Tent

I think that little boys need their own fort/club house/hiding place/retreat.  Whatever you want to call it, a little space of their own is almost necessary.  Hubster and I have often thought about building a tree house, but there isn't a good place to do so on our property. 

Bug often uses his top bunk as his get-away place.  When he's stressed, or tired, or just needing to escape the burdens of big brotherhood, he climbs up the ladder with a book or a game or his binoculars. 

Monkey also needed a space of his own.  Granted, many times he was worried about getting scolded, or there were chores to be done, he would hide inside the storage ottoman in the living room.  But at the rate he's been growing, that spot definitely has a shelf life.

So, for Monkey's sixth birthday, I made him a tent. 

I found a pattern for a teepee (on Pinterest of course).  I wanted it to have almost a safari feel, so instead of using colorful or patterned fabric, I used canvas painting drop cloth.  It also seems like it might be a little sturdier of a fabric - and study is what counts when Monkey is involved.

The project only took me one afternoon to make (although it did put my sewing machine to the test - attempting to sew through five or six layers of canvas at once is apparently asking a little too much.)

On Monkey's birthday, I set the tent up in his room while he was at school.  When he came home, he ran upstairs, and then immediately came back down.  He stood on the stairs and looked at me. 

"There's something in my room."

"I know!  It's for you!"

At that, his face lit up, he ran back up stairs, grabbed several blankets, an arm load of stuffed animals, and crawled right in.

He's pretty much never left since.

He reads in his tent.  He plays games in his tent.  In the month since he's had his tent, he has slept in his bed once.  You'd think that sleeping on the floor would get old, but when you are six, apparently things like mattresses just aren't really that big of deal.

Even on nights when he falls asleep on the couch and we tuck him in his bed, by morning, he has found his way into his tent. 

Bug is only allowed in by invitation. 

Finally, Monkey has a spot of his very own.