Some years ago I began a silly little tradition with my kids when they were struggling to fall asleep. They would seek me out and utter those familiar, fateful words, “Mom, I can’t sleep!” And inevitably I would end up frustrated because what do they want me to do about it? (And besides, it’s MY time after I finally get them in bed!)
So one night I said, “Okay, I’m going to give you the magic sleepy potion, but it’s going to work extra fast so you’d better be sure that you are ready to get right back to bed so you don’t fall asleep while you’re walking!” And then I proceeded to lay my hands over their head and face, taking extra care on the closed eyes (must not be opened!) Then I stroked their arms, rubbed their ears and neck and sealed it with a kiss. Well, as you can imagine, (even still at ages 8-12) they love it.
The whole thing became a ritual of sorts, even though everyone knows it’s complete silliness and no one believes in its “powers.” Half the fun is just playing, and it turned our mutual frustrations into joyful interactions, and bonding. But, it is only reserved for the most dire of “I can’t fall asleep” situations!
In the end, however, I think it all boils down to this: everyone needs to know that someone cares about their plight. And even if we don’t have the answers they need, it just matters that we show up.
And sometimes that means handing out sleepy potion…