These stories about lice,
. I told DH when I found out I was pregnant with my first that if our kids ever got lice, I'm staying in a hotel while he treats their hair and all of our belongings. In return, I clean the kids and their mess when they puke.
I have 2 parenting fails that come to mind, one for each kid. When DD was 3, she fell off the swing at her babysitter's (my aunt's) and hurt her arm. We were about to leave work anyway, so we drove the hour and a half to come get her. She apparently laid in my aunt's arms crying that whole time. I checked out her arm and saw a small cut, no swelling, and she was able to move it around, so I didn't figure it was that big of a deal, though it was weird for her to cry for so long. My brother (who lived with us at the time) called and asked if I could pick up his kids from their babysitter since he was working late. Since DD seemed okay, we agreed.
It took about 3.5 hours for us to drive to get them and come home. Meanwhile, DD just sat in her car seat, cradling her arm, and was really quiet (very unusual for her). When we got home, I saw her wince when I got her out of her seat. We took her inside and moved her arm around some more. She could move it okay and said it just hurt a little bit, but it was swollen and a little bruised.
We finally decided to take her to the ER an hour later and they did an x-ray. She didn't want to put her arm on the table, so I had to hold it there. Immediately after taking the first picture, the X-ray tech comes rushing out and pulls me to the side. She said her arm was badly fractured and not to touch her arm again. I almost broke down in tears, thinking I might have made it worse.
Then they had to take her by ambulance to a different hospital with pediatric staff to set it. DH rode in the ambulance with DD and I followed behind. I made sure they knew I had to follow and didn't know where I was going (pre-smart phone, no GPS, & new to the area). The ambulance driver starts driving like a maniac. No flashing lights, no siren, 20+ mph over the speed limit, running stop signs and red lights, almost getting into an accident TWICE when he turns left on a red light while cutting off a driver going straight. I'm freaking out, not wanting to break the law but needing to follow so I don't lose him in a bad area of town at 1 am, and worrying that his driving is going to jolt DD's broken arm and injure her worse.
We finally get to the hospital and I march inside, make sure DD is okay (she was being prepped in another room), and get right in the driver's face. I start screaming at him about how he should have his license taken away, that he needs to wipe that smug look off his face before I do it for him because he's supposed to be helping to save lives, not put them in danger, and he has no business driving like that without his lights and siren, and no need to drive like that anyway over a broken arm... I went on for a good 5 mins straight while he, a couple nurses, and DH are all standing there looking at me with jaws dropped. I ended my tirade with the threat that if he ever puts my family in danger again, he's going to need an ambulance once I get through with him. I then told him to get the h3!! outta my sight and pray he still has a job in the morning. He stumbled a quick, "I'm sorry" and hightailed it out of there.
Thankfully, the nurses seemed to understand and just led me without a word back to my DD, and didnt call security saying some crazy lady is threatening the ambulance driver. She ended up having two fractures in her arm, and the bone had broken through the skin (hence the cut), so she had to be watched closely on antibiotics all night after having her arm set, due to the infection risk.
Overall, in one day I 1) Failed to take my 3 yo to the hospital for 6 hours with a broken arm, 2) Moved her arm around several times when it was broken, likely causing her pain and maybe injuring it worse, 3) Broke numerous driving laws and could have gotten arrested or in an accident while DD was in the back of an ambulance, and 4) Could have gotten arrested for screaming at and threatening some 19 yo driver in a hospital while DD was being prepped for surgery. That was not my best day.
2nd story: I had to pick up DD from the bus stop around the corner from our house. I was sick, came out of the bathroom and left, completely forgetting about my 2 yo. I pulled back around to the house 5 mins later with DD, and my toddler was standing barefoot IN THE SNOW, in a t-shirt and shorts, by the road. He had managed to go out 4 doors and walk about 50 feet through the snow over to the road. He was fine after I warmed him up and thankfully didn't have frostbite, but I felt so terrible about it- still do.
