There was a developmental change for Ben in the last few weeks as well. He has reached the age where dreams have far more impact and he has started to develop elements that will build into the theory of mind.

Currently it is the Cat with the Orange Eyes.

He told us that he was scared of the cat. He told us that it brought the spiders. We thought it was Darwin, our cat, who plays with spiders. Plays, that is, until he kills them.

It wasn’t.

He said it wasn’t Darwin, it was a cat with orange eyes and it was after him.

It cultivated in a night where he would not go to bed, he was quite insistent that the cat was going to get him. He slept on the couch with daddy as mummy had to sleep with his baby brother who he had disturbed due to being so upset.

So, a new plan was formed. We bought a new, Buzz and Woody, lamp, and a small push light with Buzz and Woody on it. We have placed the lantern in the room and stuck the light on the wall near Ben.

We told him it was his light to use and that Buzz and Woody were on it, and he said it was good and that he feels good now.

He is happier going to bed and although we know he is having nightmares, we heard him, we also know he feels a little safer. the developmental stage is quite dramatic, I wonder if it is the same for every child. The more I think about it the more I recall a period where my dreams scared me greatly as well, where I was too scared to go to bed, I know I was young, I just don’t know how young.

For now Ben feels safe and I feel like my child got a whole lot older in just a short period.