It started out of sheer desperation. The Middle One was my sleeper. He came home as a newborn, slept 8 hours at night and never looked back.
It makes sense then, that a couple years ago, when I sat in the middle of the night, the fifth night in a row, trying to comfort him and his bad dreams, I had no tools. I had never soothed him or taught him to soothe himself ever before.
He was my sleeper.
That night when I reached under his bed looking for a toy to help, I found the blanket that Aunt Reen knitted (crocheted?) for all the kids from my mom’s leftover yarn the Christmas after she died.
“Dan, do you know what this is? This is the super-special blanket Grandma Toni left for Aunt Reen to make you. It’s super-special because the yarn has Grandma super powers that fight off bad guys and keep you safe from bad dreams. It’s like a shield of protection. Just stay under this blanket and you’ll be safe all night.”
Whattya know-he bought it hook line and sinker.
He doesn’t carry “Grandma Toni” around all day (that job is for his blanket Cindy) but he is sure to cover himself entirely with it at night. He hasn’t had a nightmare ever since.
Grandma Toni does have super powers.
Grandma Toni is still fighting bad guys
Thanks mom-for sleep.
P.S. Looking for more parenting guidance and tips for self-care? Check out From Chaos to Calm a guided training to help you feel better in this tough season.
I love your blog! What a sweet story! Grandma's always have special powers – whether or not they are with us. Grandchildren are such blessings!
Ok I'm going to cry now!! She does have superpowers!