I used to think children’s band aids were cute. When your little one got a scratch the pretty pictures on the band aids would distract them and in their heads make their cuts and scrapes heal faster.
My daughter is obsessed with them, and treats them like stickers. She constantly asks for band aids and at one point was covered by so many that people would assume I was negligent and allowing her to get hurt several times a day. In reality there were no cuts or scrapes, but I indulged her each time she would ask for one.
I recently stopped this practice for exactly the above reason.
Last night she asked me for a band aid for her finger. I looked at her finger and told her there was nothing on it. She continued and said it hurts. I kissed it and hoped that would be the end of that.
She insisted her finger was cut even as I continued reassuring her there was no cut on her finger and therefore she does not need a band aid. I know this reads redundantly. That is because it was. We went back and forth like this for a good fifteen minutes.
Then…
Her: So I don’t get a band aid if I don’t have a cut?
Me: Exactly. We save the band aids for when you have a real boo boo.
She walked over to the counter, grabbed a pen and sliced her finger. Oh my God! WHAT THE HELL??
I just stared at her. No clue what to say.
Yes, we had a long talk about this later in the evening. But…P.S. In case you are wondering, the pen was one of those fine point metal ones that don’t require much pressure to puncture skin.
P.P.S. My daughter is fine.
Ok… I did this as a child and I really want to know if this is normal?! I used to sneak and cut my finger with my mom’s razor because she said I had to have a cut to get a bandaid.