While I am in a thanking mood, I would like to thank all of you who visit and read my musings/ ravings/ rants.. call it what you may and actually return to read the next rant!! I am now emboldened to introduce you to another blog of mine.. I am trying my hand at poetry (Good God? Yeah!!).. read it if you can spare some time.. And remember I can use some criticism!!
Now back to Nantu....
Even before Nantu was born, his mom and dad decided that this kid will sleep in his crad
le. Much to the shock of all Indian Mommies, Grannies, Aunties and other Babies-Sleep-Between-Parents types Nantu did sleep in his cradle. The reason was simple, mommy needed her sleep and needed to get to work the next day... At 4 months, the cradle became hazardous with the cheeky monkey turning around and tilting the cradle in the process. So then came the crib... and peace reigned the Nantu household for the rest of the year!Nantu turned 1 and discovered something about Mom. If he cried in the middle of the night, he could get into the parental bed and mommy was too tired to put him back in the crib, and so let him be!! At 1 year and 2 months, the crib turned hazardous too.. with the avid climber jumping out of the crib one day and claiming "Crib Naana, Nantu Dhan" (Roughly translated means No more Crib.. Nantu fell off the crib)...
At a year and a half.. Nantu traveled across seas to the United States. Mommy and Daddy let him sleep in the parental bed and while they moved from place to place, never did replace the crib.
At 2 yrs and a few months, it finally dawned on Mommy that she was having trouble sleeping and was waking up with a sore back after having been kicked all night. Then started the search for the perfect toddler bed.. and lo behold a blue car bed... Nantu was enamored and the bed finally arrived. It took its place next to the parental bed in the Master Bedroom (!!)
The first few days were bliss for the entire household.. and then the shiny blue car bed began to pale against the prospect of sharing the bed with mom and dad.. Then began threats of returning the car bed if he didn't sleep in it.. In a few weeks, Nantu caught on.. and demanded that the car bed be returned!! Maybe a Thomas bed instead? He would say!!
Nantu and Mommy read a book one day.. about a stay in bed gift.. so mommy got him stay in bed pajamas.. cars and spider man night suits!!! This worked for about a week... and Nantu realized, even if he hops beds mommy is not going to ask him to take off his pajamas in the middle of the night.. All it entails is that he begins the night sleeping in his bed!
Then the doctor was consulted.. the big question "How do we get Nantu to stay in his bed" was posed. She suggested rewarding him with stars... and then when he collected 3 stars buying him a happy meal or something!! Mommy thought this could be fun.. and there began the rewarding system.... only Thatha (grand dad) considered this was bribery and tried his best to get mommy to stop... Daddy had his own misgivings about the rewards... but mommy was very excited.. and it did work... so Nantu collected stars and exchanged them for Happy Meals, M&M's and Cheeto's. Soon he ran out of demands!! And reasons to stay in bed.. Meanwhile mommy was relenting every time Nantu cried in the middle of the night (poor guy is having a bad dream she said)...
Now Nantu has learnt something.. Every time he needs something, he sleeps in his bed for 3 consecutive nights .. and collects the stars and his reward.. On the other days? There is no need to stay in bed!! Mommy of course is so gullible!!
As for me.. every few days I think again.. whats the whole point anyway? I am not sure anymore... Like a friend recently told me, its only a few more years that he will sleep with us, once he starts Grade School he will insist on sleeping in his bed in his room!! So do I make the most of it?? But I am losing sleep with all the hitting and kicking!!! And most importantly ... I AM BEING MANIPULATED!!!
20 comments:
LOL!!! he's something, isn't he! :D
i wonder if we manipulated our folks like this too! but then, I sure wasn't this bright! :D
awesome.. beautifully written.
Ohh.. I am sure Nantu is a handful.
Reading all this I wish I was starting a family soon :)
blog rolled you :)
Oh BTW my word verification was
"zydrgtze"
he he preethi, one of the best posts I have read here, I really could not decide if I was on the mommy's side or Nantu's.. with very big difficulty I chose Nantu in the end, kids are fun :D, so whatever they want is right for me :)
hey ..nantu's learnt all te htricks of teh trade...
but seriously i'm on your side...no nantu's, no yours...loved this preethi...keep them coming and a big hug to nantu for being such a great inspiration!!!
wowow..preethi..great great great..I really liked the way you wrote. your blog is different...
