LOL ... I got my first daughter when she was about eighteen months old ... she was a different child.
I decided she was gifted. I told my dad that I figured she needed to be in a "gifted" program. Dad asked me "What makes you think she is gifted?"
I think he sort of proceeded to explain that she had definite personality, but rather than pushing, it might be better to encourage her to develop herself in the way God designed her.
Had I had the determination to follow my first inclination, that particular daughter would have been broken ... she would kill herself trying to please any authority ... she was different <g>.
When reality started to set in like: Lack of money, the amount of time and energy it takes to teach a child how to be a real human and participate in civilization ... the biggest plans start becoming a bit more realistic.
Basically, I figured out that no one cared as much about how my kids turned out as much as I cared. No one had to pay the consequences of wrong-headed thinking, as much as my children and I would pay if we allowed it to intrude into our family values ... and, other people viewed my children as an experiment, but I was the one paying the bills, and I was the one picking up the pieces, and I was the one who had to fix what fly-by-night ideas messed up ... I was the one constant in my children's lives ... of course, it meant that I had to improve a bit of myself <g> .... but, my kids needed their parents, not some theory that changes from year to year or teacher to teacher ...
as far as taking baby to bed ... not every time and not for very long ... I raised three babies with the "theory" ... and one needed to be that close ... the second one only came to bed if she woke up in the middle of the night, had her diaper changed, and then we snuggled to sleep. The third child, by the time he was six months old would make life very painful if he had to be in bed with me longer than it took to get fed. (Did you know that a six month old can pull the hair out of your head - - one strand at a time??? -- baby boy two could!) ...
And, only because I breast fed ... every two hours 24 hours a day for two weeks is pretty brain numbing <g> I tried getting up and feeding him in the middle of the night and almost dropped him on the floor, right out of my arms ... that is just my experience <g>
And, something I told my children when they started contemplating children - - do NOT poop out children to create a job for someone else ... if you are not willing to be the teacher, guide, and caregiver for a child - - don't bother ... they deserve better than that!
Terri! You are figuring out what I figured out after my first grandchild - - there is a reason God gives babies to young people! I was not nearly as capable of dealing with crying and disciplining and holding to principles as I had been when I was a young mom! LOL ... and, you are tired ... you know what stress is, eh? The conflict between doing what you have to do with what you want to do - - there is a different way of putting it, but you are there, so I am not telling you anything new <g>.
A drive will be good ... as long as they aren't doing anything to endanger the babies today ... then, it will be okay ;)