I was glad to see at last this epidemic make the newspaper of record, after years of enduring eye pokes, hair pulls, and countless kicks in the crotch (a particular hazard of the family bed). I’ve always known, though, that I wasn’t alone.
Although much attention is paid to the safety of infants and toddlers, their sudden jabs, bites, head-butts and kicks can inflict injuries on caregivers, usually parents. After her 2-year-old daughter “clocked” her under the eye, leaving a significant shiner, Alaina Webster, 31, coined a term on her blog to describe this common problem: “unintentional parent abuse.”
Alas, there’s little to be done to remedy this accursed problem (except avoid children, not always a bad thing). I’m currently nursing a sliced-open finger that occurred while I was trying to protect a child who was, in his defense, only trying to get some love from me while I was using an exceptionally sharp knife to open letters. All things considered, I guess I’d rather have the love than my finger tip, but it sure hurt like hell. Some offer a fair rationalization:
“Being a good parent,” Dr. Hoffman said, “is taking one for the team.”