I Can't

Continuing with the parental desperation theme I've got going...

We thought Emily might have broken her foot on Monday. It was swollen, she couldn't walk on it, and to top it off, she's supposed to go to camp tomorrow. A trip to the urgent care center later, we find out that it's not broken, that she is in fact, just a big weenie.

Is that any way to talk about a 6-year-old? Maybe not, but for the first time I've found myself really and truly disappointed in her. Not for hurting her foot, hey it happens. And not for going to the ER, better safe than sorry. But because of her refusal the last three days to even try to walk on it.

Attempts at walking quickly unravel into tears and frustrated parents. With her screaming "Nooooooo, I can't do it!" when she hadn't even tried, hell she never even put weight on it.

Now I'm not against resting an injury, or taking it easy and letting yourself heal. I am very much against setting yourself up for failure and saying "I can't". Is it wrong that it bothers me even more that she's a girl saying that?

I spent all of Wednesday ignoring her because I was furious about the whole thing. Which, I think actually worked, she finally started to hobble along. Not the best parenting moment, but still...

God, and I see parents fussing about schedules, naps, and whether the baby food is organic. Come on. This baby thing is a walk in the park compared to what lies ahead. I just hope she can make it to 18 without too much damage.

PS: That picture is actually from a year ago... but it gives quite a good image eh? And that particular fit was about shoes if I recall...