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Warning: Showing Off May Cause Injury!
Julie Cole is the co-founding VP of Mabel’s Labels, the leading provider of labels for the stuff kids lose!
Like her on Facebook - Mabel's Labels or follow on Twitter @juliecole and @mabelhood
I’m all about dads playing hard with the kiddos, but around here I’ve noticed that “playing with” the kids has a tendency to transform into “showing off” for the kids.
Unfortunately, when the showing off starts, the risk of Daddy-o injuries increases. That famous quote from Top Gun often comes to mind: “Your ego is writing cheques your body can’t cash.”
I must admit that when such adult injuries happen, I’m not exactly sympathetic.
One particular incident occurred a few years ago. Daddy-o had the kids outside to demonstrate some bike tricks. Before long, he entered the house, bracing his arm and saying I had better drive him down to the hospital. I quickly determined that the arm injury was the result of falling off his bike - the bike that he was standing on… while riding down a hill.
I suggested that rather than have me pack up all six children for some quality time in the ER, he use his good arm to get himself to the hospital. My compassionate nature does not always shine when our family experiences a showing-off induced injury.
I know other families have suffered such mishaps as well. I recently ran into an old high school friend shopping with his family. When we were kids in the same neighborhood, this guy lived on his skateboard - riding it everywhere and doing impressive tricks with all his boarding buddies.
As we stood chatting in the shop, I noticed his arm was in a brace. When asked about his injury, he told a tale involving breaks in several locations, hospitals, surgeries, pins and rehabilitation.
Curious, I asked about the cause of the injury. His wife sighed and rolled her eyes. Yep, you guessed it - he’d dusted off the skateboard to show the kids a few of his old tricks.
Other injuries we’ve encountered have come from lifting heavy items, and an unforgettable one involved wood chopping and an axe.
How about you? Has the show-off injury phenomenon made its way into your home? Who do you take to the ER more often - your kids or your spouse?
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About the Author
Julie is the mother of six and a co-founding VP of Mabel’s Labels, the leading provider of labels for the stuff kids lose!®. After her son was diagnosed with autism, she shelved a legal career to monitor his therapy and launch a business that would strike a better work/life balance. Mabel’s Labels has grown from a basement start-up into an award winning international phenomenon. It has been featured everywhere from The View to Forbes.com and is widely recognized for its business and product excellence. As company spokeswoman, Julie is a well-known personality amongst mom entrepreneurs and her dynamic personality has led to numerous speaking engagements, from morning TV to university business classes. With humor and candor, Julie’s writing focuses on her experiences raising a big, happy family while running a successful business, and has appeared in Chicken Soup For the Soul - Power Moms and numerous websites. Follow her on Twitter @JulieCole
