Things that go BUMP in the night?

While reading the book ROOM, by Emma Donoghue, I got to thinking about a child's perception of every day living.

About the book:

To five-year-old Jack, Room is the entire world. It is where he was born and grew up; it's where he lives with his Ma as they learn and read and eat and sleep and play. At night, his Ma shuts him safely in the wardrobe, where he is meant to be asleep when Old Nick visits.

Room is home to Jack, but to Ma, it is the prison where Old Nick has held her captive for seven years. Through determination, ingenuity, and fierce motherly love, Ma has created a life for Jack. But she knows it's not enough…not for her or for him. She devises a bold escape plan, one that relies on her young son's bravery and a lot of luck. What she does not realize is just how unprepared she is for the plan to actually work.

Told entirely in the language of the energetic, pragmatic five-year-old Jack, ROOM is a celebration of resilience and the limitless bond between parent and child, a brilliantly executed novel about what it means to journey from one world to another.

I recently wrote a contributing post at Mama Moderne about Night Terrors. In the article, I mention on a particular night, my son's night terror was triggered by his worry about money. My son is eleven years old and has been experiencing night terrors for years. It made me wonder, what conversations were overheard by him, etc... that would have triggered past night terrors?

I know children have sponge-like minds and they are constantly soaking in waves of information. How they perceive it can often times come off as humorous to most adults. Do you ever wonder what lurks in the shadows? The things they pick up on but choose not to discuss with you?

ROOM has opened a new door in my home, one I didn't know existed. My children know that they can come to my husband or I with any question and we'll answer it as honestly as we can. However, if they don't ask, we can't tell.

Perhaps what is lurking 'in the closet' or 'under the bed' isn't really a monster. It's real life and it scares the shit out of them...

My copy of ROOM was received free of charge on behalf of the From Left to Write book club.