I went to the shop with the kids. There, I found a beautiful white cross made of marble with silver on the corners. When I looked at it, I felt like taking it and keeping it in the kids' room, as they are having trouble sleeping because of fear and lack of sleep at night. Meanwhile, my son was tasting water falling from a hand nailed to the cross. I told him not to drink it, as it was mosquito repellent water used by the shopkeeper. Still, he continued, and after two more warnings, I slapped him vigorously. He started crying, and my wife took him away. I feel bad for my son and have a guilty and unpleasant feeling about myself.
Dreams often serve as reflections of our subconscious thoughts, feelings, and situations in waking life. Your dream about the shop and the cross is rich with symbols and emotions that can be unpacked for deeper understanding.
Setting and Symbols:
The Shop: Shops often represent choices, desires, or the search for something meaningful in your life. This setting could symbolize your pursuit of solutions or comfort for your family, particularly regarding your children’s nighttime fears.
The Cross: The beautiful white cross made of marble can symbolize purity, hope, and protection. It represents your desire to provide a safe environment for your children. The silver accents may indicate a desire for something precious, transcendent, or sacred to be part of their lives, reflecting your wish to guide them through their fears.
The Water: Water is often associated with emotions, cleansing, or life. However, in this instance, the water is labeled as mosquito repellent, linking it to potential harm or toxicity. This speaks to the tension between wanting to provide comfort and inadvertently introducing elements that may cause distress or discomfort.
Your Son's Actions: Your son tasting the water could suggest a natural curiosity and innocence but also naïveté regarding potential dangers. This reflects concerns parents often have about how their children manage fear and their understanding of risk.
Emotional Dynamics:
Fear and Protection: Your feelings of wanting to take the cross for your children’s room indicate a protective instinct. You seem aware of their emotional struggles and wish to alleviate their fears, possibly feeling responsible for ensuring their well-being.
Guilt and Regret: The act of slapping your son for drinking the water highlights a moment of heightened frustration and your desire to protect him. Your subsequent guilt signifies an internal conflict; you may worry about the balance between discipline and understanding. This suggests that you may feel inadequate in handling parental responsibilities regarding fear management and safety.
Parenting Pressures: Your wife taking your son away could represent a longing for support and partnership in navigating parenting challenges. It may also highlight feelings of isolation in addressing these issues on your own.
Overall Interpretation:
The dream encapsulates the struggle between your protective instincts and the reality of parenting, where emotions can sometimes lead to regrettable actions. It represents a desire for safety and purity in your children's lives while also confronting your own fears and feelings of inadequacy as a parent.
This dream encourages you to reflect on your approach to managing your children’s fears. It may serve as a reminder that while your protective instincts are valid, fostering an environment that encourages communication, understanding, and patience will ultimately help them feel safer. Consider addressing these feelings with your partner to create a united front in supporting your children and finding constructive ways to ease their nighttime anxieties.