The Moment You Wait For As A Mother

The other night my son and I were wrestling on my bed. I was trying to tire him out for his evening slumber. (You say, splendid idea, Jen, why don't you try a book and some mood lighting next time?) It was a giant tickle fest, which, unfortunately for me, he is getting pretty good at. At one point, he got a little too carried away with the tickling and rolling around, as he sometimes does, and rolled over on my arm and bit me.

I pushed his head away and yelled no....and the wrestling ended.

I said, "You know you shouldn't bite Mommy! That hurts Mommy!"

And Ian started to cry. In the past the crying was usually because the game has ended and he wants it to continue, but this time it was different. He looked at me with very sad eyes.

And he said, "Mommy have owie?"

I said, "Yes"

And he started to stroke my cheek like I do to him when he is hurt, and he said, "Mommy OK?"

And I told him that I was OK. And that was the first time that I had ever witnessed empathy in my son. It almost made being bitten OK. You realize you are doing things every day to make your child a little person...that this little guy is impressionable. That is pretty amazing.