Mother's column – battling mosquitos with a tent

Not only did they think about fans. I find a pile of mosquito nets for double beds on the next shelf. Ideal for when you want to leave your window open at night. And who would not want that during a muggy night? Thus, a bit later, I walk home a little clumsily but very satisfied with my new fan and mosquito net.

Neline is married and the mother of five: Martha (8), Abel (7), Jolijn (5), Reinout (3) and Sifra (1).

The children are over the moon with my purchases. Because the fan still needs to be assembled, they only pay attention to the mosquito net. "It is just like a tent!" "Can we sleep in your bed for one night, please? Then you can sleep in our beds." Oh, well, it is holiday, so why would we not? The children promise to sleep quietly, and they even do so. They only wake up early in the morning, but hey, they play sweetly in the tent.

The night after, we can try the mosquito net ourselves. It feels pleasant to fall asleep with a slight breeze with these temperatures. But halfway through the night, I jumped. What is happening? The light of a flashlight flashes over the walls, and I see the shadow of the electric fly swatter. "What are you doing?" I whisper. "I heard a mosquito, and with that buzzing, I really cannot sleep", Jan explains. I know that he will not rest before he finds the mosquito. Therefore, I try to fall asleep again. Just when I enter my dreams again, a triumphant outcry sounds. "Yes, there it is! Look, Neline, it sits inside the mosquito net!" Of course, I am wide awake immediately again. The daring creature is grilled alive on the swatter, and then the hunt is over.

The rest of the night, we do not hear any buzzing anymore. But the following day, we are not all the way refreshed. And I find three new mosquito bites on my arm. However, without Jan's brave performance, there would probably have been a lot more.