Sunday, March 25, 2007

hypochondria in a four year-old: the ongoing case study

Lola has been complaining "I sleep with my eyes open" for sometime now. One might think that is an enviable trait, one perhaps favored by evolution as it could fool predators, but no. "I have to blink too much all day because I sleep with my eyes open."

Along with the excessive blinking there is a sense of isolation: "I am the only person in the world who sleeps with eyes open", mournfully notes Lola.

Tonight the Sober Husband videotaped her sleeping in an attempt to prove to her that she sleeps with her eyes shut. We'll see if she accepts the evidence.

UPDATE: This morning, after watching the filmic evidence, Lola was unmoved. "Usually I sleep with my eyes open."

7 comments:

Unknown said...

My 5 yo DD1 has been "sleeping" with her "eyes open" to ward off nightmares for about two years. She doesn't celebrate the fact, but rather accepts it as the price she has to pay for peaceful repose. Since it "works" for her, we don't say anything.

Anonymous said...

I used to pretend to sleep with my eyes open all the time when I was a kid.

"Kim, KIM!" they'd say, but I'd just keep on fake sleeping.

They'd joggle me. "Hey, are you sleeping?" they'd ask with concern.

And I'd say, "huh-huh- what? where am I?--oh, sorry, I didn't hear you, I was sleeping with my eyes open."

Silliyak said...

I had a band mate who claimed to sleep with his eyes open since a baby sitter told him he was going to hell when he died because he was jewish.

Anonymous said...

Holy crap Silliyak! This is why parents need to choose wisely when people are teaching children.

hughman said...

i love lola's commitment to her condition. she'd be a good DA.

Freewheel said...

The filmic evidence was merely anecdotal.

Unknown said...

My 4 year old constantly "has something in her eyes! her eyes are falling out and she is going to die" but today, after telling her the story of the boy who cried wolf yesterday, she has been complaining about "hot pepper on her foot-her foot is burning!" unfortunately these episodes are not comical when they happen, as they are accompanies by huge screaming tantrums and wails of death. I am not sure what i am going to do about it-but I do have a Dr. appt on Wednesday to make sure she is not actually going blind or loosing a foot. I guess I will learn-anyone ever have all this happen?