| There's an old tradition in Ireland, the wake bed, a | | | | makes his own way into the family bed throughout |
| family bed where the dead are waked. Well, the | | | | the night. |
| family bed takes on a whole new meaning when you | | | | You may resort to tricks to encourage him to stay in |
| have children: the awake bed! | | | | his own room. Lovely new bed-clothes, soft |
| When your new baby arrives home from the hospital | | | | character lighting, soothing music, pretty mobiles... |
| all your plans to not spoil him go out the window. He | | | | Don't fool yourself; he's well ahead of you! His |
| is a tiny little soul and you are his slave. He squeaks, | | | | nocturnal excursions continue. You beg, you plead, |
| you run. You are completely in his control! | | | | for a full night's sleep in your own bed without your |
| You planned to feed him, bathe him, dress him, play | | | | little visitor - but it falls on deaf ears! Still he pays his |
| with him, show him off and at the end of the day, | | | | call. |
| put him to sleep in his lovely new crib! | | | | You resort to purchasing a new bed for yourself, a |
| Real life isn't like that... | | | | bigger one. You have a bright idea: let the wee man |
| You've fed him, bathed him, dressed him, played with | | | | have your old bed. He'll like that, his own big bed, just |
| him, showed him off and, sleeping soundly in your | | | | like mummy and daddy! |
| arms, you've tenderly placed him in his lovely new | | | | More lovely bedclothes, lots of praise for your little |
| crib. His eyes open, he glares at you, opens his | | | | treasure. Why didn't you think of it sooner? |
| mouth wide and screams loud enough to awaken the | | | | Oh, the naivety of first-time parents. |
| dead! | | | | His new bed might be bigger but so is yours; there's |
| How dare you abandon him like that? | | | | even more room between mummy and daddy now. |
| At the end of a tiring day you dolefully give in to his | | | | So he can bring a few toys along too! |
| battle cry; you lift him and he stops... you are in his | | | | As the family grows so does the gap. You |
| grip! | | | | precariously hang off one side of the new big bed as |
| As days and nights merge into one he habitually | | | | your husband hangs off the other, but you smile as |
| sandwiches himself between mummy and daddy! | | | | you sing along to, 'There were five in the bed and |
| Number two arrives and it becomes a priority to | | | | the little one said,"Roll Over!"' |
| make number one stay in his own bed. But, oh no, he | | | | Life imitates nursery rhymes. Didn't you know that? |
| doesn't like that! He may start off there but he | | | | |