Even though he's almost 9, I still put the Little Guy to bed, tuck him in, have a chat and all that stuff. The Ball & Chain thinks he's old enough to put himself to bed, but I don't have the heart to send him off by himself. Besides, putting him to bed ensures that he actually makes it into bed and doesn't stop half way there to pet the dog for half an hour, or whatever else distracts him.
When I go to bed myself, I usually check on him (to make sure he wasn't up to any mischief), and I open his door to allow the air to circulate and to avoid confusing the air/heat thermostat. (If we keep his door closed, his room is like a walk-in fridge next morning.)
Last night however, I was so tired I almost fell into bed and didn't do the usual checking and opening of doors.
Perhaps if I had, I would have discovered that the LG had put his bedside lamp on, and then decided to balance a plastic cup on the bulb before he went to sleep.
When I went into his room this morning the first thing that hit me was an acrid smell of...something. I walked around his room doing the old bloodhound impersonation. "What's that smell?" I asked, more than once. Faulty wiring came to mind. Just one more thing to go on my to-do list.
"Ah", said the LG. And that's when he told me that he'd woken at about 4am to find smoke coming off the bulb, and the plastic cup melted all over the bulb, on the bedside table etc. etc. He didn't want to come in and wake me up because
Like I said, the possibilities that ran through my mind are, well,.... let's just say it doesn't bear thinking about.
Oh my, that made my blood run cold. I'm glad everything was okay.
ReplyDeleteThank Goodness he had the presence of mind to switch off the lamp.
ReplyDeleteMy granddaughter at 4 yrs put a lit electric lamp deep down the bed so that she could make a den & see to read.
The smell of burning alerted my friend whose children were also there to take action...... BEFORE it all went up in flames. No it doesn't bear thinking about.
Maggie X
Nuts in May
I think you're smart to always put the little guy to bed and to always check on him before you go to bed yourself. And don't listen to your husband. What does he know? Really, It doesn't bear thinking about.
ReplyDeleteEek....I'm glad my daughter has a battery-powdered torch!
ReplyDeleteHave a good trip. I have been away from my country for 18 years. There was no euro when I left!
Wait until he's grown up and tells you even worse escapades. I raised two girls who told me hair curling stories twenty years later. You may be in for even worse.
ReplyDeleteGood grief - that's scary. That's one I will definitely watch out for. Thank goodness he's OK.
ReplyDeleteJoanne - I recently told my mother a fairly hair-raising tale from when I back-packed in Greece on my own. She immediately clamped her hands over her ears and said "I don't want to know, I don't want to know."
ReplyDeleteMy heart skipped a beat reading this. Thank God nothing worse came of it and everyone's okay.
ReplyDeleteI think LG will find a way to let you know when he doesn't want you to be a part of the bedtime process! Every kid is different with how they break away. Or maybe you can do it 2 - 3 nights a week and gradually phase it out.
ReplyDeleteI'd put him to bed till he was 16 if he'd let me. It's one great way of staying connected to them. Sadly, as I know, when they're 16, I'm going to bed before them. My real 16 year old went back downstairs to watch TV when I hit the sack last night!
ReplyDeleteAaaargh...
ReplyDelete