As a working parent, one of the things I dread most is when a call comes into my phone from my kid’s school nurse. In the seconds that it takes for me to read who the call is from and answer it, about 100 scenarios run through my head.
Which kid is it? Did either of them seem sick this morning? Are they OK? What sickness is going to rage through our family this time? How can I get out of my next meeting to go get them? With what is on my plate today, can I work from home?
With so many questions and always fearing and preparing for the worst, I was not only relieved but laughing out loud after the call from the nurse this week.
Between soft chuckles, the nurse informed me that Miss Reagan went to use the bathroom and did not notice that the seat was still up from when they were cleaned. The poor girl fell all the way in and needed a whole new outfit – underwear, pants and a shirt. And guys, I lost it.
I can’t make this stuff up. Who gets a call from the nurse that their child fell in the toilet? Ha! And how did she not notice that it was up? I mean, it’s not like it was the middle of the night, and she didn’t turn the light on. This was in the brightly lit school bathroom! In her defense, she hasn’t grown up in a house where seats are left up, so she has never had to worry about it. But, still! Oh, my Reagan.
Immediately, I breathed a sigh of relief that no one was sick, and I made arrangements for a new outfit to be dropped off to her at school. Not only was she healthy, but I also had help getting her fixed up so I didn’t need to miss work, and I had a smile on my face from the entire story.
But then I started thinking about my poor baby and how she handled the entire situation. Like, what would you do if you were 6 and just took a bath in the toilet at school and your clothes were drenched?
If it would have been my Maylie (thank goodness it wasn’t my Maylie), I am pretty sure she would have crawled in a hole and had a minor anxiety attack. Heck, I probably would have done the same. It would have definitely ruined my day.
But Reagan, this baby girl is unlike any child I have ever met. Sure, the soaking wet child shed a few tears as she explained what happened to her teacher (who I did not get the scoop on how she kept a straight face), but then she went down to the nurse and handled it.
She could have been embarrassed the entire rest of the day or let it steal away any of the joy that it had to offer. But not my Reagan. That sweet girl slipped on her new outfit, handed back the soiled sack of toilet water splashed clothes, gave hugs and smiles, and she made her way back to class unscathed.
Later that night, I asked her how her bath at school went that day. After looking at me completely confused (she had already forgotten about it), she let out a little smirk. Curious, I asked if her friends noticed that she had on different clothes. She said no. But she did explain to them what had happened and then just went on with her day.
And you guys, I never more wanted to be just like my child as I did in that second. She was literally sitting at the bottom of a toilet – talk about a crappy situation – and still did not let one part of that affect her at all. Unashamed, she told her friends, without a care in the world what they would think. Within hours, she had already put it out of her mind. She didn’t dwell on it at all.
And while this situation certainly gave a few grownups some friendly laughs, I must say she completely owned it without a care in the world. To say the least about my baby, her courage and self-confidence are admirable.
Now, let’s just hope that the next time she has to go potty at school when they finish cleaning the restrooms that she can remember to make sure that the toilet seat is down. I guess, if she doesn’t, at least she will know what to do if it happens again.
And if I have to get a call from the school nurse, I will gladly take that hilarious phone call versus a sick kiddo any day.
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