I’m not so hot at this boy stuff. See right here…my son…up in this tree. I’m fairly sure I held my breath until he came down.
The smashing. The jumping. The constant running and destroying.
I hate it.
It makes me live in fear for the next ER trip. The first broken bone. The first set of stitches.
Did I really struggle to carry this child in my womb for 9 months just so he could come out and maim himself?
However. And this is a big HOWEVER…I’m standing here letting him climb this damn tree. Everything in me wants him DOWN on the GROUND where it is SAFE. But no…I’m letting him climb.
Because children need to climb trees and scrape their knees and not have Mom hovering directly overhead waiting to catch at the slightest imbalance.
At least that’s what I keep saying to myself…as I watch. Only slightly turning blue from the lack of oxygen.
I have one of those boys, too. He’s only 3 but is already trying to climb trees. “The constant running and destroying.” and “Only slightly turning blue…” — I can soooo relate!!!
LOL! You mean he hasn’t been to the ER yet?! My son took his first 12 steps a week before his first birthday, walking from his grandmother to the coffee table, ripped the protective foam corner thingee off the table, then immediately smashed his head on it, requiring several stitches. This was all while I was upstairs, madly packing suitcases for us to go to his great-grandmother’s funeral. On Easter Sunday. Nothing like taking your son to meet the rest of the family with stitches right over his eye just before his first birthday. But at least now I figure, “heck, we’ve been to the ER once already…” You’re a good mom for letting them get dirty and climb trees — a critical part of childhood!
Oh honey! If that child has gotten that big and hasn’t been to the ER yet, he is going to be FINE. Of course, if your daughter is anything like I was, it’s not the boy to be worried about for those things! I think I had my first set of head stitches at 3…we may ’em wild here in the midwest. But tough. 🙂
YAY for climbing trees. Just for the record….my 7 year old son’s first ER trip happened the first day of Spring Break. After hours of playing at the park, he slammed the minivan door on his own head. We dropped his sisters off at home and went in for 4 staples.
I guess I’m trying to say that those accidents don’t even come from where we think they will.
I’m not a boy, but I climbed trees. I was good at it and even though I fell out of several trees, I didn’t break any bones or wind up with stitches. Broken bones were reserved for a nasty encounter with a chair, in my kitchen a month before my wedding. Go figure.
He’ll be fine.
As the mom of 2 teen boys (and one girl) I’ve been to the ER countless times. The first couple times took my breath away and my heart nearly pounded out of my chest. After awhile I’d take one glance at them, announce they needed stitches or had just broken SOMETHING, and very calmly proceed to the closest ER. It gets easier over time although I can’t say I’ve ever been able to handle seeing the pain in their eyes.
I do that a hundred times a day. Hold my breath and smile while screaming in my head “OMG get down before you kill yourself!” It’s a wonder my boys haven’t given me a stroke yet. LOL
I’m so glad my girl is still scared of everything and/or thinks she needs to get bigger to try things. She tells me that she’ll climb trees when she gets big like Daddy. Thankfully, that will never happen.
I know that you hope that you can stop holding your breath when they grow up, but I still think that my mother-in-law really checks in twice a week to make certain that my husband is still alive. He’s been to the ER more times than I can count. The last time was when he was trimming a tree with a chain saw. The fall was fine until he hit the ground and bent forward over the fence he landed next to. Fortunately, no broken ribs!
I remember when our four-year-old son (while I was married) went to Busch Gardens Tampa with his grandparents and rode an adult roller coaster for the first time. He was bawling when the ride ended; a lady looked down and said “awwww, the ride scare you?”
To which he wailed, “I WANNA GO AGAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIN!”
I feel for you, I really do. I have 2 sons, and right now I’m just trying to get them to 18 alive. boys!
I haven’t exhaled in a year.
Both my kids are climbers and only one of them has any depth perception, yeah, go figure who is in the hospital most.
My daughter leaves secret notes in the climbing tree in front of the house. I dutifully climb in the morning to retrieve the treasures.
Just hold your breath, like all of us.
My 11 year old son snowboards down black diamond runs with Dad. So thankful I am not up there to see it since I just switched to skiing and am not that level yet. I would lay down and cry, I try hard not to think about it! lol What if he doesn’t stop soon enough and hits a tree, what if he tumbles head first down the mountain? AHHHH, the what if’s are so horrible. But he loves it and it’s time with Dad.
Thankfully I have hubby to remind me that I have to buck up and leave him alone so he doesn’t turn out like my brother. lol That always kicks me in the booty. My Mom ruined my brother and is working hard at doing the same babying to my nephew.
i KNOW this feeling. my 13 y/o…he never gave me that much reason to hold my breath. but this 5 y/o…
holy crap.
i can’t wait until i don’t have to remind myself to breathe anymore. only…i don’t want to wish away his extreme sport youth…or do i?
You know, it’s really weird – Ive never really had that worry for my kid. Oh, the usual worries we all have – will he be happy, am I being a good mom, does he only remember the yelling – I have, all the time.
But worrying that he’ll hurt himself? Nope, not really. Of course, it helps that he was born 11 pounds; so he’s never felt like a frail baby. And he’s been a total rough and tumble dardevil of a kid since day 1 (he walked at 8mos), so I’ve sorta gotten used to it. I still worry if he attempts to do things that are CLEARLY outside his abilities (er, still waiting for one of those things to come along – he’s pretty tough), but things like climbing trees and the like? Eh. A broken arm builds character 🙂
I think that means that you’re a better mom than me 🙂
I have two boys, as well. They`re still toddlers, but I do the same thing, holding my breath while encouraging them to do things. And then I shut my eyes because I can`t watch them take tumbles that I always imagine to be far worse than they really are. And mine are only 2 and 3!
Trees? You should be enjoying the next 13 “motorcycle-free” years. 😉
Jeremy