Dear Ivan:

My son.  My treasure.  My heart.

Geez, Louise, why do you resist going to sleep?  I wanna go to sleep.  Mommy wants to go to sleep.  The whole World wants to go to sleep.  Going to sleep is possibly one of the best things there is to do.  Take it from me.  I’ve been around for awhile.  I’ve traveled. I’ve tried all different fields of endeavor, and I can tell you that sleeping is at or near the top of the pile of most enjoyable activities.

So, please, I’m begging you, explain why you so adamantly refuse to sleep. Because I’ll be honest with you, you’re missing out a rare treat.  And, let me tell you something else, when you get older, no one’s going to care one bit how much sleep you got and whether you slept well.  In fact, it’s likely that people will expect you to stay up long past the time when you want to retire to bed, and, indeed, you likely will have a boss who will expect, if not demand, that you never sleep.

So for pete’s sake, now, while Mommy and I are doing all that we can to make sure you get 10-12 hours of uninterrupted sleep per night, take us up on our efforts.  I promise, you’re not going to get this opportunity again.

Oh, and one more thing — don’t forget to brush your teeth.

Love always,

Daddy