Time for a Change

Whenever I pick-up Jackson from nursery and have to sign a 'bumped head letter' showing that I understand that my child hurt his head or has a bruise on his face somewhere and that I will monitor the situation at home, I am a bit upset about it, but try to be reasonable in my expectations that these things happen.

I was much less understanding when Jackson was bitten three times and had a long-lasting mark from one of the children in his class.  (The teachers don't reveal the names of the biters; I guess this is to prevent parents from holding grudges against flesh-hungry toddlers and their parents.)  But still, after talking to other moms, I tried to relax about the bites because these things happen.

Well, after I picked-up Jackson on Thursday with a swollen and bruised face and drove him to the emergency room (A&E) to find out that he had a broken nose, I think I am done with the these things happen motto.  Maybe they do, but I am tired of them happening to my son.

The poor thing still has a swollen nose and he is bruised all across the middle of his face.  Unfortunately, there wasn't anything that the hospital could do except to tell me to come back in five days if it gets any worse.  Initially, I was told that he was carrying a toy and fell on it face-first.  But, I asked that the video be reviewed to check that was what happened and he actually broke his nose by falling onto the edge of a table.  (I will have to make special arrangements to view the video on my own so I haven't actually seen it, but that's another story.)

I need to know that Jackson will be 100% happy and safe while I am at work and I think a broken nose is the breaking point for me.  And although I begrudgingly dropped him off on Friday at nursery because I didn't know where else to take him, I will be looking for a new place for him to go (possibly one with smaller class sizes) this week.

So, it's a tough decision because we are really happy with Jackson's progress since he started nursery in September, but time and time again, we have not been happy with the amount of accidents and especially the cracks to the head he has had on tables, bookcases, and protruding skirting boards.  I know that Jackson has a few friends at nursery, but I am confident that he will make new ones.  I also know that I will be disrupting his routine, but I think this is the right thing to do.  How could I explain myself to Jackson when he's older that he broke his nose and I did nothing about it, but rather just sent him back into the same environment where he continuously gets 'bumps to the head'?  I also asked myself that if this was happening at a babysitter's (childminder's) house, then would I make as many excuses as I do since it is at a company attached to a school?  No, I probably wouldn't.  After weighing out the pros and cons, I think it is time for a change for Jackson's well-being.



Developmental updates:  Jackson turned 21-months-old on Tuesday this week.  He loves to play with his cars and trains.  We got him a new Fisher Price parking garage and he spends a lot of time pushing lines of cars down the ramp.  Jackson has learned the word 'hide' and likes to find good spots to hide so that he can say 'boo'!  He has started copying the expression and intonation of words that we say--such as different ways we say 'hello' and when our voices go up in pitch when asking questions.  Jackson's new pronunciation for mommy is 'mimi.'  He says 'daddy' very clearly, so we're not too sure where Mimi came from but we like it nonetheless.

If you see Sammie Miles Davis, Jr. and Bella, give them my love.