Background - My wife has been in the hospital for the last week and my 3 year old understands that mom isn’t home but has tons of emotions she can’t process well yet. I've been solo parenting for 8 days now.Fast forward to bedtime and she’s screaming at the top of her lungs, taking swings.. full meltdown because she didn’t want me to leave and how she was very scared of being alone. This is very out of character for her and I tried everything to no avail and had to resort to the final ace up my sleeve. An ace I had setup 3 years ago on the day she was born. A big burly teddy I named Gruf the bear.I told her calmly that her best friend teddy bear "Toothpick" wasn’t an only child. He had a brother named Gruf but he wasn’t like Toothpick. Gruf was a fighting bear and he specialized in taking down monsters and protecting little girls while they slept. He wasn’t a best friend bear like Toothpick. No, he was a combat bear, his skills honed and developed In the trenches and forests of Candyland. He was a loose canon and dangerous to everybody. Everybody but her. He served in the Candy King’s 1st infantry. A decorated brown beret. But war is hell so we kept him locked up until the night she needed him most oorah. That night was tonight. I took her by the had to my bedroom closest where opened a small safe I kept Gruff in. For 3 years btw.As I explained who he was and what he does, she hugged him and said, “Daddy, he’ll protect me and I won’t be scared?”I said, “yes”.She looked super concerned and said, “but what about Toothpick?”Was not anticipating that one but I quickly recovered with, “Oh yes he’s safe too. They are brothers and he will protect him, don’t worry.”She thought about it for a moment, and I literally held my breath, before she said, “okay goodnight” and hugged them both tightly. Not a peep from her for the rest of the night. In the morning she woke up and brought Gruf to me telling me that he protected her and "gave her good dreams."I kept that bear locked in my closest safe for 3 years for this night. I bought them both on the day she was born.Semper Fi, Gruff. You did your duty, soldier. Dismissed. via /r/Parenting https://ift.tt/32Neit7
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