Admit your 'Duh' moments so us other parents can relate
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About a year ago, I felt like the stupidest parent (and person) ever when my friend mention she had to get a new toothbrush for her daughter who just got over a cold.
“Ooooh yeah,” I said uncomfortably. “Yeah. I HATE when I have to do that.”
(Thinking to myself, I’VE NEVER DONE THAT!)
DUH! Change the kids’ toothbrushes after they’re sick to avoid a repeat occurrence of the illness.
I felt dumb. Really dumb. So dumb that I didn’t tell anyone (and I bought us all new toothbrushes).
A few weeks ago I found a draft of a blog post about this—about how dumb I felt. I never posted it because, well, I was just too embarrassed. There have been other moments of “Duh” that I happily put out there to you, on Facebook, in conversations, etc., but this one was the worst--the most embarrassing.
All my talk of how often Lincoln was getting sick was coming back to me. Could it have been my fault because I didn’t change his toothbrush after each cold (and, as a result, given all those nice employees at Oral-B a big fat bonus)?! I just told myself that I was the ONLY parent in history who didn’t know to do this. You stupid head!
Monday, I finally let myself off the hook as I heard a woman admit to her coworkers that she “never even thought to do that.” She never thought about it—her kids are three and five I later found out.
I’m not alone! I’m not alone in my stupidity! Who was this? Who was my soul sista? Who?!
It was a doctor---and, not just any doctor. She’s a chief of a University of Pittsburgh medical center, a director of four departments, and an author, lecturer, and teacher of all things in her field. Most of the write ups I found call her a “pioneer” and a “trusted surgeon.”
To me this all means she’s just about the smartest person alive.
She didn’t know the toothbrush thing either. I’m redeemed!
What have been some of your “Duh” moments as a parent? Come on, admit them (and then you others admit you have the same ones).
Erin Hill is a first-time mom to Lincoln, who was born in January 2010. She's learning as she goes and is experiencing everything a new mom goes through while seeing the humor, irony, and enjoyment in her adventures.
Erin is a full-time technical writer and features freelance writer in her "spare time." She lives in Plum with Lincoln, her husband, Adam, their dog, Roxie, and five (yes, five) cats, Nirvana, Gary Roberts, Elvis, Talbot and Forrest.