My youngest is throwing a fit in my bedroom. At one point he ‘Brogue kicked’ a pillow straight off my bed. Its a wonder he’s in there in the first place as he is completely unconscious and has been since he staggered in a half hour ago. He didn’t head straight to the bedroom. There were stops in the loft and library along the way. The entire time he was touring our home he was whining plaintively about how I was somehow being mean and not allowing him to go to sleep. Once he settled on my room he turned his attentions to being angry at whoever was the antagonist of his dream. That dude is still catching a butt kicking.
I’m not certain that this level of anger is at all healthy for the kid, but I remember sleepwalking as a kid. I remember being angry based on the way life was and the way I perceived myself being treated and wanting to lash out. If a pillow has to get ‘got’ then I’m willing to let that go. Besides, he is asleep. That part hasn’t gone totally overlooked for me. I think the whole episode is the result of a difficult run in we had at the end of the night when he, a tired little 6 yr old boy, asked to be carried to bed. I obliged and waited at the stairs for him to join me. He wandered off elsewhere to do, well, who knows what. Meanwhile another one of them franchise boys made the same request. I carried the child upstairs and let the little one know I’d be back in a moment and he became very upset at the idea.
He just woke up.
He looked at me, confused, and then went back to his room. I’ll check on him soon…
The thing about all of this is expectation. He expected me to wait and hold fast until he was ready to go. He didn’t think I was going to work with any other kid until he was ready because he already called dibs. Such a fine and bright theory, but impossible in practice.
As I wind down these ten minutes I feel like I need to go tuck him in again. A soft kiss and a few moments of back rubs should soothe the shuddering beast. If that doesn’t work there’s always hypnosis…