“Mommy, say Shema again.”

“Mommy, I want more water.”

“Mommy, I’m not tired.”

Shema is said again. Water is drunk again. I wait (patiently?). Eventually, he falls asleep. I can do this.

But the nighttime component of the big-boy-bed transition is just a decoy for the real challenge ahead… the morning.

The allure of unrestrained morning territory beckons too strong for my little (big!) boy. I am dragged into morning with rapping on bedroom doors, astonishingly loud for such small knuckles. My older kids find Moshe twisting and poking them in their beds when they wake up. On his way to an exceptionally early minyan, my husband almost trips on him, sprawled on the living room floor with his paci and blankie, in sweet slumber.

Moshe’s early-morning (or nocturnal, depending on your interpretation) forays wreak havoc on the schedules of all members of the Silver Family, from interrupted newborn feedings to a teenager’s aborted slumber after a late night. But most of all, it decimates Moshe’s ability to regulate himself by the time early afternoon arrives, resulting in extreme irritability and an uptick of tantrums. Which is really the best-case scenario, because the difficulties of a 4 p.m. nap need no explanation.

I try to problem-solve. The first-line offensive — blackout shades and a noise machine — have no meaningful impact. But I keep troubleshooting until a sliver of light appears in the darkness (or maybe it’s sunrise)?

I set a traffic-light alarm clock for very early, offer a bribe prize, and surprisingly, Moshe is able to successfully stay in his bed. “Moshe stayed in his room until the green light went on and didn’t wake anyone!” mitzvah notes make their way to Morah Chani’s Nursery. This taste of victory seems to motivate him. I gradually and incrementally set the time for the green light to come on later and later, until we finally reach a decent hour for wake-up time.

One morning, several months after this saga began, Moshe claims that his big sister woke him. Finding this hard to believe, I check this the astounding piece of Silver Family news with Avigayil.

“He was still sleeping!” she proclaims with disbelief. “I wasn’t sure where he was, so I opened his bedroom door and he was asleep in his bed!” And no, he wasn’t sick.

This historic event occurred at the late hour of 7:30 a.m. and filled us all with optimism for the future.

It is then that I realize; the panic of the early morning awakenings has passed. Moshe is still an early riser, but it’s okay. It’s manageable. It’s not 4:30 a.m.

It took time. It took trial and error. It took persistence. And it took patience. But the intensity passed. It was a stage, part and parcel of parenting little kids, and the brunt of it seems to be (hopefully!) behind us.

Which, right now, is an encouraging thought. Remember that newborn waiting for his middle-of-the-night feedings? Today, he’s busy emptying full garbage cans. It’s not my preferred form of baby entertainment, but it’s okay — just not at 4:30 a.m.

(Originally featured in Family First, Issue 966)