A cry rang out at 2:03 am. Being the parent that I am, I legitimately thought it was at least 6. It felt like I'd been asleep a long time. Normally the toddler goes right back to sleep but this time is different. When I sense this is not going to be a quick recovery back into slumber, I go into assess and rescue mode.
Kiddo is standing in bed terrified and screaming about ants crawling all over. Hysterical. Tears are pouring down the cheeks. It takes an hour and a half to get back to sleep and that happens in my bed of course. But finally, we were visited by Mr. sandman. I looked over at my beautiful sleeping child and thought to myself. "This. This is parenting."
It is not jumping in and out of your child's life when you feel like it. It is constancy. It is loving support. It is being there in the middle of the night, interrupting your sleep before a long work day, and cuddling up with a hot toddler in your personal space. And it's awesome. He is missing out.
Kiddo is standing in bed terrified and screaming about ants crawling all over. Hysterical. Tears are pouring down the cheeks. It takes an hour and a half to get back to sleep and that happens in my bed of course. But finally, we were visited by Mr. sandman. I looked over at my beautiful sleeping child and thought to myself. "This. This is parenting."
It is not jumping in and out of your child's life when you feel like it. It is constancy. It is loving support. It is being there in the middle of the night, interrupting your sleep before a long work day, and cuddling up with a hot toddler in your personal space. And it's awesome. He is missing out.