Thomas bed, so funny. And the clever nanthu is so good..let him sleep with his parents..after all for how many days.
you are being soooooo manipulated :) We fought the same struggles with Chip and finally gave up.. he won't be a kid much longer..
Here is something I wrote about the issue!
http://thekarmacallingblog.blogspot.com/2007/08/goodnight-chip.html
oh preethi, this is so funny. cheers to nantu. Well i can understand your concerns. My 3 year old too moves clockwise and anticlockwise in her bed all the time. But then we have no go, she sleeps with us as the younger one sleeps in the crib. I would say enjoy the time you get, for what your friend says is true.
Rayshma - I am sure we did too.. but there is something about kids these days.. I think they understand human psychology better than we ever did!!
Saurabh - Soon, very Soon ;) Till then you are welcome to borrow Nantu!! :P
Rambler - Mommy's never have support.. Nantu has his biggest support in DH... So I am waging a losing battle anyway :(
TA - LOL... oh yes he has hasnt he!!
Aryan - But what will my poor back do??
Dotmom - Just read your blog.. if you need a shoulder you know where to turn!!! We can both get together and complain about our manipulative kids!!
Sumana - Join the club.. oh my.. atleast I found out I am not alone!! That heartens me!! :)
uugg sleep! I'm going through nap time problems with my three month old. She will stay up the WHOLE day because I refuse to hold her or walk with her the whole time she sleeps. I'm glad I came across you post. It gives me some ideas on how to curb future sleep problems with my little one. She sleeps in her crib well at night but when she wakes up to nurse she stays in bed with me the rest of the night.
great post... no kids of my own, so can't help you out here! My step son was seven when I came into the family, well into his own bed and room! I get very cranky if I don't get at least eight hours of sleep... So I really feel for you!!!
Sugar plum - Welcome to the sleepless world.. however it gets better I promise.. despite all I say!!! :P And well you do know that it is all well worth it :)
Lea - Oh you lucky girl... I am hoping we will et there eventually... and this too shall pass...;)
Oh yeah!! woman! you are surely being manipulated :)
Igo through this too....my younger one sleeps next to me, and all I get is akick in the back and a sock on my face in the middle of the night.
But I still cannot move him out....
TRy sleeping next to him in his room and then shifting back to yours after he sleeps. It might work. It did for my older one
:)...man, tht sounds so familiar...we r just wrapped arnd that lil finger...all the best, but hes always going to be one step ahead of u, u know that dont u?...u r on the losing side...all the best
Oh Yes !!! You are sooooo being manipulated :-) But then again, that's what we moms are for, are we not ? :-)
Nice post. Had me smiling thru and thru.
Oh and BTW, if u guys think it gets better with age, think again !! There are days (or should I say nights) even now when Abhay walks into our bedroom and right royally snuggles in between us.
And no, I ain't complaining :-))
Thank you for visiting and commenting about Blessing.
I wish you the best with Nantu.
he he heeeee. Very funny post. Yes ... you are being manipulated!! But you tried manipulating him too... :P My daughter sleeps in her seperate bed too. Much to the shock of my relatives bck home!! If you can't solve this problem ...buy a huge bed. i mean really huge, which can be attached and detached... one of my frinds did it... but only after everything else doesn't work! BTW you have a clever one at home...nantu.:)
Prats - Actually fallingasleep s eeay.. I tuck him in.. make him say his prayers and leave.. and he falls asleep on his own in his bed.. buttin the middle of the night say at 1:30 AM he will hop beds !!! And I am too sleepy to care :P
Tys - Oh yes I do... unfortunately I am fully aware that I will lose every battle... but will I win the war?? :P
Gauri - I have a 9 year old nephew who still insists his mom be beside him to fall asleep... but this is in India so all the more better for him!!!
Brian - You are welcome.. your post was very touching!!! Thanks for visiting.
Preethi - No .. not there yet!! :P DH wants to move Nantu to his room soon.. with a bunk bed et al... I wonder how that will go!!
ha ha ha ... i wish i could put that ROFL symbol of yahoo here- well i can't so you imagine ...
A really really well written and can't-be-truer post (of course my knowledge being only heard not experienced - atleast yet ;) ...)
feel so sorry for you , but this i shall say - you have one heck of a smart son ...
PS - need to reply to your tag and orkut msg ... i am so swamped these days :(
hehehehe. My daughter still sometimes walks in to our room in the middle of the night to snuggle with us. And i soooo love it.
Loved reading this post. Lots of hugs to Nantu- he is a smart kid.
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