That night i tucked my 7 year old daughter to bed and settled down next to her to read out a story. Even before i start, she says with a sparkle in her eyes, "Mumma from tomorrow I want to sleep alone in my bedroom." The adult in me made me keep a calm face and even encourage her to do so. But the heart of a mother missed a beat and a zillion thoughts ran through the mind. Does she really want to sleep alone? Why does she want to sleep alone? Will she be able to sleep all alone? What if she wakes up in the middle of the night? What if she has a bad dream? What if she needs a glass of water? What if !!! and the thoughts ran berserk until the last thought that put me at ease - it's just a innocent statement made before going off to sleep and which she will forget about the next morning.
Oh! did I miss mentioning that my daughter sleeps with my husband and I in our bedroom, and we absolutely love it?
Next morning as i get her ready for the school she looks at me and requests, "Will you arrange my bed beautifully, I want to have my afternoon nap in my room?" Oh my God she's not forgotten about the last night's talk. She really is serious about sleeping alone. The adult in me flashes a smile and says yes, while the heart of a mother saddens. Did i miss mentioning she takes her afternoon nap also with me in my bedroom?
I arrange her bed as requested and as feared she enters her bedroom for the afternoon nap. She asks me to read out a story which I promptly do and then move softly over to my room. Within seconds I hear soft movements and a surge of happiness engulfs me, she's coming back. And there she walks in through the door saying "momma aap ke bina need nahi aa raha hai". Yay!! my heart did a somersault. I hugged her tight and we both went off to sleep.
That evening when my husband is back from his business trip I relate the talk that our daughter did. He dismissed it with a wave of hand. Tired soon he went off to sleep while my daughter kept her word and walked into her bedroom and lay on the bed. I read out a story and she slowly slipped into sleep. My husband unaware of the developments lay asleep on the bed in our bedroom.
He woke up startled after some time, checks the bed next to him and asks "Where's Amu?", Sleeping in her room, I reply. His jaw dropped, not believing what he just heard and checks our daughter's room and comes back with 'I still can't believe' look and lies down. That night he rushed to her room many times at the slightest sounds. Hmmm! A big change for us.
Next morning my better half engages in a talk with our daughter, confident that he can convince her to change her mind and sleep with us. He valiantly asks "Did you you sleep well Amu? you can continue to sleep with us if you want to." To which our daughter responded excitedly, Oh! I had a wonderful sleep Papa, I enjoyed sleeping alone. My husband immediately went meek and struck a deal with her. The deal is that Amu will sleep in her bedroom Monday to Friday and on Saturday and Sunday she will sleep with us in our bedroom.
Till now Amu is honouring the deal.
Oh! did I miss mentioning that my daughter sleeps with my husband and I in our bedroom, and we absolutely love it?
Next morning as i get her ready for the school she looks at me and requests, "Will you arrange my bed beautifully, I want to have my afternoon nap in my room?" Oh my God she's not forgotten about the last night's talk. She really is serious about sleeping alone. The adult in me flashes a smile and says yes, while the heart of a mother saddens. Did i miss mentioning she takes her afternoon nap also with me in my bedroom?
I arrange her bed as requested and as feared she enters her bedroom for the afternoon nap. She asks me to read out a story which I promptly do and then move softly over to my room. Within seconds I hear soft movements and a surge of happiness engulfs me, she's coming back. And there she walks in through the door saying "momma aap ke bina need nahi aa raha hai". Yay!! my heart did a somersault. I hugged her tight and we both went off to sleep.
That evening when my husband is back from his business trip I relate the talk that our daughter did. He dismissed it with a wave of hand. Tired soon he went off to sleep while my daughter kept her word and walked into her bedroom and lay on the bed. I read out a story and she slowly slipped into sleep. My husband unaware of the developments lay asleep on the bed in our bedroom.
He woke up startled after some time, checks the bed next to him and asks "Where's Amu?", Sleeping in her room, I reply. His jaw dropped, not believing what he just heard and checks our daughter's room and comes back with 'I still can't believe' look and lies down. That night he rushed to her room many times at the slightest sounds. Hmmm! A big change for us.
Next morning my better half engages in a talk with our daughter, confident that he can convince her to change her mind and sleep with us. He valiantly asks "Did you you sleep well Amu? you can continue to sleep with us if you want to." To which our daughter responded excitedly, Oh! I had a wonderful sleep Papa, I enjoyed sleeping alone. My husband immediately went meek and struck a deal with her. The deal is that Amu will sleep in her bedroom Monday to Friday and on Saturday and Sunday she will sleep with us in our bedroom.
Till now Amu is honouring the deal.
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