With Gavi's injury Sean has been talking about the difference between moms and dads. It started like this...
The day we came home from camp, not only was Gavi injured, but Keren & I were sick. After unloading the car I lay down for a nap. About 20 minutes in Gavi woke me asking if he could go to the store to look for something. I said yes. He asked if he could ride his bike (this after returning from x-ray just an hour earlier). I said no. Within five minutes I heard the garage door opening then closing. About 15 minutes after that I heard it again. "Gavi..." I called. "Yes." "Come here." He walks into my room. "Did you ride your bike?" "Uh, no." "Really? Then why did I hear the garage, and why is your sling all screwed-up?" "Uh.... Darn. I could ride one handed, but I couldn't get on the bike."
Sean, while agreeing that he shouldn't ride was still proud of him. He's proud that Gavi's willing to take chances; proud that he's willing to risk the pain, and even proud of the defiance. Me, not so much, especially of the defiance.
We have a comic on our wall. Kids are building a soapbox race car. They have removed the car engine, and are lowering it to attach to the racer. "What are you doing?" yells the frantic mother. "What are you doing?" yells the frantic father; "A 4 cylinder won't even get up the driveway!" It's a lot like us.
Tonight Gavi was cold. He'd put on 8 layers of clothing (with some pain). I made him get undressed to 1 layer, and put his sling back on. Sean wanted to know why. Because tomorrow morning he'll want to change, and no one will be around to help him. I'm not sure Sean agrees.
Not entirely true. I was not proud of the defiance of the mother. He should have listened, and Jennifer told him precisely the thing he ought not to have done. I would have said the same thing.
ReplyDeleteI was proud of the defiance of the situation. I respect that. He does not like being injured. In riding his bicycle, he effectively said that the broken clavicle was not going to dominate his life and his thinking.
I only wanted to know he had to put his sling back on. The doctor said that he could be without while watching tv. He definitely would have needed help getting all of that clothing off.