Have you ever noticed that problems seem more serious at night? That sicknesses seem more frightening at night? That the darkness amplifies every fear?
I was reminded of this over the weekend, when we lost power for eight hours because of Hurricane Jeanne.
Colter was fine during the day, playing games by himself or with us. But his 8-year-old independence turned into a little boy's anxiety when darkness set in.
He sat in my lap and said, "I'm scared" while holding on to a flashlight Gary gave him.
I found his full-body hug quite reassuring, because I'm not that comfortable in the dark myself.
Most nights we leave a light on in the bathroom and a light on in Colter's room, too. And if Gary is traveling, I leave most of the lights on in the house.
Are your kids afraid of the dark? Are you?
Related: Oooooh, scary!
My kids cannot sleep unless it is pitch black in their rooms. I had to make them heavy curtains. I prefer it like this as well.
We like the dark here :)
Posted by: momof3 | October 03, 2004 at 08:33 PM
Tony is and he isn't. I think it depends on how tired he is, if Daddy's home, and where I am in the house. If we're close by, he's fine. Especially fine is if he falls asleep while one of us is in the room with him.
Posted by: VJ | September 30, 2004 at 11:08 PM
I'm not scared of the dark. I'm scared of shadows or worse the unknown things that lurk there.
The things that always got my skin crawling and still does are doors that are slightly ajar and for no reason open or close on their own. Often the culprit is a cat, but sometimes they are standing too far away to be the culprit. Or the strange dancing shapes that the moon or a neighbor’s light make on my ceiling.
Both kids have nightlights, but neither admits it. We leave the bathroom light on for the kids, so they can see their way, but really so they have light in their rooms.
I hallucinated with very high fever when I was 5 or so. The things I experienced felt very real. It took years for me to understand that it didn't happen and couldn't have. It made great fiction, but it's a good story for the kids. I tell them sometimes our minds make up stories that feel and seem as real and what is actually happing in our lives. We have to sort through these things. Laughing about my visions of a ghost stealing my blanket was a good release for them.
Posted by: Heidi | September 29, 2004 at 09:44 AM
I don't like the dark at all! Our house is very well lit at night because I hate not being able to see...
Posted by: frankie | September 28, 2004 at 08:08 PM
My kids are afraid of the dark so we have a light on in the hallway that runs between their rooms. When we have blackouts I usually have three limpets until the power comes back on.
Posted by: Judith | September 28, 2004 at 12:51 PM
Speaking of things getting worse in the dark there was a NY times article about that. If you are registered there (which is free but a pain) you can read it. article
I don't think I'm normally scared of the dark but when it's dark and no power that's definetly scary.
Posted by: heather | September 28, 2004 at 11:29 AM
i am afraid of the dark. and so is my daughter. we both sleep with nightlights and when there's the slightest chance of the power going out, i carry a giant maglite around with me. i put on a good front for my daughter though. i don't think she knows i'm afraid. but like you, i would have felt better having her to hold onto if we were in a dark house.
Posted by: autumn hour | September 28, 2004 at 09:19 AM