Yes, my 5-year-old kept two other children awake until 9 p.m. last night talking about scary green-eyed wolves (his newest fear). 9 p.m. may not sound late to you, but it’s 1 1/2 hours AFTER bedtime!
To make matters worse, our almost-2-year-old daughter starts crying at 4 a.m. and wants to get in our bed. Now, our belief has been that if a child is scared or needs us during the night, we are more than happy (well, maybe less-than-happy, but at least willing) to provide the comfort and security of sharing our bed.
So at 4 a.m., I find myself making room for the baby, her blanket, and her two cuddly bunnies she likes to sleep with. Well, this would have been fine, if at 5 a.m. my 3 1/2-year-old daughter hadn’t come running into our room, climbing into our bed, stepping on her sister (who was in the middle), and then proceeding to cry because “her spot” wasn’t available.
Ask me why I just didn’t go ahead and get up at 5 a.m. I foolishly thought I might actually get back to sleep! And I think the thing that pisses me off quicker than anything is to be trying (desperately) to get back to sleep and to have a child (or two, as the case may be) sitting up/laying down/kicking me in the back/tossing their bunny around/sniffing loudly/etc. To which I, of course, respond “Lay down. It’s time to sleep. It’s too early to get up. Be still,” and so forth.
I gave up when my oldest daughter told me I was keeping her awake. My husband laughed (he has a better sense of humor at 5 a.m. than I do), and I got so mad I just got up. I’ve already gotten two loads of laundry done. But I’m still REALLY annoyed. It’ll annoy me even more when the whinies and crankies catch up with them, and I’ll be the one expected to be patient with them (yes, the two that woke me up).
Can you hear the irritation - the knowing how their lack of sleep and my lack of sleep will ultimately affect the rest of our day? The 3 1/2-year-old is already having her first fit. Oh, I am SO ANNOYED!!!!!
