RoughCollie Posted March 2, 2008 Posted March 2, 2008 Tonight I decided to blow the dust out of my computer. I had it taken apart, and was applying compressed air to its innards. I sent the the boys upstairs to do some schoolwork. DH and DD were reading. All was quiet. Suddenly 2 boys show up in a panic because DS2 is hurt and screaming in pain. I can't hear DS2. I start yelling at DH to move it upstairs to find out what is going on, while I try to dislodge myself from the computer and stand up (I have arthritic knees, so that's not so easy). The boys had been having a pillow fight. DS2 hit DS1 very hard with a pillow, and was told to stop because it hurt. DS2 hit DS1 again. DS1 grabbed the nearest object -- a metal Bitty Baby Christmas bell toy -- and threw it at DS2. The bell hit DS2 in the mouth. It broke 4 teeth. One was a baby tooth, thank God. My poor baby had an emergency root canal on one tooth and got home from that at 1:15 a.m. He will need a crown on that tooth. He probably won't need root canals on the 2 bottom teeth, but they will have to be capped with crowns. Two new rules here: Never again may pillow fights take place in our home. Only 1 child at a time may be upstairs unless there is an adult present to supervise them. Dumb Mom Award Time: After all these years of living in this house, I had no idea that I could not hear what was going on in two of the kids' bedrooms, because of the acoustics here. I guess every time I heard a ruckus it must have been extremely loud, because I did not hear that pillow fight. I thought the boys were studying. If I had heard it, I would have put a stop to it and none of this would have happened. DS1 is extremely remorseful. He cried for over an hour, he felt so bad about hurting his brother. Plus he was worried how we would afford the dental bill because we don't have dental insurance. And he was worried that DSS would take all the kids away from us (he saw that happen on The Simpsons once). DS2 is remorseful too. He said it would not have happened if he had been studying like he was told to do. He said that DS1 told him to stop hitting him with the pillow (it was a hard pillow, not a bed pillow) and he didn't do it and he should have. I talked with each of them, separately, before the dentist finally called DH back and arranged an emergency appointment. How could I live here for 12 years and not realize I can't hear anything from those bedrooms when I am downstairs in the den? I feel so badly about all this. Naturally, DS2 is the one child who has had to go through so much pain with 7 surgeries in the past. Why, if it had to be one of them, did it have to be him? Of course, I wouldn't wish this on any of my kids. Quote
Kay in Cal Posted March 2, 2008 Posted March 2, 2008 Oh.... what a sad mom story! :( Even if you had been able to hear, you just never know what boys will get into. Give them hugs... it's so hard to see your children hurting. Take care of yourself too. Quote
Jean in Newcastle Posted March 2, 2008 Posted March 2, 2008 What a rough night! Those kinds of things escalate so quickly. I wouldn't say that you are a stupid mom, at all. Your boys sound old enough to know better and to have learned something from all of this. I'm sorry that your one son had to learn it through emergency dental surgery though. Can you put a baby monitor up there so you can hear better? Quote
Mrs. Readsalot Posted March 2, 2008 Posted March 2, 2008 I feel so sorry for you. Boys will be boys this could happen outside too. I would consider it an accident, although I think you new rules are fine. I always hate it when boys rough house. My dh says its part of growing up, I think it is stupid. Just another reason we come from different plants;) Quote
elegantlion Posted March 2, 2008 Posted March 2, 2008 Oh I am so sorry that happened. I broke my two front teeth out as a child by doing something stupid, my mother had allowed it. It took years before my mother shared the truth with my dad, he was so upset. Quote
Storm Bay Posted March 3, 2008 Posted March 3, 2008 Oh, what a sad, tough day! But, to quote my pediatrician, stop beating yourself up over it! (see, I must have at least one story if he's told me that!) Quote
RoughCollie Posted March 3, 2008 Author Posted March 3, 2008 Thank you all for your kind comments. A friend of mine who had all boys, including a set of twins, told me some war stories. Her boys would wrestle with each other and come to blows. She had a string of broken arms, a broken leg, sprained wrists, knocked out teeth, to tell me about. Her point was that her sons were much worse than mine! Now her sons are grown and have great jobs and families of their own and they are responsible, mature husbands, fathers, and employees. I still feel badly, though. I am horrified that this happened to my son. I'm trying to keep it in perspective -- much worse things happen to people's children than this. Last night, I was ready to throw myself on my sword, so to speak, and reading these posts from you all really helped. The vicious bell-thrower has been reading aloud for an hour or more at a time to DS2 -- from The Bill James Handbook, which is possibly the most boring book I have ever overheard. He is so remorseful that he will do anything his brother wants him to, for the first time in his life. He's feeling better too, as evidence by the "I (heart) DS2" he wrote on the white board. The "heart" is jagged at the bottom and looks like a tooth, so he is getting his sense of humor back. Meanwhile, DS2 is relieved he isn't in horrible pain any longer and is back to eating us out of house and home (soft foods only -- which is harder to come up with than I would have thought since none of it can be cold or hot). Thank you, RC Quote
8filltheheart Posted March 3, 2008 Posted March 3, 2008 We have had lots of "tooth" trauma over the yrs. One time my 4 yr was inside a sleeping bag and his older sister walked by and yanked it really hard. Well, he was biting it at the time and she ripped a tooth right out of his mouth. 2 yrs ago when are then 2 yod was 12 days old, we decided to take the "new" big sister (than 3) for a walk for some mommy and daddy time. She was so happy that she started to skip and fell landing right on her mouth and knocked 2 of her front teeth way back in her mouth and they were lodged tight. That was a nightmare night. Today we were pulling into Panera to get bagels after Mass and the same dd unbuckled before we parked. A car backed right out in front of us and I slammed on the brakes. She flew forward and hit our 2 yod's car seat and knocked a incisor all the way out. It's all part and parcel......kids get hurt. Don't feel guilty. Quote
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.