Kissing BooBoos

I remember when I was little thinking that those children around me that needed their booboos kissed on a regular basis were stupid. I couldn't understand how kissing booboos helped. A "booboo" (which I remember thinking that just the word was strange) either needed medicine or wasn't bad enough to whine about. Kissing it certainly was NOT going to help. And my mother never catered to the idea that she could kiss it and make it magically better. Instead, I remember countless lectures on the number of germs in a human mouth, hearing about how dogs and cats have cleaner mouths than people (I think that this was to discourage kissing, btw), and hearing how kissing a "booboo" would really only make it worse not better.

I also remember as I grew believing that I would NEVER kiss a booboo. The idea was preposterous. And then I had Kairi.



My daughter is a drama queen. There's no two ways about it. She will lightly tap her hand against the door and then cry as if it was broken. This being the same child that has given herself a knot on her forehead from dancing on the hearth, but not blinked. It all completely depends on how much attention she is already receiving. Recently (just over a month or so ago)someone told her that she had a booboo on her hand. I have no idea who, although I'm fairly certain it was someone at church, and I really don't care who it was that said it either. What I do care about, though is the OBSESSION with booboos. I already mentioned her noticing my "booboos" on my stomach. She also notices booboos on Brother, on Daddy, on toys, on dolls, on random strangers in Publix that have birthmarks on their face.... She notices them.


If the booboo happens to belong to her, though, she has a meltdown. Within moments tears are pouring, her chest is heaving with sobs, and she is shoving said booboo in my face. It could be the same booboo that she showed me 10 minutes ago, doesn't matter as long as it's a booboo, she's in a panic. The ONLY thing that calms this girl down is to hold whatever appendage has been hurt and then to kiss it. That calms the tears and sobs. Ask her if she's ok, and between sobs "Yes, I fine" will escape her lips. And she will hug you, and then walk away letting the sobs slowly die out on their own. You can prevent said meltdown if the very instant she notices the booboo, you grab her and kiss it and tell her it's all better, but if you're late in noticing, beware.



Today after preventing several meltdowns in a row (4 which concerned the same booboo), I got to thinking about the things I do differently now than I ever thought I would. I love kissing booboos and making them better. Even if I do think the entire time about the number of germs in my mouth (ThankyouverymuchMama). And there's other things I love to do that I never thought I would. I never thought I'd enjoy formula feeding, but I did with Kairi. And then after her I never thought I'd enjoy breastfeeding, but I loved it with Alex. I never thought I'd be passionate about the kinds of cleaners in my house, but I am and I really do enjoy finding new alternatives to keeping my house clean. I never thought I would enjoy sewing and crafts, but I do. I never thought I'd cosleep with a child, but I wouldn't have traded a single night I got to sleep with Alex for the world. I have so many "I never thoughts" that I'm proud that I at least allowed myself a chance to try them.

Especially because I will forever treasure this time when kissing booboos truly makes it all better.