months old should be stopped in order to get your child to realize that he/she has his/her own bed to sleep in. Now, will I permit my daughter to sleep with me if she has a bad dream? The answer to this is simple, yes. I could never let her cry all night when she clearly needs to be close to her parents.
But still, there has to be a clear boundary between children sleeping with their parents and sleeping in their own beds. Tara has done exceptionally well with sleeping on her own and I am proud of her. Now I need to get used to putting her in the crib in her own room, since she is still sleeping in her bassinet next to my bed. It will be hard for me not to miss not being able to look down on her from my bed as I get up to go to work in the morning.
Co-Sleeping is fine while they are still nursing, but once they stop nursing, he/she needs to be in their own bed, either a crib or a bassinet. I love that Tara sleeps next to me, and I can still look at and touch her same as I could if she were in bed with me.