It's official

[seedcorn]

I am now an old cranky fart.

While trying to eat a quick sandwich at McDonalds (don't judge me), a young mother let her boy (2-3?) go play. He fell, skinned his knee but was fine. She runs to him, grabs and hugs him. Then he starts bawling. Then it gets worse. She saw a spot of blood. You would have thought he got shot. Hysteria in full mode. She leaves carrying him out with him screaming, he can't walk. She is telling we got to go because it's "yucky" and he has to be treated.....

Been me, my Dad would have lit me up for crying over that-ok maybe not at 2... Me, I would have laughed at my kids crying over that. I would probably still be busting their chops over that.....

 

[Ridgerunner]

You fooled me with that title. I thought you were going to say you are now officially old because you have your medicare card. I have mine so I guess I can talk.

She is teaching him some life lessons that are different to the lessons I taught my kids.

I carry band-aids in my billfold to cover up things like that. People don't like it when you get blood on things. I don't mind the sight of blood, especially not my own, but people can get cranky if you start staining blood on things. Sometimes my wife can use a band-Aid when her shoes start causing blisters.

A few months back at a park with my granddaughter a boy about that age fell and skinned his knee. His mother was handling it pretty well but the kid was loud and upset. I gave her a band-aid which she seemed to appreciate and the kid shut right up.

 

[Smart Red]

For many children, the sight of their blood is indeed scary. The magical bandaid covers the boo-boo and hides the blood. It is a miracle worker for toddlers.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Not arguing with you Red. I think you are right. My Granddaughter loves the "Frozen" band-aids. Those really are miracle workers for her. But a screaming hysterical mother is not helping the situation at all. From Seeds post I think he is talking more about the mother than the toddler.

 

[Smart Red]

Yes, well, I didn't go to school to learn about mothers. There are mothers, and there are mothers. I've never had a child of mine cry over a boo-boo longer than it took to kiss the sore. Both of mine wanted to be big kids (babies cried). Of course, I never had any serious injury done to either of mine that needed more than a kiss. I was blessed.

The only hysterical time I had, before seat belts, when my daughter fell out of the car into the middle of the road as I turned the corner. I calmly stopped, picked her up, thanked the driver behind me for watching and stopping to help, checked for injuries, got the both of us back into the car, drove on around the corner, pulled over and cried hysterically. Crisis over, me a mess!

In the middle of all that, I do remember telling her I had to check that she didn't break the road. We were tough stuff.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I do that a lot too Red. When a young kid falls I often ask them if they broke the floor or whatever they hit. At a certain age they are quite serious when they check and tell me "No!"

I can be a mess after a crisis too but that's OK. During the crisis is when you need to be calm.

 

[Nyboy]

My friends and I where always at ER, when kids. Playground was prefect place to get broken bones, monkey bars. tall slides, swings with no seatbelts. No matter how bad we where hurt no parent ever thought to sue. Getting hurt was part of growing up.

 

[seedcorn]

@Ridgerunner You are correct, the mother is the one who made me feel ancient. It really never started to show a blood spot UNTIL she kept rubbing it trying (I suppose) to get some imaginary dirt off of him. Had she stayed seated, kid would have gotten up, went on playing. Must be first kid? As old joke, second kid, you tell to not get hit by cars.....

Or maybe I'm an unfeeling dad.....

 

[Lavender2]

Shameful @seedcorn , have you no mercy for the injured and distraught?

I think with some people it's all about the drama now days, or maybe I'm just old too.
We had the neighbors over for dinner the other night and their 1 1/2 YO went to walk off my deck. Both dad and mom shot off their chairs to save him from the horrible fall - 4", onto the grass!

I know the look on my face said 'you have got to be kidding'. They explained that he always cries when he falls. I joked, maybe he just needs more practice.

 

[Smart Red]

Good response, Lavender2. We try to teach our children to be careful, but I always wanted them to test out their limits.

You can almost bet that mom drove home with her un-reconcilable child and thought about suing Mc Donald's for her child's injury, all the way. Hopefully, calmer heads prevailed once they got home. If "treatment" meant the emergency room that child will need therapy for many, many years.