Getting Real with Kira Hazledine
Kids are expensive. I knew that before I decided to jump on this parenting ship. I just had no idea how everything I owned would be in jeopardy. Dogs I would expect it from, but children? Nah, you just have to really keep your eye on your kids! Supervision is enough.
*Flashback to how naïve I was before I was a parent.*
I like to think I’m pretty good at supervising my child. She’s still alive. Hasn’t broken any bones yet. At the same time, I can turn my head for ten seconds and she can go from fully dressed to completely naked. How is that even possible? The child takes a full minute to take off one sock sometimes. I don’t understand.
So things are bound to get broken ruined.
Like the humidifier, which I blame partially on my husband. It has a nice crack in it because they both thought bouncing a large red ball in the house was a fantastic idea. Supervision was literally in the room, and something that I paid hard-earned money for was broken. It still works, for now, so I’m being a bit dramatic. But still, I was irritated.
My daughter also has a tendency to ruin outfits, which is why we make most purchases from the thrift store. I was standing right next to this miniature Picasso as she managed to paint herself from head to toe. Hours later she is still a bit stained from paint because I gave up, and she went home in just her skirt and shoes. The diaper bag had everything except a spare shirt, of course, so that is how we walked home today. With a ruined shirt in the diaper bag and several more in her drawer at home just like it.
Do you know what’s really expensive that’s also now broken? My phone.
Phones cost more than laptops, which is just ridiculous. It’s like they know most of us are parents and are bound to have a phone smashed one way or another. In retrospect, I should have put my phone down rather than try to tackle and dress a flailing child. It was in the moment and I was trying to be the responsible parent. It only took one toddler swing to bump my arm and send my phone flying into the air and crashing down on the slate floor.
I am proud of myself for not trying to catch this expensive item while wrangling my toddler. Solid parenting choice. But I really should have put the phone down, and invested in a sturdier case.
Yet, here we are.
So now I have a shattered screen being held together by what is clearly a flimsy case and some tape. I’m waiting impatiently for a replacement to arrive, and every time I try to use my phone I’m reminded of a poor parenting choice along with a parenting reality.
This is why we can’t have nice things.
My phone is not the last expensive item that my child will break, I’m sure of it. I’m also sure that my husband will continue to be a part of other adventures that break other household items. The only thing I can do is hold on dearly to my sanity, because in a house with children, nothing is safe.
