It’s true – wee boys do seem to have more energy and less sense. Or maybe this is only true with my kids? With Elliot, we had the baby gates up for approximately a week. She was so physically cautious, she had the good sense to not do a kamikaze, head-first dive off a flight of stairs. She never pulled safety plugs out of outlets and laughed at her sheer genius. Not so with her brother.
I’m in trouble, people. I’ve never seen a little person so intent on electrocuting himself. (And yes, those sliding outlets have been installed, but we do occasionally leave our child-friendly home.) Or on getting a shiny new bruise to convince every stranger who sees him that I’m beating him silly. Which brings me to the point at hand. Arlo has the first of what is sure to be many bruises on his face. It’s on his forehead, and thank gawd, barely noticeable. The funny thing about this bruise is how it came into being. It was one of the strangest injuries I’ve ever witnessed. And it pointed out to me that Arlo was kicking up his masochism a notch. It made me realize I must child-proof to a truly obscene level, because he is intent on hurting himself in the oddest of ways. But I’m not going to tell you how it happened. You must guess. And if anyone does guess (which would be weird in itself – I don’t think I need to mention that anyone who knows the story is disqualified – mom), I’ll send you something shiny. Like a real Canadian quarter! Seriously, if you get all of the details exactly right I’ll send something good.
But you won’t guess, so I’m putting very little effort into thinking of a real prize. Please guess anyway – if only to entertain me. Or failing that, give me your oddest kid injury story. Maybe I’m wrong and Arlo’s injury is commonplace. Like I said, I’m new at this whole boy thing.
I really hope this one is a girl. I don’t know what to do with a diaper with a penis in it.
Oh man, my son was so bruised and battered from the time he got mobile to about 2 years old. I take that back, he recently fell from a 5 foot play structure and busted his lip badly. That incident taught him a little more caution, but when we’re out and about I’m a broken record, “Be careful” “Watch out” “Stop walking backwards.” I will guess that Arlo bumped his head on a rocking chair rocker because our rocking chair had to be removed from the house for months after Henry got two black eyes from falling face first onto the rocker.
Was he playing Guitar Hero and banged his head on the coffee table during the crowd surfing piece?
Welcome to the world of boys!
Bruises? Hello, this is the mom whose 1 year old purposely banged his head so hard he gave himself a green and purple goose egg on his forehead. Repeatedly! Payton would start banging on the carpet, then get pissed that it wasn’t hard enough and crawled to the kitchen to proceed with his banging!
How crazy is that?
Boys are Cuh-Razy!
I’m going to say he got this bruise by attempting to pull a chair over to the counter so he could climb up.
He bruised himself trying to go in for a kiss from his sister?? He seems like a lovable character.
(my second is also a terror – he comes up with bruises that we have NO idea how he got).
He discovered his thang in the bath, and whacked his head on the edge of the bath while checking it out. If it hasn’t yet happened to Arlo…it just might. Speaking from experience.
A little boy I babysat many moons ago was playing on a baseball field–he was 2 or 3 at the time. He threw a brick at the backstop (after being warned not to do so), which bounced off the net and hit him in the head, knocking him out. No permanent damage, except perhaps to his pride.
I’m sooooo glad I had girls!
Adam too…he is a walking scar.
I remember the house being barricaded with baby gates and chairs laid down to block his path…we did not have to do that with Caity.
He still manages to smash into ANYTHING on a regular basis…stubbed toes, mashed up fingers..you name it.
The scar on his head…HUGE is from him standing up quickly under a railing while enjoying a view!
Running into walls? Corners? Standing up too fast while under the dining room table?
All I know is that I’m happy to have girls who like to play house and tea party. Just wait till they’re 15…I’ll be eating my words
L. always runs into things, too–he STILL does, even at 7!
I’m going to guess he was bending over to look at something on the floor and smacked his head on the ground.
When my boy was 2 he took a dive off the bottom step and did a face plant on the hardwood floor. He had a knot the size of a plum right in the middle of his forehead. After a while all the blood drained out of it and down his face so for a week or so he had a purple nose and two black eyes. I was certain that someone was going to call CPS on us. It must be something about boys because my Elle girl has never hurt herself in any big, grand way.
Is it crib related? Like, maybe he slept with his face against the slats?
I’m so NOT looking forward to this reality. My daughter is so cautious and has never hurt herself. And I know my son will be the polar opposite. Thanks for reminding me to enjoy this time before he can anything physical beyond rolling over.
Pulled a plug out of the wall and bashed it into his forehead?
One boy was a daredevil, one was not. Before, 2 more bruises and cuts than I care to remember. At 2, he jumped off the bed, ER trip, no major injuries. Between 2 and 10, too many to mention. At 10, the boy tried to ride his bicycle up a tree. Just a hint, it didn’t work and he ended up with 10 stitches in his lip. At 12, he drove a 4 wheeler into a parked truck, leg brace for 3 weeks. At 13, same 4 wheeler, this time through a chain link fence, lots of cuts. At 16, flipped a 4×4 over going around a curve, got out, stepped on the exhaust pipe, trip to the ER, Massive burn on the bottom of his foot. He is one large piece of scar tissue! Good luck with your daredevil!!!
After climbing up on a chair he reached some wooden spoons on the counter and bashed himself in the head.
Poor lamb.
Hmm… My husband once just about knocked himself out with a baseball bat. Apparently he swung so hard the bat just kept going, right into the side of his head. Was it a bat related incident?
It couldn’t possibly be that he has manage to launch himself out of the one crib that looks like it is harder to escape from than Alcatraz, and can’t stick the landing…no wait that was my boy.
