Going to be a long day.
The Coach and I are WAY too old to be up in the night with a little one. Or I should say. . . a Little Man.
Several months ago, Little Man started getting up in the middle of the night. . . without waking us. . . and getting in bed with his sister.
I'd go in in the morning to wake her up for school and there he'd be. . . snuggled up in her bed.
She said she wished he'd just stay in his own bed. But then every night she would let him crawl right in.
I wasn't sure what to do about it, since I didn't even know when he was doing it. He didn't bother the other 8 of us. . . so it seemed like one of those, "They'll grow out of it" things. You know what I mean. Pretty sure they would decide at some point they didn't want to sleep the same bed!
Hopefully.
But then on Monday, Daughter (#7) woke up with a high fever (and yes, Little Man was there, too, when I discovered it). Later on, as she was quarantined on the playroom couch, I explained to Little Man that you do NOT want to sleep with someone who has the flu. Because you will certainly get sick, too. (Thinking all the while that he would get sick, anyway, since he'd been in her bed every night before that.)
I thought maybe this was the solution. Maybe this would be the thing to get him to stay in his own bed all night!
And you know what? He seemed to "get it". He decided he didn't want a fever and he's not only stayed away from her in the playroom (so nice when they are old enough to understand!), he hasn't gone near her bed.
Instead, he's gone near ours. Every. Single. Night.
And his 15 year old sister's. Every. Single. Night.
And his 11 year old sister's. Every. Single. Night.
And I'm sure he WOULD try to crawl in bed with his 9 year old sister. But she's still sleeping in the hall. That doesn't seem to appeal to him, for some reason.
Going to bed like a normal 5 year old boy, in his own bed with his pillows, pillow pet, stuffed animals, and soft fuzzy snowman blanket (yes, I've tried everything!).
Then wandering around in the night trying to crawl in everyone else's bed.
Is he cold?
Scared?
And HOW is he not exhausted? We're way beyond naps, here at the troops. How DOES he wander around all night and then stay awake all day?
Hmmmmm.
Last night I'd just "had it". He was standing there. Staring at me. For the third or fourth time. Who can sleep like that? Besides the Coach, I mean. And I did the unthinkable (at least at our house). I let him climb in bed with us.
I did go back to sleep. But MAN did I have some strange dreams. Something about being late to tomorrow's running club training run - trying to get ready in a hotel room and find all of my cold weather running stuff - and then having on clothes that were too warm for the weather - then parking 60 blocks away and having to walk through fields - and then the Coach and the kids were all with me - and I was trying to text the friend meeting me there to tell her I was late. . .
Exhausting.
And exactly why we have a "no kids sleeping in OUR bed" rule at the troops.
Sigh.
What's a mom to do?
The Coach suggested getting a heated pillow for him to sleep with. I'm willing to try anything!
Well, Happy Friday, anyway!
. . .Do they MAKE heated pillows?
3 comments:
They make heated pillows for pets so surely they make them for people! Praying he finds peace in his own space soon. Bed, Bath & Beyond has light up pillows... :-)
I did the exact same thing to my brothers when I was little. I was just scared. I'd go to the first brother (10 years older) and climb into his bed. He would literally throw me out. I'd climb in with the older brother (12 years older), and he'd scoot me over next to the wall. I was happy as long as I wasn't by myself. I was so sad when he left for college. :)
Oh, so cute though!
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