I co-slept with both of mine, and I "wore" both of them, too. And heard lots of negative commentary about it...

They are now teenagers- and both independent, sensitive, caring young adults.

Taking your baby's needs and feelings into account shouldn't be "trained" out of us parents- and that's what sleep training does. It trains us parents to be less empathetic and less sensitive to other's emotional well-being. It trains us to believe we know better how another person feels and how to ignore both verbal and non-verbal communication from them. It teaches us how to invalidate that little person simply because they are little.

And contrary to popular belief, my lil ppl exited my bed (and their slings) as toddlers and both are well-adjusted, independent humans...

Now I struggle with the question of whether I'm giving them enough of my time in their teenage years- they are hardly around anymore!

My 15yo son shoots trap, plays hockey, and loves snowmobiling. My daughter owns and cares for her horse and has a boyfriend of 2 years who she spends lots of time with. They both have jobs and also give their time freely to others as a matter of course. Yes, they are still young and they are still growing and make mistakes. I still do stupid stuff sometimes!
It does go by so fast- why not enjoy it while we can, as parents, you know? Its about the journey, not the destination...