So, the holidays are over and another kind of stress has hit me. Yes, Christmas-time comes with an abundance of fun family and friend moments, but it’s also busy, busy, busy. Once that’s over, my overprotective mind takes hold, especially when it involves some new toys that my kids can be injured with.
The Parental Fear
That’s right. It’s the scooter. Now don’t get me wrong. I know in my heart that it’s completely okay for my kids to have a scooter, especially our daughter who asked for one. A scooter will give her a sense of freedom as she rides down the sidewalk. But, how do I get over that inkling, that little fear in the back of my mind that worries about a fall?
As a parent, I don’t know if that will ever go away for me. I’m a worrier. I will always be worried about something. In this case, I have a personal experience that leads me to hoping she’ll never experience what I did with a scooter. I fell and my chin hit the pavement. Actually, it felt like my chin was the only thing that hit the ground as it dragged forward on the ground until my motion stopped. Needless to say, it was a mess that required a visit to the ER and several stitches.
Scooting Over My Fears
How do I get over that fear that something might happen to my own kids? The only thing I can hope for is that I will help and encourage my kids to get back on. I never got back onto a scooter after that crash. Knowing that my daughter might fall off hers will always scare me, but I have to be ready to show her it’s okay to get back on. It’s okay to help her realize that life isn’t perfect, and in cases like a scooter or bike crash, it’s only a momentary blip on the radar and it shouldn’t capture her spirit.
I’ve tried to lead my life as a parent with that thought in mind, to help them be better than me. Let them know that they’re still amazing despite a fall or even when they’ve made a bad choice and I have to make sure they understand whatever it is we’re trying to teach them. They’re already better than anything I could’ve ever imagined, so it’s important I remind them of that. Hopefully, those reminders will make it easier for them to believe me when I tell them it’s okay if we fall. Hopefully, they will understand that getting back up is the best way to persevere during those times.
A quote I love listening to, so please ignore the geek in me, helps explain how I try to cope with the potential falls my kids will come to.
“Why do we fall, sir? So that we can learn to pick ourselves up.” (Batman Begins)
Leaps Ahead
Perhaps it’s not the best thing I learned as a kid. Maybe my inability to get back onto a scooter is one of the reasons I will always be a worrier. Maybe, supporting them and helping them get back up will alleviate them from having the same distress. So, I will do my best to help my kids overcome their fears, if and when they pop up. Maybe, if they can pick themselves up, they will already be leaps and bounds ahead of their dear old dad.
