Almost every time my little one is particularly excited in the evening, he has also crashed, literally--falling in some minor way or having some other mishap. Usually it's not serious at all; a couple times, he's cut his lip or gums (though not so badly as to require a trip to the emergency room, thank goodness). Tonight was the second one of those two times. He cut his lip falling in the kitchen, not badly at all--the bleeding stopped in a few minutes; but it's never enjoyable to see the front of a toddler's mouth covered in blood.
At these times, it becomes painfully obvious that any parents worth their salt need to learn how to rein in a child's wilder mood swings...it's easier said than done of course, especially where a toddler is concerned. And to some extent, toddlers have to fall, in order to learn how to control themselves. But the parent has to make sure, at a minimum, that those life lessons are only moderately harsh.
If I knew the perfect formula for allowing just enough freedom and providing just enough in the way of protection and restraints, I guess I would be marketing that right now. I don't. I just walk away from a day like today thinking: I have to, have to, find a better balance for my own kid.
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