I realize that sometimes I waffle on about my Lars. I most certainly love my girls just as much, but his unique needs make ordinary things noteworthy and questionable things discussion worthy, at least in my head.
He and I had quite a conversation the other night.
Every night, Lars has a strict bedtime of 7:30 p.m. I assure you, this is self inflicted pain , as I am a little bit more flexible about the time then he is. We know that Sometimes the bath takes longer than expected, supper takes longer to eat, or the story is a few more pages then we initially thought. But for Lars, at 730, no matter where you are in the book, and no matter what, the light goes out, and he goes to sleep immediately, often times while you are still praying .
There have been several meltdowns in recent weeks, as the time change makes the days longer, and none of us want to start the bedtime routine any too soon, but we are plenty used to his tears by now.
Last Wednesday night , he did not get out of the bath tub until 7:26. In sheer panic mode, he put dry pajamas on his wet body, brushed his teeth without toothpaste, filled his nighttime water bottle with no ice, and started crying uncontrollably that he would not get to bed on time, would not get enough sleep, and would mis-behave or be too tired in kindergarten class tomorrow.
So, I calmed him down just enough to ask him, "Lars, what do you think will happen to you if you go to sleep after 730?"
His response stunned me. Without even thinking about it, he said through tears, most seriously, "I will blow up."
Okay mom, how exactly do you respond to that?
I told him, "Lars, that is physically impossible."
He said, "yes, I know it is physically impossible, but I will."
I realize that all moms struggle with bedtime at one time or another in their child's life, but really? A fear of blowing up from lack of sleep?
What is going on in that head of yours, young child?
