A couple weeks ago, a coworker of mine wrote a post about how she may have traumatized her son when she unintentionally changed a tampon in front of her 5 year old son. One reader told her she was “inappropriate….” another said “Gross!…. another said “C’est La Vie….” I personally lean to the “C’est La Vie” side, especially tonight….
As soon as I got home from work, I threw off my high heeled boots, got down on the floor and started playing with Baby-Ko. A few minutes in to our castle building session, I had to go to the bathroom. Baby-Ko followed me in to the bathroom and attempted to say “potty” (genius) as I sat down on it. Brilliant. As I started to go, I realized that this trip wouldn’t be as quick as I had intended. Something came up (This totally happens to other people right? Because my husband and I have a conversation all the time about how he doesn’t understand how women, or me really, can just start gong to the bathroom and all of a sudden realize they have to go #2).
Anyway, as I was sitting there Baby-Ko lost interest in playing with my bracelets on the floor and started to lean over the tub. “Nooooo! Danger!” I screamed. He laughed and leaned over again. “No, baby! No! Danger!” (Btw, remember when I was a SAHM and used to take Wacky’s Class and I tried to never say “no“? Ha. Those were the days). Totally ignoring/testing me, Baby-Ko started to push himself up OVER the side of the tub. I stood up (yes, I stood up). “NO, Baby-Ko! STOP!” With my pants down, my toddler diving in to the tub head first, I went into do or die, fight or flight, scar or SCAR mode fast. Without even thinking I yanked open the cabinet, grabbed a box of tampons and held it up. He looked at me (I had his attention). “Look,” I said, dumping the tampons out of the box, “Please help mommy put these back in the box.” Done. Baby-Ko was now off the edge of the tub and by my feet playing with my tampons.
One by one Baby-Ko examined the wrapped tampon and put it back in the box. Once he got them all in the box, he dumped them out and started all over again. (Genius). Staring at him, I didn’t feel guilty. In fact, I felt accomplished. I felt like a real mom. A mom who had a total “do what you got to do” parent moment. But it occurred to me as I finished up my biz, that there might be some people that find my total parent moment, totally “gross” and totally “inappropriate.”
Personally, I think I have to seize these “do whatcha gotta do” moments as much as I can now before what I “gotta do” actually screws up my kid. So tell me, is there an age cut off where you have to stop winging it and parenting by the seat of your pants? That sounds like it takes an awful lot of planning!
FILED UNDER: A Little Life
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As far as going to the bathroom, I usually don't mind too much, but now that my boy is almost 5 I've started shewing him out. My little potty training apprenitce is more than welcome to come in with me, though. The more she sees people going potty, the more she'll want to do it. No big deal.