Do Cocker Spaniels make good family pets?
We have a 3 year old and an 18 month old and are thinking of buying a puppy

Yes they do, we have 4 children and 6 cocker spaniels, never had any worries about them.  When I've had pups (which I don't at the moment) lots of them go to families with young children, they've all commented on how good they are with the children.

Not that I'm biased or anything ;-)

I grew up with a Cocker, he was a true friend :)  There is some concern however with a syndrome called 'cocker rage' (although it's not just limited to Cockers) you'd do yourself and your family a favour to read up on it.  Like most dogs, Cockers thrive on consistency and firm but fair treatment.  If you employ those sorts of tactics, you should be fine :)

I think you might be confusing Cocker Rage with just bad behaviour or temperament.  True Cocker Rage is very rare but no amount of, even expert, handling would make any difference, its more like schizophrenia in that sense.  As you say, all though, Cockers can sometime be very wilfull and do require consistant training, except in the case of poorly bred ones, they should have excellent temperaments.  Having said all that I have never sold a puppy to someone with children under the age of eight as personally I think Cockers are too tolerant of the behaviour of some youngsters and don't really deserve it :)

This is very true Isabel, but I felt it only fair to advise the OP of the possibility and let them read up on it - forewarned being forearmed etc.  I think we both know that Cockers are very adapt at 'taking advantage' of those chinks in training, and of course true rage syndrome is impossible to train out.........

I think you'll find Cocker rage is more commonly found in solid colours,  not all solid, just poorly bred ones!  Not every solid has it, most are lovely dogs, but it is only fair to warn you.

As long as you get your cocker from a reputable breeder (you'll find these by contacting you nearest Breed Club Secretary ) you shouldn't have to worry about which colour you go for.  My gold dog is a lot more laid back than my blue roan ;-)  It is vitally important that you steer clear of commercial breeders as 'rage symdrome' is just one of the many temperament and health issues that can affect commercially bred pups.  I don't have children but both my boys come to the school where I work and absolutely love the attention :D  If I were you, I'd read as much as I could on the breeds that you're interested before deciding which will be most suited to your family - cockers are fantastic pets but as Isabel has said, they can be down right stubborn and you (and everyone else in the family - children included)have to be prepared to be just as stubborn or you can end up with a cocker spaniel 'ruling the roost' :-).  Good Luck in your search for a dog, whichever breed you choose :-)