Sadly - this fact is true for many parents of children under 12.
A few weeks ago the NYTimes had an article on the "family bed" syndrome. It was such a relief for me to learn that Brian and I are not the only parents on the planet dealing with musical beds at night.
Sometimes I put Ben to bed after a long day at work. We cuddle together, I sing him a song and he falls asleep...um...we fall asleep. Then at about 2am, I open my eyes and focus in on a fleet of WWI model airplanes. I drag myself into my bedroom where my husband (and dog) are fast asleep on our bed.
OUR BED....what does that even mean anymore!!! One day, Ben laughingly corrected me as he climbed beneath the covers and said "Mommy, it isn't YOUR bed, it's the FAMILY bed!"
The mere thought of going to sleep at 10:30 and experiencing eight solid hours of sleep ....well, it's just beyond the Holy Grail.
6 comments:
Those are the days that I miss. (Not the sleep deprived ones!) but the ones where your child snuggles up to you in bed and between the flailing arms and legs you get to smell their hair, put your arm around them and just watch them.
I can relate to your sleep woes. Sleep is something so easily taken for granted when it comes easily. Then again, what isn't?
jar - you are right. these are years to treasure and part of me knows how sad I'll 'be when this ritual comes to an end. If only I didn't have a high pressure to wake up to every morning. That's the killer when you have no sleep.
michael - wise words (as usual!). I wish I had ability to appreciate every moment - sometimes I do - but I spend a lot of time worrying - my worldview since childhood has always focused on waiting for the next shoe to drop...what a stupid waste of time...I look forward to one day meeting Buddha and having him laugh in my face!
Yeah, yeah, I'm the same way. Something -- a situation, a feeling, whatever -- can't ever just be good, period. There always seems to be some qualifier tacked on to the end, as in "Wow, I'm feeling so carefree right now, it's such a great feeling -- but, ooops, I gotta be at work later this afternoon."
There's actually a rationale (in my fevered mind) for my own wait for the other shoe to drop: I reckon that if I plan for the worst, then if things work out OK, it's all gravy.
I wonder what would happen if I were to plan for the best ... ?
The family bed. I missed out on that, and I regret it now. While my kiddies were growing big, I was so, so busy with things that seemed so, so important and necessary. And, of course, I thought I was doing all those things (mostly) for my kids.
Last week, while I was in the beauty shop getting the grey hairs on my head colored a beautimous *natural* red/brown, two of the stylist were talking about their little ones sleeping in the family bed. Such a lovely concept.
i got wind of this article in the NYT. it's so true. even when i was growing up. i can't wait to have kids.
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