A monthly parenting column. Once Upon a Bedtime Occasionally, bedtime can be a special event shared with other families. Soothing music via a portable CD player. Warm cocoa topped with creamy marshmallows.
Clean sheets spread out on the floor.
It's not a setting for romance. It's Pajama Story Time, a bedtime get-together for the parents and young children who live in my building. Eric and I began meeting other resident couples with young children soon after our daughter, Danielle, started walking. The seeds for mutual family friendships were sown in the elevator, took root in the common outdoor area as our children learned to ride tricycles and scooters, and were nourished while our children paddled in the condo pool. Today, we call each other regularly, organize potlucks in the downstairs pavilion, and invite each other to birthday parties.