As a mom I am sure there are going to be many times when I feel like I have failed my children. It’s just reality. It is going to happen. Parenting is a learning process and no parent is perfect. This past week proved that to me with an incident that I will not be forgetting any time soon.
It all started first thing in the morning when Bella (2 years) decided she need a “bath & bubbles”. It has become a habit with her lately. When her diaper is removed first thing in the morning she starts squirming out of her clothes and demanding a “bath & bubbles”. This particular morning was no different. She stripped down to nothing and galloped off to the bathroom while I followed behind her. She danced around the tub while I put in the plug, regulated the water and added the bubbles. I left the room for a moment to locate a set of clean clothes for the little clean freak. When I returned I stopped in my tracks at the door of the bathroom. My two year old was standing in front of the sink stark naked, wild curls sticking up in every direction. She was bent over at the waist with her skinny bottom sticking out. Her head was thrown back in sheer pleasure as she methodically scratched her posterior with her older brothers orange toothbrush.
I couldn’t help myself. I stood in the bathroom door and laughed till I couldn’t breath. When she was finished and her hinder parts were sufficiently scratched she turned and saw me in the doorway. I snatched the toothbrush away and scolded her for bothering what did not belong to her. We proceeded with the bath and went on with our busy day. I never thought about the incident again until much later that evening. Too much later as a matter of fact. I never thought of it again until big brother was saying goodnight and marching up the stairs to his bed. I dropped everything and said “Levi, did you brush your teeth?”. He proudly said “I already did it Mom!”. I cringed and said “What color is your toothbrush?”. Much to my horror he replied “The orange one is mine.”. Apparently I had laid the toothbrush on the edge of the sink and never went back for it. Total. Mommy. Fail.
There was nothing left to do at that point but laugh again.
Luckily Levi dotes on his baby sister so he fell into a fit of giggles and ran to the bathroom to deposit the orange toothbrush in the garbage. He learned a valuable lesson that night. From now on he will be putting his toothbrush away in the cabinet where it belongs.
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