Mummy fail #526

For the fifth time in his life Alby fell off the bed this evening.  Whilst previous incidents were largely due to an innocent babe accidentally rolling off the bed, this evening was the result of an over active monkey losing balance whilst jumping and dancing.  It was one of those classic moments, as all bed falling moments have admittedly been, where Mama turning my back for a split second is followed by the heart breaking cry. 

There is a bit in “We need to talk about Kevin” where the mother has a little rant on behalf of all mothers everywhere who have been the victim of media abuse following a horrific incident caused by them turning their backs for a second.  The narrator talks about how these mothers may well have been at their child’s side every second of the day, a committed, loving parent and yet one second lapse in concentration or misjudgement in their child’s ability and they are condemned forever more. This paragraph stuck with me more than any other in the novel.  

Today’s incident left Alby with no markings other than a few tear tracks down his cheeks but every time he falls, trips or bumps himself my heart still skips a beat.  I know that I can’t protect him from everything and I know that even if I could I shouldn’t – half the fun is in learning for yourself, but that doesn’t stop a cold shiver from running down my back.