For want of a bolster our sanity was lost

There are days when I feel like a bad mother. Someone who doesn't deserve my son's sweet kisses in the morning.

It all started with Kai's cot. The search culminated in a beautiful cot from Mothercare, which I begged them to make an exception and deliver before the originally designated delivery date. Reason was because we suspected (for the second time) that the old one had bed bugs in them. So no way would my brother-in-law want this hand-me-down now.

This also meant we had to throw away EVERYTHING associated with the old bed, including his pillow and bolster. Perhaps the more experienced mums would see red light flashing already. But no, not me.

For want of discipline our happiness was lost

For three whole nights after the arrival of his new bed, he refused to go to sleep at 8pm and sobbed like an abandoned child. And this was very strange for a boy who sleeps on the dot at 8pm every night almost without fail.

But the bad mummy thought he was just being naughty, and hardened her heart. So he was left to cry it out to reinforce the fact that his bed time is 8pm. Terence insisted on picking him up, and letting him sleep later as "perhaps he's not sleepy". He even wanted to drive over to his mum's place to 'borrow' the bolster Kai uses in the day since we hadn't bought a new one. I didn't think it'd make a difference. After all, he's just showing his preference to sleep later, which is a big no-no in my opinion.

On the morning of the fourth day, we found that he cried so much that he puked and finally fell asleep in his mess. So with a guilty heart, I went to office that day, made an effort to take time off to buy him a bolster and a book on "Cranky the crane" to make up for my bad behavior.

All that he ever wanted

That night, both mother and son approached bed time with dread. But the bad mummy hardened her heart again this time, placed the protesting toddler into his cot and before he could scream, placed the bolster in his hands.

With a sigh, he fell to sleep immediately.

All he needed was his BOLSTER!

There are days when Terence is right.