I Was Not Prepared For My Three Year Old To Say This In The Middle Of The Night

Every parent knows the feeling of being awakened by the screams of a child from across the hall. You jump out of bed, stumble to the door and somehow avoid all the toys, stuffed animals and hazards on the floor to make it to your kid's room to see what the emergency of the hour might be. If you have more than one child, this could be even more challenging. Trying to figure out which child is screaming before you bust in on the wrong kid has to be a split second decision. New moms and dads, believe me it gets easier to determine the midnight screams after the first few times.

We have three boys, Hank (5), Teddy (3) and Gus (2) and there truly is never a dull moment around the house. But it seems like the hours from dinner to the next day are the most interesting. You never know who is going to wake up or need something or if they will actually go to bed in the first place. But there was something that our three-year-old said to me overnight that took me off guard.

Teddy is truly "the middle" child of our group. I say that with the most love and respect and adoration as possible. I love our boys more than anything but each one has their unique place in my heart. Teddy is very independent and loves things his way and he wants it, NOW. When I got to his room and tried to see what the emergency was, there he sat, tears running down his face, gripping his stuffed baby tiger, he looked up at me and delcared, "daddy, my pillow isn't cold anymore!!"

So many emotions ran through my mind at that moment. I really wanted to go wake my wife and share the hilarious story. But I know way better than to wake mom for something like this. It would not go over well. I got Teddy a drink, tucked him in and FLIPPED the pillow to the COOL side! Instant hero and dad of the year status in Teddy's eyes! It is something that I reflect on when the chaos happens around the house. It makes me smile to think that Teddy at age three shared the same love for a cool pillow as many of us adults do. Teddy learned a lesson and so did I that night. Not all screams are night terrors and it may be time to consider cooling pillow cases for the entire family!