SleepWell

 The mother of the twin teens felt the gravity of my stern look. But she was helpless. She tried umpteen times to make them sleep separately, But they sneaked back into her bed. The father used to come home only on fortnights. So she was bringing up the kids. After a hard laboured day, she had to sacrifice her comforts even though the home they lived in had enough rooms to accommodate another family.

Once your child crosses twelve, they are budding adults; a very critical time for personality development. In my clinical practice, I've come across many well-to-do families where all of them sleep in the same room even after their kids have crossed their teens. This is trending in many Indian families abroad too. It is understandable if the home had fewer rooms but in all my cases there were enough and more.

 

It is a truth that as a parent we never forget the first look on our kids when they were born and given into our hands. A wonderful sight to cherish, but as parents, we should never get stuck in that memory. We should accept the fact that kids are growing. 

A person is most vulnerable when they sleep. So when kids get to sleep alone, they will have to cultivate few things. It inculcates in them a sense of responsibility to wake up in the morning and so on. Parents mean security. But the youngsters have to nurture that feeling for themselves. Making them sleep separate provides opportunities for that.

Let us leave them alone. Shouldn't the parents be having the time of their own? Both might need to have a word with each other after a hard day's work and frustrations. Bringing up a child to their teens has had its share of sacrifices from both the parents and it's time they have some intimate times before the dusk of life sets in.