When my daughter, Ali was about 4 years old, she began having night terrors. The scariest thing for me? I didn’t know what was going on. There was no Internet to check her symptoms, and it was a year or so before I even knew the term.She would wake up in the middle of the night screaming and crying and I would rush to her bedside to hold her. She would continue to cry, eyes open, terrorized (and then her sisters would be awake). The hardest part was that she wasn’t really awake. And the saddest part was one night when she cried, “I want my mommy”, in her shaky, frightened voice, looking with her glassy eyes straight into mine. Heartbreaking for me, because I was powerless to do anything.
Dirk and I would pray over her, while tears streamed down my face, and we held her until she would finally settle. The next morning she wouldn’t remember any of it, thankfully.
I don’t remember this happening very many times. When it did, it left us wondering if we had allowed her to watch something she shouldn’t have, eat something that didn’t agree, or if it was just that fact that she had us for parents! ; )
Regardless, today she is the mother of two of our precious grandgirls. Those night terrors didn’t leave any lasting marks and she’s never had to undergo counseling. ; )
Those childhood issues you may endure for a time in your child’s life most likely won’t cause permanent damage. And you’ll discover those issues are not because of you!
Have any of your children ever experienced night terrors?
Our youngest has. Oh my, that is scary and so heartbreaking. We haven't seen them in a long time, so hopefully it is over!
ReplyDeleteNo, thankfully they haven't!
ReplyDeleteMy firstborn, John Henry, did. He is now 5 1/2 and seemingly unharmed by them. But, at the time, they are heartbreaking. And, I'm hearing ya on those prayers!
ReplyDeleteOh yes our youngest Cade has had them on and off for years. Sometimes he actually wakes up and sprints into our room bellowing at the top of his lungs. It takes us a long time to calm him down
ReplyDeleteHope use to have them. From about the age of 2 until she was about 4. I was like you I always wanted to know what I had done that would cause these. I always tried to track the foods she had eaten that day. How she had played, how she had slept the night before. There was never any one thing that was consistant. It was so scary.
ReplyDeleteNathan has started walking in his sleep like Tim. I have to boys that walk and talk all night long. ha ha
ReplyDeleteYou have a lots of funny stuff about Ali. (well at the time not funny) I love it!
ONly a time or two. It's scary. The louder he cried the louder I prayed. All better now.
ReplyDeleteNo, thank goodness! But now I'm worried.
ReplyDeleteI don't remember having those at all. I just hope my kid's don't have them!
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