Teddy, 5, sleeping in the closet.

Most mothers read books on how to be a mother. I did.

Not once in the books I had did I read about putting my child to bed in the closet.

But when Ted was five I did just that. When it was time for him to go to sleep, I opened the closet door, fluffed his comforter nest and tucked him in… in the closet.

This was one of those times while raising Ted I realized certain circumstances require you to forget convention and be flexible. (Just like he is in this photo!)

You have to listen to your child and listen to your instincts and even when what you are doing isn’t in any of your books, you do it.

Then you go to a different part of the library to find the books you need to read.

I did and I found the book that explained why I was putting my son to bed in the closet. It was Jean Ayers’ Sensory Integration and the Child.

Teddy, I learned, needed a tight space, similar to Temple Grandin’s squeeze machine, to relax his overly stimulated sensory system. He knew just what he needed. Instinctively.

So trust your child and trust yourself. Then after you have tucked that child in the closet, you can go find a book to help you understand why.