Daddy Talk: Being a parent

Boys will be boys and boys will bang their heads. I have plenty of scars to prove it. Plenty on my body and plenty on my dome. I know that one of those was because my uncle was bouncing us on the bed. I know he didn't mean anything by it but I took a wrong bounce and put the back of my head into the dresser. Left a nasty gash that had to be stitched up. I know my uncle never really got over it, it still makes him sad to think about. I think at the time my dad was deployed to Germany so he missed out. I never got to ask him how he felt about it.

It was my turn just recently, although not directly. I let my boy toddle right into the corner of a sliding door. Man, there was blood everywhere or at least it seemed like it. In reality it was maybe a teaspoon. But it was dripping into his eye and I couldn't do anything about it. The boy took it so much better than Dad. I was ready to bolt to get something, anything to fix that boy's face. All the planning I did for emergencies went away just like that. I didn't have my trauma kit, not even a first aid kit. I looked around and all I saw were paper towels. I couldn't use that, I was about to rip off my shirt until Pam grabbed a cloth towel used for decoration. It stopped the bleeding or at least caught it.

Pam calmed me down a bit and we waited til the EMTs got there to assess the boy. Most of the crying was done by the boy right after it happened. After that he was more upset about us fussing over him. This being my first rodeo I didn't handle it like I wanted to. I was ready to get going and get him fixed but I wasn't at all calm and steady about it. I had to get something done, anything. I know that's normal and these things happen. I think I should be proud I didn't bolt and held my son without getting queasy. And I need to thank Pam because she was calm.