Don't sleep with a 5-year-old

A year ago, an Australian friend who lives in Tokyo commented: “my friends (they are a couple) are weird – their child still sleeps with them, and he's FIVE YEARS OLD!!!”

I said, “hmmmmmmmm . . . .”

Jason was 4 at the time, but he still slept with Poo. In Thailand, we don't think it's weird for a 5-year-old to sleep with his parents. In fact, the only thing we think is weird is . . . . . sleeping alone. Why would you do that to a child? Think of all the bad things that can happen when you sleep alone – nightmares, ghosts, giants, vampires, etc . . . .

Now Jason is 5, and he still sleeps with Poo. Sometimes, they sleep with me, too. Jason asks me almost every night, “Dad, I want to sleep with you?” Usually, Poo says, “NO! Dad has to go to work tomorrow – he needs a good night's sleep, not Jason kicking him.”

But last night they slept with me. I was near the fan and the A/C, Poo was in the middle, and Jason was on the warm end of the bed. After an hour or so, I was tossing and turning, so I turned to kiss Poo. I was half-asleep, but I didn't give her a sniff-kiss or a peck on the cheek – it was a full-on smooch. I felt her head, which seemed a bit smaller than usual, and her hair, which didn't have its usual length.

Suddenly, I woke up to a scream: “HEY!! DAD!!!”

OMG, I was kissing Jason! I practically had my tongue down his throat!

There was confusion and noise, and the bathroom light went on – Poo emerged from the bathroom.

I agree with my Australian friend – sleeping with a 5-year-old is weird. But thank goodness I'm not in America – I would probably be in jail!