All parents already know the joys of sleepless nights and having their bed invaded and transformed into a family bed.
My son will be 4 years old in March. My wife and I were very excited when we were able to get him to get up in the middle of the night to use the washroom instead of wetting the bed.
I am proud of him every time I hear those tiny steps. Often I observe him sleepwalk to the washroom, handle his business and walk back to his room. I am always amazed with what this 3 year old can do. But lately this feat has backfired. Now instead of walking back to his room, he climbs in our bed and makes himself at home.
If I am not too tired I walk him back to his room and lay with him for a few minutes. Once he is asleep I go back in my bed. Well at least thats how I would like it too happen. Half the time I fall asleep in his bed only to been woken up a couple of hours later by the my daughter calling me from her crib.
This girl already has me wrapped around her tiny fingers. At 20 months old, she already knows that in the middle of the night don’t bother calling mommy. Call daddy. He is a sucker, her will wake up and get me milk at 2 am. (This is not a shot at mommy, I am a super light sleeper and hear everything at night. YAY ME !! )
After her milk she is back asleep and I am back in my bed. An hour later you already know the deal. The boy is back claiming his place in our bed. I admire his persistence and I let him stay.
4 AM. She is up from her milk coma and wants to cuddle and chants my name again. I know what I’m suppose to do, we have done it before, let her cry she will soon be asleep. But I am too tired to care. I take her from her crib and go sleep in the boys bed with her. She happily cuddles and is back asleep in minutes . I look at the clock and think great “two hours to breakfast”. If you are following my son is in my bed with mom and I am in his bed with his sister. That’s how most nights have been for a while.
Now I know this can all be fixed with two weeks of letting them cry and we will soon get our bed back and some kind of decent sleep routine. But honestly I like this routine.
One day they won’t want anything to do with me. They will think I am corny and annoying and want me out of their rooms. So I figure I might as well get it while I can. Sleep be damned.
Sorry babe you are right they will be in our bed until their teens and I am OK with that.
Pierre-Richard Ducasse
(Originally published on November 30 2017)
Daddy Allstars 
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