Children Don’t Need Parents To Teach Them Lessons
But loving arms that hold them while they cry about the lessons learned
My son fell off the wooden bench in our kitchen. He’s 2.5 years old and not tall enough to get down on the ground safely. He jumped, slipped, and hit his head on the edge of the bench. I scooped him up, grabbed an ice pack and a clean towel, and placed it at the back of his head. As I tried to reposition the bag a few seconds later, I heard my husband say, “He’s bleeding.”
I don’t know how I didn’t faint right then and there and, instead, found the strength to come with some band-aid and betadine. It turned out it wasn’t that bad after all, though it was the first time he took a hit that made him bleed.
After wiping his wound, I wiped his tearful eyes and runny nose too. I asked him — You got really scared, didn’t you? He sobbed and confirmed. I continued — Are you feeling a little better now? Does it hurt less? I got a confident “Yes” followed by the order to put him down. Apparently, all he wanted was to climb on a chair, and from there on the kitchen counter, to reach a cupboard on the wall.
I sighed with relief.
Later that evening, when his grandfather was putting him to sleep, I heard him telling my son — See? That’s what happens when…
