My Own Room

A recent topic of debate that dominated many parenting magazines in the US was the pros and cons of co-sleeping with your kids at night. Apparently research indicates that co sleeping is bad for both parents as well as kids in the long run! Isn’t it typically American to make mountain out of a mole hill, more so with early childhood issues? Most people in India would laugh at this!!! It is true that many parents in India do not have the luxury of allotting a whole other room for their infant child! However, it also true that our kids have to learn to sleep on their own at some point in their childhood, and there’s no harm in starting early. Abhay started sleeping in his own room recently and this is his least favorite part of turning four! To sell the idea, we even gave his room a complete makeover. But every night, as I tuck him in bed, his perpetual doubt is “Why do I have to sleep in my room and not yours”? As usual, I try to convince him of how lucky he is to have his own room for himself. Initially, he pretends to buy this and goes to sleep but with a plan under his pillow. The plan is to try his luck again in the middle of the night when we are most likely to yield to his request!! Believe me, at 3.00 AM in the morning, no research can guarantee you a good night’s sleep as well as having your little one hop on board with you!:-)

Speaking of having separate rooms for kids, today I read a book called “ I wanna new room” by Karen Kaufman Orloff illustrated by David Catrow. A charming story of a young boy named Alex who is upset at having to share a room with his little brother Ethan as they welcome a new baby into their house. He chooses to write little notes to his parents expressing his angst over his roommate’s immature ways. To each of his complaints, his father writes back providing solutions that seem unworkable to Alex. Ultimately, he succeeds in making out a strong case that compels his father to build a new tree house for the exclusive occupation of Alex. In the end, the big brother decides to leave a note calling his little brother to play with him in the new tree house! I hoped Abhay would understand the value of his own room, when he pointed to me “See amma, Alex shares his room, so you should share too”!!!