This Christmas, my family became one of those families that spends the day in Emergency.
It’s the last place anyone wants to spend Christmas day, but from all accounts it can be one of the busiest, on account of all the new bikes and skateboards and all that. It wasn’t either of those that had us holding a towel to our three year old’s bloodied head on Jesus’s birthday, though. No, it was our new pool and our daring daughter’s somersaults that had me taking deep breaths to keep calm despite the blood pouring out of her forehead.
We moved into our house the day before Christmas. It was our gift to ourselves, and co-incidentally, it was our first swim as a family in the pool. She well and truly christened it. I don’t think I’ll ever forget the thump I heard following the ‘watch me, Mummy!’ as her head collided with the pool paver before I could rouse on her and say (for the 49 Millionth time) “DON’T DO SOMERSAULTS INTO THE POOL!”
The kids is three, for god’s sake, she shouldn’t be attempting Evel Knievel type stunts — but she still does, despite my nagging warnings which makes me sound like my mother. In fact, since she learnt to swim properly, every time I open my mouth my mother comes out. “Don’t run around the pool”, “Watch where you jump”, “Don’t drink the water”, “Time to get out now it’s getting cold!”
I have this saying I live by: ‘What you fear, you create’. It’s one of those annoying ones I could load up to Instagram with some sort of fancy font that you would quickly scroll past, and never give a second thought to. But I dead set believe it, and Christmas Day was testimony to it, because every time Millie Knievel throws herself into any pool, her hitting her head is my greatest fear, and it happened on the happiest day of the year.
After the thump she thankfully came up screaming, while I ran to her screaming, and for a good 10 seconds we were both screaming until we realised everything was OK — except for the gaping hole in her hairline. So off to Emergency we went, and a bit of happy gas later, my daughter graduated to a proper childhood with four stitches in her little noggin and a new best friend.
The lovely nurse May, who held her hand while administering the gas, was invited over to our new house for a sleepover in Millie’s new big girl bed. “Oh, you are adorable,” May replied to Millie’s kind invite, while I got a glimpse of what Millie will be like after a few champagnes in the distant future — she will be an ‘I love you’ drunk, not an angry one.
Doctor George, who stitched her up, didn’t get the sleep over invite (Mummy wouldn’t have minded, his alleged nickname is gorgeous George) but instead was told “I don’t hate you anymore” as the happy gas set in, cementing my prediction for her future drunk self. The effect of the happy gas made me wonder why vaccinations aren’t administered with a little tipple of it — if not for the kids, then for the Mums who know we are doing the right thing, but still feel awful for the pain it causes them.
Which leads me to this — Mother Guilt. After we got home from the hospital adventure and put our little wounded warrior to bed (next to me, so I could hear her breathing through the night just in case), I couldn’t help but feel like I had let her down.
Even though the doctor assured me her future modeling career would still be intact as the scar is nestled nicely in her hairline, she still will have that scar forever — because I took my eyes off her for a minute, because my warnings weren’t firm enough, because I built a house with a pool, because I don’t have super magic powers that could rewind time and stop the accident from happening in the first place.
God help me if she ever breaks a limb.
Girls will be girls, and she has just learned an important lesson the hard way. But please don’t descend to the level of Helicopter Mum. Try not to feel guilty about not wrapping your child in cotton wool. Be thankful it was something that only interrupted your enjoyment of Christmas and resulted in a few stitches.
I’m reading ur article as my brother was trying (not successfully!) to teach my daughter how to somersault into the pool!! She’s 9 and just won’t do it. Now I’m not really a helicopter mum but I wish my child was more evil kanevil… Esk!! So go Millie and get your hubby to watch her next time!!! PS I walked away when she was trying to do it cos I couldn’t watch!!! PPS I’ll send my bro round to show her properly!! Happy New Year Nutes
Mothers Guilt! No one warns you about that one!!
Nothing like a mothers guilt. I wonder if fathers have it to (they don’t seem to share if they do). Glad your little ones ok, it’s one of my big fears aswell, and me and the other mums i know are forever telling the kids, don’t jump in you’ll hit you head etc etc. But they just don’t listen.
Love it…’future drunk self’. I saw the same thing with my son at 2 after jumping on his bed. Kamikaze Matt. Happy drunk self stubbornly wanting to get up and walk. Glad your Millie is ok and lives to tell the tale AND sound like HER mother later on. Lol
Glad she’s ok! Come and do one of our free first aid courses for parents, two hours of your time to deal with things just like this. http://www.paradisefirstaid.com.au/babies-children-first…/
Glad to hear she is OK, but don’t want broken bones, here’s the trick, a full glass of full cream milk at every meal, I’m from old school & 1 of 8 we never saw kids with broken bones, now it’s so common place it’s scary.
Emily, firstly I am so pleased your little Millie is ok!
That was the most beautiful article another mum could read! You had me laughing, smiling, agreeing and then also a little sadness – but so very true. I just hate it when I find myself lecturing my little boy about something and using word for word what my mum used to say to me – scary hey!
We worry so much as mums and find it our sole mission in life is to protect them from the moment they are born.
It’s a tough gig at times but we have to remind ourselves we are only human too. Think back through your child years, I had falls and YEP split my head open too, no broken limbs but I survived, have faith hun your doing a great job
Judy Berry What is the point in having kids if there’s no drama here and there – been through it with all three of mine and now they are young adults (one ended up being airlifted to Sydney and on life support awhile back now) – they’re built tougher than we think. Pleased yours had a good outcome.
My granddaughter suffered a nasty cut when she was around the same age to the base of her chin after an accident at kindy. I went to the hospital with my daughter and the doctor and nurses tried all measures to get my granddaughter to lie still while they injected the cut so they could put stitches in. In the end the doctor gave up and said “I will just put on a butterfly strip, if she decides to be a model, it won’t affect her chances!” It must be a standard statement they say, as this happened about 18 years ago so doubt he is the same doctor, unless he has aged well lol
Oh Em-jay. The perils of motherhood!!! I feel for you but (I am sure you have been told) it’s not your fault. Believe me after 5 kids no amount of nagging will stop them if they are determined!!! I spend my life “don’t do this” “stop that” etc etc …, the joys of motherhood! Let’s hope that is as serious as it ever gets for you! Happy new year to you and your beautiful family