A close call
Every parent of a toddler has those moments when they realize that, by the grace of God, they have narrowly averted disaster. Try as you might to anticipate every move, lock away every sharp object and toxic substance, and keep your rambunctious young one in sight at all times, there are going to be times when you think that, if you had reacted but a second later or your kid been a second faster, something really bad could have happened.
Today is a good example.
Our daughter is at the age where she has a fascination with the potty. And, being something of a tactile learner, this translates into wanting to touch the potty. Often. Coincidentally, we are fortunate that brushing her teeth is something she regards as a fun activity.
So, there we are this morning, getting ready in the bathroom and brushing our teeth together. As usual, she is periodically removing the little toddler double-bristle brush from her mouth to keep up a running commentary.
“Brushing teeth! Suse brushing teeth! Mommy brushing teeth! Brushing!”
Since this is also taking place before my second cup of coffee, and I am trying to get us ready to get out of the house, I am only half-listening and responding. “Yes, brusha, brusha!” I say. “It’s good to brush our teeth. Brush. Brush. Brush.”
Gradually, her interest wanders, though her brushing, albeit more sporadic, continues. “Brush. Brush. Potty! There’s the potty. See it.”
I’m concentrating on getting my teeth brushed and figuring out what I still have to do before we leave the house, when a portion of the dialogue prompts my immediate attention. “Brush the potty?” she inquires.
Fortunately, I glance down and am able to intercept the tooth brush immediately before she is able to put thought into action.
“Noooo,” I explain. “Do *not* brush the potty. We only use the brush for our *teeth.* Just our teeth. Only our teeth. Not anything else and *not* the potty.”
In my head, I think, “Good Lord! Your kid was a millisecond away from brushing the toilet with her toothbrush? What kind of mother are you?”
It’s a thought I have often.
If the worst thing she ever does is brush the potty, you’re doing OK in my book!
If you have a long handled scrub brush that’s used for toilet bowl cleaning, you could use the situation as a learning lesson: “no, that’s YOUR tooth brush… THIS the potty’s brush,” or some variation of that. ‘Course you might then have to invent a reason why she can’t “brush” the potty bowl, but she’d have learned that her toothbrush is only for use on her teeth.
I once pulled a half a cockroach from my child’s mouth. No idea if the OTHER half was attached when she got hold of it, or not.
LOL! OK, I feel better now!