Something You Don't Get...

After raising two children of our own and then doing four years of volunteer work at a home for at-risk children Michelle and I consider ourselves to be "experienced" in raising children.

We were discussing the value experience when raising children the other day.  This story came up but I didn't take any action.  Then, today, we ran across the picture and I had to share the story.

It was something like 34 years ago.  Shane was turning one so Michelle and I planned our first birthday party ever.  

I came up with the game.  It was simple.  Hang donuts from a string and let the kids have a race to see who could eat their donut fastest.  Now the challenge of the game was not about bite and swallow speed, it was all about chasing the donut with your face.  The rules forbid the use of hands (just like soccer and like soccer, they could use their feet, chest, or head) so I came up with this little bit of genius:
  

Amber Berlin - Look at her hands

The thought was that I could tie their hands behind their backs with masking tape.  That was all I needed to do and I had easy rule enforcement.  Masking tape isn't very strong so nothing prevented the children from breaking the tape and grabbing the donut, but we made it clear that if the tape was broken they were no longer eligible for the prize.

For years I had a sign on the wall of my office.  Here's what it said:

Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.

The game seemed to be going along fine except for this little one:

The youngest Berlin (Autumn?)

   

As you can tell by this zoom-in, Larry and Udonna Belin's youngest child either did not understand the game, or was just not competitive.  She simply stood there as the contest went on all around her.  She didn't seem to notice the frenzy of those who surrounded her and she didn't seem to care that her donut was untouched.

 

Suddenly my opportunity for experience kicked in.  The child grew bored with simply standing under a donut and decided to walk away.  Being somewhat inexperienced with walking, she caught the end of her sandal on the cement as she took her second step.  She pitched forward and everyone observing the contest learned that a child with her hands taped at her sides is required to break her fall with her little face.

There were plenty of parents at the party, but like Michelle and I, the majority were new to the whole parenting thing so nobody thought to wrestle me to the ground, grab me by the face, make eye contact, and shout "You imbecile, you don't tape a babies hands to her sides.  Babies fall!  Babies fall A LOT!! Babies who can't catch themselves fall HARD!!

So, sitting here nearly 35 years later I expect young Autumn is married and has more parental experience than we did back on that fateful day.  I expect she doesn't remember the story but perhaps she has heard it from time to time.  As for Michelle and I, we remember the story fondly (not that it wasn't terrifying at the time but time heals the wounds) and when Michelle found these pictures today we actually had a good laugh.  That's when I realized that I needed to share the story.

A story that includes an important life lesson and an opportunity to laugh about injury to a defenseless child just has to be shared.
: