Gerry and the dreamers

If you looked at the title and thought I was talking about a rock band then congratulations - you have just proved that you are old and British.

This post is actually about Gerry and his dreams - or rather nightmares. Sometimes Gerry doesn't sleep well and wakes up during the night crying. We always suspected he had nightmares but didn't know for sure until recently. Nightmares? Surely I'm mistaken! After all, what nightmares could a kid less than 3 years old be having?

One night, the missus and I were passing by his room at night when we heard him turning over in his bed and mutter something. We wandered into his room, gently so to avoid waking him up. He turned over again and muttered something which we barely heard.

"I want ... "

Eyebrows raised, I looked at the missus. What did he want? She shrugged her shoulders - she didn't hear either. Holding my breath for fear of waking him, I stepped closer to his bed and took a closer look at him.

He had his eyes closed and was still asleep. The covers had been kicked off, probably a result of him turning over repeatedly. His brow was covered in sweat and although asleep, he had a frown on his cute little brow. As I got closer, he turned his head from side to side - as if trying to avoid facing something.

"I want ... "

What was going on? What did he want? Was he thirsty? Did he want a drink? Anxiously, I looked around for his water bottle in case he woke up and wanted a sip of water. And then, finally, I heard him speak clearly.

"I want ... go play"

Of course! Everything clicked into place. The one thing that a kid less than 3 years old would be afraid of - not being able to go and play! I did the only thing I could do. I patted him gently and whispered in his ear:

"Its okay Gerry. We go play tomorrow. Go to sleep."

He gave a small sigh and settled down to sleep.