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Cameron's House of Fun

Fatherhood, politics, education, random thoughts (heavy on the random thoughts) and stuff (always stuff).

Saturday, April 16, 2005

Of big noggins and bad reactions

Lucas has been a handful the last week or so, very energetic and in dire need of running coupled with a need to be independent (which presents as "let go of my hand now" dives to the ground and pullings of our fingers) all layered with a dusting of sensitive whininess. It's been fun.

What this means in practice is that holding his hand is almost impossible, either because he is hopping up and down are flinging himself from side to side or because he is trying to break your grip by dangling from your hand.

So yesterday Lucas and I went to the Concordia library and then we met Christine to walk home. He behaved as outlined above, so we got to the section of Prince Arthur Street that is pedestrians only and we let him go and took his hand back when we had to cross streets that have cars on them. At one point he was released and, in his excitement went face first into the paving stones that make up the street. A scraped up nose, blood and a bonk on the forehead followed. My parents always tell me that my large head (which Lucas has inherited – we aren't circus freaks, but it is a fine Scottish Cranium) got me into similar trouble when I was his age. My father maintains that I learned to walk at about 4 years old, but that I started running after my falling head when I was about 10 months old. This appears to be the Lucas technique as well.

Anyway, he's fine, a bit sore no doubt, but fine.

The not fine part was my behavior after this happened. I behaved like I had ownership over him and that Chris was not dealing with him properly. I want to fix him and stop and sit and deal, she wants to distract if the injury is not serious and have him think about other things and get back to playing. In the cold light of dispassion her way is probably smarter for small things and for calming him down post big things, mine is probably only suited for serious emergencies where the "scoop and go" attitude of most Western paramedics makes the most sense. I have no idea where it came from. I do know that I don't deal well with him being sick or hurt when I have to do it with anyone else around. I tend to, what is the term, freak the fuck out...

Anyway, I can't believe how I behaved, Chris accepted my apology, but it makes me wonder, when one partner stays at home with the kid do they always start feeling like their way is the right way?

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