Lex (Ariana Richards):
Alan?
Dr Alan Grant (Sam Neill):
Yeah?
Lex:
What if the dinosaurs come back while we’re all asleep?
Dr Grant:
Well—. I’ll stay awake.
Recall that we are introduced to Dr Grant as a man who is both uncomfortable with children and actively disinterested in changing that. At one point, he answers a question by telling a story designed to frighten the lad who’d inquired of him.
The dialogue above symbolizes his growth through his character arc in the movie. All the more so in that it is not only compassionate, but plays against his nature — responding to feeling with feeling, as opposed to an attempt to dissuade through logic.
Generally damn good parenting.
— Steven Spielberg, director