Sleeping on the job

Before I go to bed, I check in on my sleeping son. I love to watch him sleep - he is so still and peaceful and quiet. I often wonder what he is dreaming about as he lays there so still, usually with an arm wrapped around a stuffed animal friend.

I also wonder when I will lose the urge to check on him at night. I know this is a habit left over from when he was a baby. But now that he is older, he needs more privacy.

I am able to do my late-night checks without his knowing because he is a heavy sleeper. I am the light sleeper in the family. And it is because I am the light sleeper that I was the one who always woke when he cried out in the middle of the night. It turns out that this is true of most women: Moms lose the most sleep over their children.

I'm OK with this arrangement, however, as my husband once offered to take the teenager late shift: Since he is more of a night owl than I am, he will be the parent to wait up for our son if he should ever choose to come home after curfew.

But, let's be honest: I'll probably be awake then, too.

Who gets up in the middle of the night with your child? Tell me in the comments.