It was a Saturday with so many appointments, that we resorted to “split parenting”. I had just finished a parent-wet swimming lesson with my 2 year old, MissZ, and we were meeting the boys at a friend’s house.
MissZ had the dubious advantage of being old enough to understand when I recently returned to full time work. Dropping her off at childcare has been traumatic for both of us recently. Let’s just say she is closer to her Dad at the moment.
So we were driving and rehashing the swimming lesson (My job, apparently, is to catch her when she jumps in, and tell her she is amazing). We came over a hill, and saw a car in a roadside paddock, and an unsteady man being helped to the side of the road. This has never happened to me before. Not only had I come across an accident before emergency services arrived, but I actually remembered I was a doctor!
So I pulled over, and asked MissZ to wait for me. I explained that there was a man who was sick and I needed to help him feel better.
“Because you’re a doctor and you will make him feel better. That’s ok. I’ll wait here, Mummy.”
My heart melted for my big girl.
I hopped out and picked through the mud to help the guy, who was badly shaken, but not injured. During the process of waiting for the ambulance and police to arrive, we organized a waterproof horse blanket for the bloke to lie on (this was horse-country). Every five minutes I went back to the car to check on MissZ.
She was completely calm. I had stopped the car above the accident, and she had a clear view from her car seat. Each time I went to check on her, she described what was happening, and asked questions about “The man.”
Although kids make medicine more difficult, and doctoring makes parenting more difficult, I hit the big time that weekend. Everyone at the party heard about her Doctor Mummy, who helped the man. Through the next week, I also got lots of cuddles. Unfortunately, the experience didn’t reach the giddy heights of appreciation of “Poppy milking the cow to feed to the calf”. But for a few days, I was “Mummy the doctor who makes people feel better”. And I couldn’t be that Mummy without accepting compromise.
Photo credit: Stupid.fotos
That has to be the cutest darn story I have heard all week!! How sweet that she got to see her “doctor mummy” in action helping “the man”!! That’s sooo adorable! And how responsible of her being big enough to realize that you needed to help that guy! So cute!
@Mary: I agree. One of the cutest things I have been involved in with medicine.
That is just precious! How awesome for both of you to experience that together!
How neat that you’ve got it recorded to read to her when she’s older and wants to know what she thought of when she was this age.
:o)
@Peggikaye: You know, I never thought of that benefit of blogging. Betcha she won’t want to read “Mummy’s Silly blog” for a while, though.
Great story! I’m glad your Ms Z handled it all so well (and that “the man” was okay).
Thats awesome. Glad it turned out so well for all parties!!