Bed time for our eldest daughter started off like any other on Saturday night. She had changed into
pyjamas, brushed her teeth and had said goodnight to both mummy and a visiting granny.
It was when I sat down on her bed to read a bedtime story that things went wrong. There was a loud crack as the bed broke and I hurtled a not-remotely-life-threatening 60 centimetres to the ground. On hitting the floor I found myself surrounded by the remnants of a varnished-pine Mothercare bed, an animal print duvet and a mattress.
My daughter was in tears thinking I’d hurt myself and it was nano-seconds before my wife burst into the room wanting to know what had happened.
Things became increasingly chaotic when granny came upstairs, removed the broken bed from the room and started to dismantle it on the landing. With the broken woodwork swinging in all directions I was very concerned for the recently decorated walls. Thankfully they escaped unscathed.
The little one was eventually placated and stories were read. She was quite happy sleeping on her mattress on the floor of her room.
With the little one asleep, us adults immediately made plans to buy a new bed. Would we go to Mammas and Pappas or Mothercare? Maybe we should look online and get something delivered?
There were, however, two complications: 1) it was a weekend and 2) granny was visiting. We really didn’t want to dedicate any more time to this than necessary.
Two days later and we have ordered a bed. In the meantime, our daughter is still sleeping on the floor and she’s perfectly happy. To her it’s been an adventure.
More to the point, if our daughter can live without a bed, what else can we do without as a family? I’m not seriously suggesting my child goes without a but we own three potties, a stair gate that’s still in its box and never been fitted, one and a half baby monitors (don’t ask about the other half) goodness knows how many toys that are rarely used and an ever increasing number of clothes. If the experience of the unnecessary bed is anything to go by, I think we may soon have a major clear out.
4 thoughts on “How important are these things?”
I love a good clear out but we do have plenty of, and it can only be described as ‘stuff’, under the stairs. The further you dig the further back in time you go. Haven’t ventured beyond 2010 in a while. I know there are relics from a time before kids in there, somewhere.
I cleared out the cupboard under the stairs before baby arrived. It was a wonderful experience but is slowly filling up again.
A time before children? Yes, I remember such a time. Just.
There is a constant battle in our house between my camp – ‘Camp Bin It’ and my wife’s camp – ‘Camp store (sh) it so we have to pick it up and clean around it for decades to come’.
Camp Bin It took a hit recently when I inadvertently binned a memento my wife’s dead mother left her. I suspect I will live in an empty house in the future…on my own,
Oh wow. I bet that took some explaining to your wife.
Regardless, I am with Camp Bin It. Can’t stand clutter.