It's Calder's first night in a 'big bed' and at midnight, his mother, Janet is sneaking along the corrider to check he's still in it. She's desperate that he should stay there rather than wake her up at 5.00 am - which is exactly what happens.
"Only 2 years after I became a mum this is the beginning of the end of parental control. He's escaped from his bars and will do as he pleases. Only my good teaching will entice him towards the civilised thing and in a few years time this same, highly tenuous strategy, must stop him from drugs or having unprotected sex. Help."
Cal says a fly bit him and that's why he woke up. Janet sought help from her registered childminder, Jean. Jean advised her to put familiar toys into Calder's new bed and to remove the cot altogether. The last thing Calder will want is to see his new sibling in what he regards as 'his' cot.
Despite Calder's requests for his cot, Janet stands firm and removes it. She resorts to bribery - a new chest of drawers for the cot - in the vain hope this will persuade him to stay put. The routine of bath, bed, stories, tape-recordings of favourite stories, kisses and bed follows. 10 minutes later, however, Calder is up and has broken the cassette player. A further 10 minutes later, Calder has more requests:
"I want milk. Where's Dad? Where's Nanny?" The next night, there's a crash: Calder has fallen out of bed. Janet just can't understand her child's lack of logic?
Surely any child would demand a new bed when their ankles become inextricably tangled with the cot bars?
Janet is finally making progress and feels the effort was worth it. Until, that is, she realises that it's only a few months until Calder's little sister is ready to come out of her cot.
