It's 10.30pm at night and the rumblings have begun in our bedrooms. Almost everynight, we go through the same routine since we took our 2.5 months vacation in Asia. We enjoyed paradise, quietness, tranquility, fun and traveling adventure. We slept and ate like pigs. I already miss those days.
Settling back to normacy after such a long vacation is always challenging especially for a four-year-old imaginative young boy since he expects nowdays to mirror the 2.5 month vacation days. Our battle usually begins like this:
"Time for bed YOUNG man! mommy and daddy need to sleep soon and you need to be on your bed with your eyes close."
Son: I want to play
Dad: It's late and it's dark outside.
Mom: We have a lot of things to do tomorrow and you need to get up early so go to sleep.
Son: ok mom and dad. (After 10 mins Son walks in to our room)
Son: Can you please turn on the CD for me?
Dad: Ok, I will be there son.
Son: (After another 5 minutes or so, he walks in to the room again) Dad, can you turn on the fan for me please.
Dad: Hmmm...OK son..get back to BED!
Son: (Walks in again in to our room after several minutes) Mom would you help me change to a different CD?
Mom: Ok son..mom will be there
Dad: This is it son, you need to sleep now!
After about another 10 minutes or so, mom and dad hear a little sobbing in little son's room. What's going on son?
Son: Daddy, can you read me a book please?
Dad: It's LATE! and you need to sleep soon..but still gives in and reads him a book.
Son seems to be happy now and is almost asleep. Dad leaves room to go back to his room. Ten minutes later the "miniature dad torturer" follows right behind and says, "Dad! It's too dark outside, can you make it brighter?" "Son! it's night time! and you need to go back to your room and sleep."
Son: But dad, I am scared!
Dad: All your friends are asleep now and you need to be too as well.
Son: O...K....(Finally agrees reluctantly after mommy tucks him in)
At 2.30am, our little boy walks in to our room once again and sleeps with us through the morning. I have to say this has been happening every night since we got back from our vacation.
One morning, I decided to have a more serious Daddy and little son talk about his recent behavior of not wanting to sleep alone and coming over to sleep with us every night. Dad: Son, you have your own room and you need to sleep in your own room at night. Only babies still sleep with mom and dads, Are you still a baby? Do you want daddy to put diapers on you?
Son: No. I am not a BABY. I am a boy but I like sleeping with you all.
Dad: You need to sleep earlier and sleep in your own bed son. All your friends sleep earlier than you and in their own room.
Son: Dad, I am scared, it's too dark outside, I am not tall enough to change the CD's in the CD player, my room smells funny, My room is hot (It's 32 degress outside and we keep our rooms at 64 degrees), Elmo is looking at me funny, I didn't brush my teeth, my pillow is too big for my head, my butt itches and my bed it too big..and my......... (on and on he goes)
Dad: Son, you are growing up and you need to learn to sleep in your own room.
Son: When we were in Malaysia and Hong Kong, we all slept together dad...WHY?
Dad: Because we were on vacation!
Son: What is vacation?
Dad: SON...enough...you need to try to sleep in your own room.
Son: Can we go back to vacation?
This is a conversation that my little son is determined not to end it by keeping up with more questions.
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