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Not a good idea
By hissychick | April 3, 2008
My mother’s group have been rather slack of late when it comes to organising our usual weekly get together for many and varied reasons which I won’t bore you with. Which is how I found myself at a softplay centre this morning. Just A, E and me.
Ahh playcentres. Silly me just thought I merely had to endure a 25 minute drive followed by the forking out of an almost unreasonable amount cash for entry and dubious quality food so that my girls could enjoy what is in essence a great big softly padded germ factory.
I’d forgotten about the accident factor as well.
Twin mums (yes I am looking straight at you Simone ) have my utmost respect. Within ten minutes of arrival I had had to call upon the benevolent assistance of strangers to mind E as I extricated A from dizzying heights as she attempted and then baulked at various parts of the play equipment, despite my various exhortations to keep to the area within view of the ball pit which E was excitedly exploring.
And then it happened. Look mummy! A proudly cried, and I looked up a split second before she came tumbling down a large metal slide of death. And then the screaming began. Parents of multiples/more than one child will understand it when I say just how heartbreaking it is to not be able to react immediately to your child’s distress, as I had to place E safely with yet another kind stranger and go and assess A’s injuries.
My poor baby. I could see a bloodied friction burn above one of her eyes and a massive bruise blooming on her cheek. I held her tight as she howled,unable to move as her whole body was quaking in shock. I tried to ignore the eyes of everyone around us (I could almost hear the “What was that child doing unsupervised, tsk tsk” coming from the very Mums who until then had been ignoring their own kids over lattes with their friends, secure in the knowledge that one of their group was on watch) as I murmured soothing words of comfort and checked for signs of concussion and other injury. Thankfully there were none.
I decided to sit A and E down and give them their lunch and assess what to do from there. After a hasty call to mr hissychick-who calmly reminded me that this would be the first of many preschooler scrapes and that A would still be upset if the injuries were more serious- A had a sandwich and a drink as I explained some new ground rules, ie while Mummy finished giving E her lunch that A was restricted to the jumping castle, 0-3 play area and the ball pit. After carefully repeating what I had said she was off.
And then she disappeared again. Figuring that lunch was done I quickly scooped E up and headed to the contraband area, calling for A as she was nowhere in sight.
And then I heard the howls of terror from the top of the tallest slide, this time an enclosed one, and the soothing words of yet another kind mother encouraging A to go down to the bottom. Because she had no choice, she was already at the first bend.
Once A had reached the bottom, scream of fear notwithstanding I thanked said Mum, and sweating profusely with directed A to the jumping castle. I know I should have left immediately, but truth be told I felt the all too familiar palpitation and shallow breath beginnings of an anxiety attack and knew that I had to calm myself down too.
Thankfully we were then able to enjoy the next half hour together on the bouncing castle and in the baby area as the place was now deserted in the rush to take little ones home for their naps. I watched on proudly as E learned how to crawl up stairs (we don’t have any at home) and cruise the wall of the ball pit with consummate ease. A amazed me too with her jumping ability. I think we may have a future long jumper on our hands.
Once the adrenaline had subsided it was time to go. Following a toilet pit stop, in which A nearly gave me my seventeenth heart attack for the day by climbing onto the front of E’s stroller while I was performing my own ablutions (something she never does, and proving that said stroller could apparently take almost double its weight limit) we were on our way.
I have never been so glad to reach the four walls of home, and I don’t think I’ll be undertaking solo trips with the girls to any of the places you take for granted with one child anytime soon.
After all of that, upon arrival at home A declared that she had a very, very good time today Mummy, can we go next Thursday too (I don’t think so sweetheart) and promptly crashed out on the living room floor during Playschool. Yes, the same daughter who hasn’t taken a nap at home since her sister arrived on the scene.
So here I sit, cup of tea in hand while both of my children rest. An unheard of pleasure chez hissychick So why can’t I get rid of the massive tension headache that has engulfed my head and neck, leaving my shoulders up around my earlobes?
Why are there hot angry tears falling down my cheeks?
Topics: Hello fiend, hi ho A is on the go, shitscared |
Oh…I thought the resting girls would have given you a welcomed break! But I guess the shock of it all to mummy only can come when the girls are all alright and back home!
Poor mummy….but yeah, reckon what hubby says is also true. Sometimes the horror stories I hear from other mums makes me wonder how I am gong to prepare myself when my son is on his escapades!
No harm done….don’t worry!
Ann’s last blog post..Disgusting? Perhaps. But necessary. Sometimes.
Posted by: Ann on April 3rd, 2008 at 10:46 pmNo need to respect me as I haven’t taken my two out of the pram ever when I am by myself. I want to take them to a playcentre but I fear or the safety of others!
Posted by: Simone on April 4th, 2008 at 4:30 amOh, poor Mommy. I know how that is. *HUG*
I have never taken my boys to those playcenters but once. And that was because the playgroup moms had to sit and plan the lesson for the new term and Grandma helped watch Max. Micah had his accident too, and so never again. I’d rather they be at the park or our usual Science Center where there is less crowd and no scary slides.
Maybe when the boys are like 5 and 7….
Moomykin’s last blog post..She is More Romantic than He
Posted by: Moomykin on April 10th, 2008 at 2:06 am