Sleepy Time With Not Me

sleepy_time_gal_1000dpi

For the last week or so, JP has been refusing to have me put him to bed at night, instead insisting that my girlfriend help him with his bath, brush his teeth, and read him a bedtime story.

The lazy part of my personality (AKA–70-75 percent, depending on how well I’ve slept) finds this development thrilling. The vegetable part of my evening starts that much sooner, and I get the satisfaction of knowing I’ve made my massively pregnant girlfriend put in a little extra labor at day’s end. Good stuff.

But there is a nagging uncertainty as to why JP wants her rather than me. I’m mostly happy with it–I want him to love and accept her, which he does. But I am the dad, I like my prerogatives, and now that I’m not wanted, I kinda want to do it.

And yet… sitting here to write this, at night, perhaps I’ll just insist on doing it tomorrow night.

Published by Theodore

Theodore Ross is an editor of Harper’s Magazine. His writing has appeared in Harper’s, Saveur, Tin House, the Mississippi Review, and (of course), the Vietnam News. He grew up in New York City by way of Gulfport, MS, and as a teen played the evil Nazi, Toht, in Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Adaptation. He lives with his son, J.P. in Brooklyn, and is currently working on a book about Crypto-Jews.

Join the Conversation

1 Comment

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *