This happened on Wednesday:
While the bigger kid was in karate class, I was chasing the littler kid around the studio trying to prevent things like this from happening. I got distracted for a second, he turned around to look at me and his little just-started-walking legs got jumbled up and down he went - smack into a sharp corner wall.
Did you know foreheads bleed...a TON? They do. Did you know I am super cool under pressure? I am. I calmly took my bloody, screaming little fellow into the bathroom and took measures to slow the fountain spurting from his head. He was furious. The dear man that owns the studio was clearly unnerved and wondered if I shouldn't be headed for the hospital. I, with visions of the emergency room bills already stacked four deep on my refrigerator from a penny-swallowing epidsode earlier this Summer (did I not tell you about that one? I'll save it for another day when I've gained a little perspective on the whole thing) hedged and waffled outwardly, while internally thinking that there was no way in H-E-double hockey sticks we were going to the emergency room. The bleeding slowed as my little man yanked furiously at my shirt, demanding the blessed comfort a little boobie might bring him. I obliged him - grateful I had such an easily accessible and effective pacifier on hand at all times. The older kids that kept peaking in to see what was going on were now getting even more of a show than they had originally bargained for! I decided I was exempt from worrying about that at this time.
It just so happened a lovely lady I had worked with at the veterinary clinic has a daughter in the karate school, and she happened to be there on Wednesday. So I asked the teacher to send her to me, and we reprised our rolls from the vet clinic - I provided restraint and soothed the savage beast, while she bandaged (and a lovely job she did wouldn't you agree?) As for my little man he nursed a while, glared at my bandaging partner, then laughed in glee when I turned the water faucet on and put the whole episode behind him.
I was left to rehash the whole episode and wonder where the mommy fail was. Was I not following closely enough? Should I have allowed that other kid to distract my attention? Should I make my son wear a helmet?
I tend to be slightly on the more hands off end of the spectrum from most moms I think. I'm a believer in injury as a more effective lesson teacher than endless repetition, nagging, and hovering on my part. I think a kid gains confidence when they learn - on their own - what is and is not really possible in this world. So I tend to back off when I see other mom's tend to dive in. I figure my roll is to prevent:
1) mortal wounds
2) permanent disfigurement and
3) astronomical hospital bills.
By that standard, this was a narrow miss (#3 - if the karate guy had is way) but I'm not gonna call it a Mommy Fail, 'cause you know, he just might stop before turning around next time!
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Haha.I'm kinda that way,too.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was baby-sitting my niece it was so funny,cause when I told her not to do something,usually something would happen that she didn't like,and I had nothing to do with it!
Like she was playing with the water (the sink is on an island where they also eat),and I told her to quit doing that,since she was making a mess.I can't remember how this happened exactly,but after me telling her to stop it a few times,she knocked over a glass in the sink.haha,she knew she was in trouble.
But I told her I was just glad she wasn't hurt,and that see what happens when she doens't listen?She was like ya.(She's five,and so cute!)
You should hear some of "Loving Your Kids on Purpose",by Danny Silk.It's really good,and funny.I think you'd like it.In it,it talks a bit about how we don't have to control kids,but help empower them to learn from their own mistakes.And give them chioces.