If moms want to breastfeed for as long as they want and if the child wants it, then that's up to them. I nursed my daughter until 3 months, and that's when my supply couldn't keep up to her needs. I was sad because I loved the time she and I shared while she nursed. It's an experience that I can't put into words. I think that that's why moms want to continue breastfeeding for as long as possible. If my milk hadn't run out I'm not sure what I would have done, but I lean more toward the "if she can ask for solid food..." side. I don't know, maybe she would have weaned herself off when she was ready. I like to think that that's what the majority of kids do - wean when they're ready.
I'm not so much disgusted at the idea of breastfeeding past a certain age -- to each, her own. What irritates the shit out of me is that cover and that question of ARE YOU MOM ENOUGH? Freaking A. Moms who don't breastfeed/breastfeed past a certain age are no less of a mother than those who do. And that kid? He must be at least 5. When kids are old enough to have memories of feeding from the tit, you probably shoulda quit a year ago.
My daughter likes to nap on my bed during the day but has slept in her own bed nightly since Day 1, with the exception of the first time she got sick. Both I and her father are deep sleepers, so bedsharing was never an option. We've chosen to co-sleep (have her crib in our room) until she is 6 months old. Earlier when she'd wake up for feedings 2-3 times a night I just picked her up and fed her in the living room, in her reclinalounger.
Now that she's sleeping through the night, her sharing a room with us hasn't been a problem.
My stepson's been a bed-sharer with his mom since birth and now that he's almost 7, it's been a pain in the ass to get him to stay in his room and sleep in his bed. This is why I knew I had to get my daughter used to sleeping in her own bed.
I hate it when people tell me how to parent my child so I try not to do the same to others. So far my baby is healthy and happy so I must be doing something right...even if it's not what Sears says. They can all go to hell.
[Oh, and KSU I think it was SWTXBelle you were talking about. Damn those LaLeakys]