Alicia Silverstone Slammed By Psychologist For Still Sleeping With 11-Year-Old Son

Alicia Silverstone has been slammed by a psychologist after revealing that she still shares a bed with her 11-year-old son.

Earlier this week, the Clueless star opened up about what life is like behind closed doors during an interview on The Ellen Fisher Podcast.

However, she might have given away too much information while disclosing how close she is with her son Bear.

"Bear and I still sleep together," she admitted, before adding: "I don't really care."

Although Silverstone said she was just following 'nature', suggesting that society is 'scared of nature and love', she knew her parenting style might raise a few eyebrows.

And it appears her prediction has come true, as a parenting expert and psychologist has hit back and suggested that sharing a bed at this age could lead to social and developmental issues down the line.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, Reena B Patel said: "When a child begins to question the difference in genders, hits puberty and or starts to show discomfort is when to stop. It can be as early as five years of age."

The parenting expert suggested that Bear – who Silverstone shares with her ex-husband Christopher Jarecki – should 'try to sleep independently', and that this should generally be done 'when a child is a toddler'.

Patel explained: "It's important to clarify how one would sleep when at other houses and how to rewind and provide affection to others when at school and visiting extended family, or when mom isn't around to bond with."

As for the 45-year-old actor's attached parenting style, the psychologist advised that it can lead to a reduced amount of 'exploration freedom a child receives'.

This level of attachment may also create co-dependence and boundary issues, limit independent skill development, and may lead to challenges in other relationships.

She continued: "It can [lead to bullying and] social effectiveness should be considered and at that age.

"As they get older there are sleepovers and camps. What would happen in those situations? When a child gets ready to move out or go to college?"

What's more, Patel said it could also negatively impact Silverstone's life as well, as she may not have enough 'alone time' to focus on her personal relationships.

Sleeping habits weren't the only matters discussed by the star on the podcast, as she also revealed that she took a different approach to toilet training Bear – instead of using nappies, she used her intuition.

"There was a period of time where I was watching him naked and watching the cues," she said.

"The cues part for me was really fun because I thought that he was flirting with me because he would do this little smile. That's when he had to pee."

She added: "When I was done feeding him, he would go to the bathroom in the toilet. When he woke up from a nap, he went to the bathroom."

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