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Pop in when you have a few spare moments for a cosy chat. Read about real-mom experiences and contribute your own slices of life at our Drop-In Centre.
Timeout for Monsters
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(Feb.25.10)
My husband was away on business the first time my son heard monsters tiptoe into his room. Their shadows played against the walls and their every movement made the floorboards creak underneath his bed. The sounds of our house settling took on an ominous tone as I began to hear them through my son’s ears.
Gathering all of the courage I could muster, I stood up from Jackson’s bed and completed the obligatory monster hunt. I forced myself not to regress back to that four-year-old girl who was fearful of all mythical things that lurk in the dark. Not only did I check the closet and under the bed, but I opened dresser drawers and moved books to convince Jackson that the obstreperous ogres hadn’t squeezed into any tiny unsuspecting hiding spots.
With each drawer opened and toy overturned I would yell "Aha!" followed by exaggerated acts of great disappointment that I hadn’t found any wrestling partners.
Having finished my first Monster Wrangling I sat beside my son, feet securely tucked underneath me to avoid any tickles from the creatures hiding below. I brushed Jackson’s hair from his forehead and told him that our house was impervious to monsters because of a magical invisible Mom-Shield I put around our entire house. He seemed deep in thought for a moment and then, as if finally satisfied, he said “Yeah, monsters don’t want to be near you. They know you’ll put them in a timeout”.
I smiled and kissed him goodnight. Later, as I lay in bed securely tucked under my own blankets, I didn’t concern myself with thoughts of my own childhood monsters but wondered if maybe, just maybe, I’d put my child in one too many timeouts.
Kathy Moores is a mom of two and small business owner. She writes for the mocobabies blog, Jackbear and Lilypad, in addition to contributing to The Momoir Project blog and various other guest posts.