Water Bottle Solutions
When my 5 year old daughter had a crazy tummy ache that led her to eat sparingly for about a week, I was staying in her room at night to make sure she was doing ok. I slept with her in the same bed and even though I get terrible sleep when I do that, I know it is comforting to her that one parent is close by. I can also help more easily if something comes up in the middle of the night.
It just so happened that in the middle of the night, she woke up and said she was thirsty. I was happy because she didn’t want to drink much water and the fact that she was voluntarily asking for water was a good sign. The bad news was that her water bottle was empty. She wanted me to go get her more water, but I suggested that she drink from her 4 year old brother’s water bottle instead. She paused for a few second before asking me if I could open his water bottle and pour the water into her water bottle. I thought that was a good solution, so I did that and luckily didn’t spill any water on myself in the dark when I transferred the water laying down in her bed still.
The next day she was feeling much better, so we got back to a more normal sleep routine where her 4 year old brother slept with her in the same bed. He usually never drinks water and when we laid down to read for the bedtime routine, I realized his water bottle was empty, but was too lazy to go get some more. Statistically, he most likely wouldn’t drink water, but this was a night where the roulette wheel hit on 00.
Of course he realizes that his water bottle is empty and asks me to get some. I’m exhausted from the day and suggested that he drink the water from his sister’s water bottle (since it is from his water bottle from the night before). He proceeds to scream and throw a mini tantrum. I told him that if he really wants water in his own water bottle, he could go get it himself. Usually he would get madder when I said anything except agreeing to his demand, but this night he stopped and said he didn’t know how. I told him that’s his problem and he could figure out how to get water himself or drink it from his sister’s water bottle (both of which I would be ok with).
He thinks for a few seconds before responding and suggests that I open his sister’s water bottle and pours the water into his water bottle. It was both surprising and amazing that they didn’t discuss the problem and solution at all from the night before…yet he came up with the same solution as my daughter. The way their brains interpreted the contrasts and worked for a solution in the same way was astounding to me and it really makes me wonder whether something in their genetics wired them to problem solve in a similar way. I ended up splitting the water in half and they both had water in their respective water bottles to sip on. Crisis averted for the night and I filled up their water bottles the next day.
