Friday, September 23, 2011

Man-handling

As a Pediatric intensive care physician, I have learned a few skills that serve me well as a mother.  For example, when children come in and need IV's or lab draws, they often attempt to resist and require some physical restraint.  Because of this, I have become a very skilled "man-handler."  I am able to completely immobilize my child's arm while clipping their fingernails or restrain their head while brushing their teeth.
Last winter, my daughter went through a phase where she hated wearing tights.  This unwarranted disdain for tights caused strife in our house every Sunday morning.  I knew that any good mother would not let their toddler run around with a dress and bare legs in the middle of winter.  My husband never seemed to understand (a) why I cared so much about making her wear tights or (b) how I got them on her in the first place.  He walked upstairs one Sunday morning to find me straddling my daughter (she was lying on her back) with my back to her head and immobilizing her legs with my body while I pulled on her tights.  She was screaming.  He shook his head.
Mom of the year ...

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