The Bad Parenting Chronicles: Episode 5

You know Thomas has always been an incredibly easy child (we actually thought this was normal until Eli came on the scene and clearly proved otherwise!) he's easy going, laid back, adaptable and regardless of whatever else is going on he tries to maintain a jolly demeanour. When he was five months old and the Siswick's hit Disney World in Florida en masse and he was thrust into the billion degree temperatures (in comparison to the UK anyhow) and forced to sit in his own sweat virtually naked for 19 days he did it all whilst looking ultra cute and with a big smile on his face. Even the change in time zones didn't phase this kid, he slept through the night whichever continent we were on. That's just Thomas.

The last four nights he's been waking up and whining/crying kind of in his sleep. I despise broken sleep more than anything so initially I wasn't so sympathetic. Firstly I tried to settle him but after the 4th time he woke me up in two hours I was incredibly nice to him but inside thinking 'GO TO SLEEP ALREADY!!!!!!', I thought it was most probably nightmares or something similar but amongst all the crying he never cared to elaborate so I never knew for sure what was going on. I just knew when he was sleeping, so was I and I was very happy!

Sunday night we continued with more of the same crying in a semi-conscious state, by now my sympathy was wearing even thinner (did I mention when I'm tired I am not a very nice person...at all?) and in an attempt to extract an explanation from him for his incredibly anti-social nocturnal behaviour I asked him if anything hurt. It did! His ear. Hooray! Not that I revel in the fact that my child is in pain but I do revel in the fact that there is some explanation for the lack of sleep I am getting. Pain after all is totally fixable. After administering a healthy dose of Ibuprofen he fell soundly asleep without a peep until the next morning. Yippee!!

Monday he said his ear was fixed and happily went to playgroup. I didn't give the earache another thought.

Then Monday night turned into a repeat of the the previous three nights. Except this time I had my ibuprofen to hand. He confirmed his ear hurt, one dose of ibuprofen later and a good nights slumber fell upon all in our household (with the exception of Eli, who decided to attempt to drive me insane). This morning again he said he felt fine but I made him an appointment at the doctor for 3PM just in case.

We went and had a fun morning at the play gym with our friends (apart from when a lady told me off because Eli pushed her daughter on two occasions, I really wanted to say 'well you're lucky he didn't bite her, lady!!' then I realised it was the mother of the girl Eli had previously bitten at this very play gym, so I just kept my mouth shut). So at 3PM I headed off to the doctor with my perfectly healthy child, feeling a bit embarrassed because he appeared completely well and I didn't want to be one of those mum's who harasses the doctor about every single sniffle. But also wanting more than anything an uninterrupted night of sleep. Is embarrassment such a big price to pay to be secure in the fact that a good nights sleep awaits? I think not.

So the diagnosis? A raging ear infection and Tonsillitis so bad that his glands are hardly letting any daylight through. How did I not notice? The lack of fever and the happy demeanour of my three year old certainly threw my motherly intuition off track this time.

At least I wasn't embarrassed for taking him to the doctor for no good reason, instead I was embarrassed for taking him to the doctor and appearing guilty of behaviour bordering on neglect!

But that's just typical Thomas!