Shadow Man


My baby boy - now 3 1/2 years old - was scared.

Scared of the dark.

Why?

Because he watched a Batman cartoon where Superman is killed by Joker (he revives later in the episode when Batman rescues him) and had been scared of the dark for weeks after that fateful viewing.  He slept with his lamp on.  He feared the shadows on the ceiling were Joker coming to get him.

I banned the dvd from kids' viewing choices, but I'm stuck with the after-effects.  Comic books and superheros are my husband's department.  They were from his collection of dvd's.  I don't like to sit and watch cartoons, so my little ones viewed this without my supervision.  Yep, I take the blame, but I have also had to deal with his fear of the dark and the guy on the ceiling.

Oh yes - I've had my comeuppance.


My little boy didn't want to go to sleep up until 10:30, when we'd rather to be watching a "grown up" (aka non-cartoon) show.  A little visitor would come at 2 a.m. for comfort after waking up in his dark room.  I can't blame him.  And I love that he came to me for comfort, but I needed some sleep!

I had to figure out a way to help him feel comfortable in his own room at bedtime again, not only for his peace of mind, but for mine as well.  And for a full night's sleep for both of us!

So one night, just before I put him to bed, I turned on his nightlight and turned off all other lights.  He wasn't so sure about being in his room when it was so dark, so I decided to show him something fun.  I showed him how to make shadow puppets.  "Look at my hand - it's small, but it's getting bigger and bigger!"



I stood up and waved my arms, I walked closer and farther away to grow and shrink my shadow.  He thought it was hilarious.  He sprung out of bed and tried it himself.  Back and forth he went, walking like a penguin or a robot, changing size and flapping his arms - giggling the whole time.  It was amazing!

Just when I began to enjoy my great success, I started watching him more closely.  As he went from 1 foot high to 6 feet high, I suddenly realized:

In three years, he has gone from infant to preschooler. 
In ten years, he'll be a teenager. 
Ten years after that, he might be finished with college and searching for a career. 
He might even be married. 
Ten years beyond that might mean owning his own house, and parenting his own family... 

And I could be a grandma!!




It was as if I was watching him grow up before my very eyes.  It happened so fast - I knew it was just a shadow, but it was also a reality check.  My time with him is so short.  I need to do the best job parenting him that I can in the short time I have.  Sobering, isn't it?

The days are long, but the years are short on this journey we call parenthood.



God, please help us to honor you in the way we raise our children.  It's going to go so fast!



----
Joker image source:  http://pixgood.com
Shadow Puppet image source: http://criticallyrated.com
Child Shadow image source: www.scholastic.com

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