[Judit]

HI my 4 yr old son says he sees a goat at night. Its happened twice I get up around 3am and I find him sitting on the corner of his bed and he says there is a goat outside his window. He just says its big and sometimes he says he sees 2 of them. He's very awake and alert when he tells me this he even points out to where he saw them. After I go to him he is OK I just lay him back down and he will fall back asleep,but if I call him to come to me when I find him sitting on his bed he won't he doesn't move he just stares. I'm not sure what this means I always grew up thinking goats weren't a very good omen at night but I'm not sure. What does this mean what should I do?

[taxesforaliens]

He might just be dreaming about goats (no bad omen). Maybe there is some movement in front of the windows that cause this association? (Trees for example). Do you have curtains?
Even if he seems alert he might not be awake. My son has night terrors. In he middle of the night he sits up in bed, cries, talks and responds to questions as if he was awake, but he never is.

[0rphan]

Hi Judit,

Children sometimes see many things at night.Yes it can be their imagination and very often is.
Looking at it from another angle though...

Has your son been ill recently,does he have a temperature? Very often if a child has a temperature it can make them imagine they see all manner of things,when the temperature goes back to normal they then are usually OK.Also if the child is taking medication,this can also have side effects:again maybe raised temperature,vivid imagination etc...
I think it might be worth,taking your child's temperature,when the incident happens,keeping a note of date time etc... see if there is any pattern to this.

Perhaps your son has a particular bedtime story that is read to him before bed,is there a picture of a goat in it or something similar?Maybe he watches a TV programme along the same lines:goat in it or similar!Could there be something in his room, maybe near the window that tired little boys could make into a shape representing what ever they want it to be... a bit like we do with clouds,making what we want them to be.

Keep an eye on his diet,it could be a certain food/sweet or drink,makes him prone to this kind of sleeping pattern where he will wake during a nights sleep,Again keep a log of it see if there is any pattern.

Sometimes a small child can be worried about something, it could be anything at all: nursery the following day, or visitors that came the night before or simply the fact they need to use the toilet.

I am sure what ever it is Judit he will grow out of it.If everything that I have mentioned is not relevant, then I would try not to worry too much,just give him a hugg, try him on the toilet and put him back to bed...