The Stay at Home Mother

A few weeks ago we purchased a tree house/swing set for the children. It is great. However, with the new playset comes a few rules. No climbing on the outside of the treehouse and no swinging on their belly.

Why no swinging on their belly? Well - when I was four years old, I too, had a new swing set that I loved to play on and enjoy. However, one fateful day made the swing set not so much fun anymore....

My mom was busy inside the house doing dishes watching me through the kitchen window. I was trying out new moves on the swing, and discovered that swinging on my belly was the best one yet. I could get some great momentum and the thrill of being close to the ground was exhilarating.

That is, until I flipped over backwards from the momentum and fell flat down on my right arm. I felt a surge of hot pain ignite my arm and could no longer move it. I screamed out in agony and my mom came running.

Turned out - I broke my arm. Not just in one place - but in four.

That summer, I spent my days wearing the most gigantic cast you have ever seen. And hey - it was the 70's so of course, it wasn't light weight. It was clunky and hot.

I have relayed this story to both my children since they could walk. I thought I had drilled it in to their heads that swinging on their bellies is definitely a "no-no".

But last week when I was inside talking to my mom and my husband was out in the yard with the children, I suddenly heard a scream that shook me to my very core.

My husband was shouting and I could hear my daughter crying. I ran out in the backyard to see my husband carrying my daughter in his arms.

"She fell off the swing backwards!" he shouted.

"What!" I yelled back, "How is that possible?!"

"She was swinging on her belly and fell off - she landed on her face".

My heart was racing - I felt my mouth go dry. My first thought was - don't tell me she has broken anything.

As I took her from my husband, bleeding and crying, I stared at her body. Her arms worked, her legs worked and no broken teeth.

She had a mouthful of dirt, and a few scratches on her face, but on quick assessment, it appeared that was the extent of the damage.

So I got a cloth, had her spit out the dirt and gently wiped the scratches clean.

Although she ended up have a few scratches down the centre of her face that are now healing nicely, she came out of it relatively unscathed.

I later asked her why she swung on her belly when she knew mommy's own story as a little girl.

Her reply?

A shrug.

Even when we think we have made something clear, something off limits - I suppose the tempation is just too great.

We can lecture our children all we want about the dangers of things - but in the end, all we can do is pray they are listening and understand.

My daugher now understands that my own story isn't fictional, and that the belly swinging is dangerous - but I guess she had to experience it for herself to understand that.

I'm just relieved that history didn't repeat itself andt that she can enjoy her summer - cast free.