...because we all have our motley moments!


Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Nothing to fear...except sharks in the potty.

This weekend our son had his first experience with getting stitches. He slipped in the bathtub on Sunday morning, and he needed four sutures under his chin as a result. Thankfully we had a fairly empty emergency room and while we were there for about two and a half hours, it could have been much worse I'm sure.

The doctor and nurses were very sweet to him, and they "wrapped him up like a burrito" before they began the procedure. Our son actually climbed onto the table himself and let them do the wrapping without a single complaint. The doctor gave him the shot of pain killer around the cut, and he didn't even flinch. While the doctor sewed, our little guy talked to them about his favorite cartoon characters. My husband and I just stood there, shocked, and looked on.

Personally, I am a big baby. I ask for the small needle when I get blood drawn, and even then I hyperventilate a little before that first pin prick. I have to be sedated before dental procedures, and one of the best days of my life was when I discovered the flu "mist."

To recap, the little guy has no fear in the doctor's office. Honestly, he cried for about two minutes when the accident actually happened, so the whole event wasn't a big deal for him. Let's broaden the scope a little, though. Since we've moved into our new place, we've had a problem with spiders wanting to nest on the back porch. They worry me, and he thinks they're pretty cool. He isn't afraid to talk to strangers, and he will climb just about anything. We live on the edge of a heart attack every day, but the child could have a "No Fear" shirt made in his honor.

So, then, what baffles me is this: He is afraid of sharks. Not in the ocean, mind you, but in our new house. He says that we have sharks here. We don't even live close to a lake. He insists that the lights stay on as he sleeps at night because of them. The other day we were having a discussion about going to the potty, and visibly disturbed, he told me that he didn't want to go to the potty because he was afraid. There are sharks in the potty.

Hmmm--Is there a spray for that?

Have a great Tuesday, and best wishes to those of you sending your little ones to school this week!

6 comments:

Lindsay said...

Try pouring some kind of cleaner into the potty (like bleacher, even vinegar....they have a strong smell), and tell him that it's "shark repelent"...kind of like bug spray. See if that works.

Sage has no fears either. When she got the 8 stiches in her lip she didn't cry and they didn't even bother with the burrito wrap because she layed so still. But then again I don't have many fears myself........except for spiders. *yuck*

Pam said...

That is so funny. I don't know what to say about the sharks, but even Superman has kryptonite. I like Linday's idea.

Jody said...

When our oldest was little, she was afraid of monsters. So I took an empty spray bottle and filled it with water. I made a paper label that said, "Monster Spray" and taped it to the bottle. I gave it to her and told her what it was and that if she saw a monster to spray it. It worked. She was no longer afraid of monsters. You could do the same thing, but call it Shark Spray.

Karly said...

We had our first experience with "stitches" this weekend too. Our son fell and hit his face on a rock. He needed four stitches on his cheek just under his eye. Unlike your son, ours screamed bloody murder through the whole experience. My husband said it was the worst thing he had ever experienced. Of course, our little guy is fine now and thinks his stitches are super cool!

But your are so lucky that your little guy is so tough! And I think the shark spray sounds like a great idea. Do you think I could make a doctor spray for when we have to go back and get the stitches taken out? That should be really fun.

Rachel said...

Oh no Karly! I'm so sorry your little boy had such a rough time! Hope the stitch removal goes well--the nurses promised our son a popsicle at the end. Maybe that would help??

Love the shark spray and shark repellent ideas! (Especially the repellant--the sharks are gone and the potty gets clean at the same time. Bonus!)

Thanks for your comments today!

Donna said...

Good luck! I want to hear how the shark repellent goes over!