He’s 3, going on 16…
My son is so very much like me. Prince used to note that one (of the many) weird things about me is that if I had to get up to go to work, I’d stay in bed as long as humanly possible. It just was not possible for me to wake up bright and cheery on a work day. However, on Saturday, I couldn’t sit still. I’d bounce out of bed by 7am bright and ready to take on my world. This seems to annoy the Prince to no end.
The Prince is not like me when it comes to sleep. First, he seems to require more of it. I have often said he is capable of willing himself to sleep, he denies this fact. Secondly, he is capable of sleeping in — I mean to like 10am. This is shocking to me on all levels, not the least of which is that if given his choice, he’d go to bed at 10pm and sleep to between 9 and 10 am. My word, man, how much sleep DO you need?
Now, enter our son. The product of both of us. The child who will prove who’s sleep choices are going to win in this family. From day one, Duke was a morning kid. He spent much of his first year wanting to go to bed for the night between 4:30pm and 5pm. He’d sleep until 5am and be ready for the world. Through much training (good parenting, right?) we have made peace with a 6am party time wake up.
Hence, I was shocked that today, a school day, my son (who spent the weekend waking me up to go potty seconds after 6am) was still sound asleep when it was time to get dressed for school. Hmmm, odd, right? Well, using a prybar to get him out of bed was not in my plans until oh, never. However, the Prince with his promises of paint at school today got him out of bed. (I don’t think Duke or Prince have any idea how close to being dropped in the car in his PJs he was).
I walk the dog and Prince and I have this conversation:
Him: He’s SO you.
Me: You say that it is a bad thing.
Him: Well, at 6am on Saturday, it sucks. At 6:30am when we need to leave it is no fun either.
Me: And you want me to do what with this? Reach down his throat and change his biological clock?
Dude, I can’t help it that my son and I have it right. Enjoy all the time off you have. Laze in bed when you can, but when the day is yours to make, get up, be happy, and DO SOMETHING. (even if it means starting at 7am)
August 22nd, 2006 at 9:53 am
Sounds like the potty training is going well.
Our kids do that sometimes…to the point that I have to go wake them up 20 minutes before we need to leave or they might sleep through it, although NEVER on a weekend.
August 22nd, 2006 at 3:14 pm
OK, I don’t know which side to choose on this one. I would sleep until 10:00 every day given the choice, and probably be in bed by 10:00 every night given the chance. Hubby learned early on that Mommy was happiest when he (morning person) got up on Saturdays with little ones, and let me sleep! Now I have one who is up with the sun every day, even weekends, and one who would sleep until noon every day (of course, she’s 15!).