Could it be that he spider-man climbs out of his playpen…no wait, mine again…
Did he prop himself up on the baseboard heater, climb up on the window sill, only to fall out the window onto the deck…oh crap, mine again….
Oh, oh, I know, he climbed up a bar stool, onto the counter so that he could reach his sisters just finished gingerbread house on the high shelf…well the fall doesn’t hurt nearly so bad when you have the roof off of said house!
My son has had bruises in odd places that I can’t explain. Who knows what they do in the height of play-frenzy?
Sweet Pea has bonked himself in the head with his toys in the sandbox, flinging them around. Coordination is not his stong point.
Is it a hickey or a bruise? I ask because both my hub and I had hickey “injuries” as children…He got a suction arrow (arrow with suction cup on it…) stuck to his forehead and I sucked the air out of a cup and if left a BIG hickey on my chin. The chin hickey lasted at least a week. Maybe two. I was 10…and horrified. I vote for Arlo playing with something suction-y. (unless it’s really a bruise). =)
Ohhh little boys. They are a danger to themselves and anyone else trying to protect them from injury! Have you seen ‘Mommy Dearest’? Maybe you should try tying him to stuff so he can’t get into trouble?
I am going to say he got the bruise while using Elliots Barbie Car (assuming she has one) as a skateboard and riding it down the stair rail.
You may laugh but turn your back for a second and realize it is entirely possible.
My daughter is a walking punching bag, so it’s not just boys. She can manage to get a bruise worthy of a call to Child Protective Services while walking across a padded room.
I’m going to guess that he was yanking on part of a toy and it flew loose, thereby causing him to smack himself in the head. Alexis does that one at least monthly. Good times, I tell ya’.
I don’t know the story. So…
Elliot tried to help him to walk, he pushed her away, tried to walk on his own, fell up the stairs. Yes, up the stairs.
My little brother was a force to be reckoned with as a child. He broke each of his legs once before he turned two doing weird boy-child tricks. I’m not even kidding. I can’t wait until one day when I have a boychild and watch him roll around in the dirt just for fun.
When my cousin was about 5 or 6 he would jump off the roof of the porch. But only if he was wearing his Superman cape. Was it super hero related?
( said cousin is about 6 years older than me and has outgrown this phase)
I contemplated putting helmets on my boys when they were little.
The were so very different than their sweet little girl cousins…
Three boys here. And the baby?? The daredevil.
Did he decide he wanted a cookie so he dragged the big kitchen chair over to the counter so he climb up and get into the cabinet and then hit his head on the knob?
My child used to be standing up on the counter if I turned my back for a second. When I would ask what he was doing he’d be all (at two mind you) “Um, getting a cup.”
Like duh mom.
We’re in trouble…
I know- maybe his mom was drinking a glass of red wine and she had left it on top of a magazine on a coffee table. And just maybe wee Arlo reached up and pulled on the magazine, thereby causing the glass of wine to fall on his forehead and break. If that was the case, you must have thought the spilled red wine was blood and freaked out! I know; I’m cheating. I saw it happen. I’m just glad it’s a small bruise and that he didn’t cut himself.
Oh, mother. You are sneaky. Using your real name in the comment. You did cheat – but you used a semi-colon in your comment and that made me so giddy that all is forgiven. You do know how to please the nerd in me.
I dunno.
But boys don’t have a lock on danger. When my sister was little, she plugged an old phone into an electrical socket. The phone squawked and fried. She wasn’t hurt, but no one ever forgot it. I think that was before anyone had invented outlet covers.
It’s a sad, sad day when a glass of red wine causes an injury. Just don’t let it stop you from drinking, for Crying out Loud!
Give him a little kiss on his boo boo for me.
I can’t even guess, since the possibilities are endless. But I can’t wait to hear the answer!
Banging his head on the floor when he gets angry or frustrated?
Not that I’d, like, know from personal experience or anything.
This particular injury hasn’t happened at our house, but it has been possible, many, many times.
Matilda’s best friend was a total klutz when she was little, always had a bruise or a black eye or something, and her mom and I used to joke that people would think she was getting beat up at home. We joked about it so often that one day, in front of lots of strangers at the bank, someone asked her what happened, and she said (thinking it was hilarious) “Papa hit me.” She was with Matilda and I. I was horrified and whisked her out of there as fast as I could. Then we laughed about it later, you know, when it was clear that DSS wasn’t going to coming knocking on the door.
Yes Andi I know the answer but will not spell the beans. If I call you do I still get the prize and NO it was not mom that told me. Now it is your turn to guess. HA
Remember Arlo has an uncle that was VERRRRY active. Hope it is not in the gens or you will need help and a few pills along the way. He is just a very curious boy and will keep you young and on your toes, or as in my case, tired and dragging my a–.
I used to give his father a few pots and a spoon, put him in the middle of the living room floor and an hour later he was still there. Now write stories about that exciting time, but at least I knew where he was. Sorry J. a family secret revealed, Arlo’s father used to be a pot smacker.
Andi, I always said you will not get two alike. Elliot was the calm before the storm. J was my calm before the storm. I only wish I had kept a journal with my three. Keep up the stories. LOVE YOU ALL
[...] case you missed it (my mom couldn’t contain herself and blabbed in the comments), here is the story of [...]
When my son was about 3, he ran full-force into a door frame. The bruise/gooseegg went from his hairline to his eyebrow line, and caused me to get the most incredulous looks from strangers.
And of course, that’s just one of many!