My Kid Is Ruining My Sex Life. My Wife Is Just Letting Him Do It.

Care and Feeding July 30, 20261:00 PM Photo illustration by Slate. Photo by PeopleImages/Getty Images Plus. Care and Feeding is Slate’s parenting advice column. Have a question for Care and Feeding? Submit it here. Dear Care and Feeding, My wife and I have a 3-year-old son “Jeremy” who is doing something that is really throwing a wrench in our sex life. He is terrified of the dark. We got him a nightlight, but he still freaks out when he’s left in his room. Lately my wife has been staying with him until he falls asleep. This is teaching Jeremy that if he cries enough, he can get his way, not to mention encouraging him to act like a pussy. What can I do to convince my wife to let him learn to deal with it? —Trying to Raise a Man Dear Trying, Sleep issues are a very sensitive subject for me.