Sometimes I Feel Like a Cop

Sure, there are many, many hats we mamas wear…

…nose-wiper, pooper-scooper, boo-boo-kisser…

…librarian, train conductor, obstacle-course-maker…

…cook, housekeeper, courier…

I could easily characterize my biggest role as teacher, which encompasses so many facets of our day.

And it’s probably not surprising that I feel like a referee a fair amount as well.

What makes me laugh right now is how I occasionally feel like a cop, too.

It’s not what it probably sounds like…I’m not actually talking about discipline (‘cause I file that under “teacher” so as to pretend that “disciplinarian” doesn’t deserve a classification unto itself)…

…no, it’s actually potty-related.

The girls’ big “reward” for using the potty is getting to flush it. I positioned that as a very big deal…something only big kids do…and they take their responsibility very seriously. After they finish their business, they can’t wait to hop down and run around to the side of the potty to flush.

And therein lies the issue. The toilet paper holder is located precisely at their eye level. They have to navigate around the toilet paper holder to get to the flusher.

Ever afraid of an eye injury or a blow to the temple (which, coming from a toilet paper holder, among other things, would be another embarrassing injury), I always put out my hand to make sure they duck around the holder.

It occurred to me recently that it’s a similar movement to what you see on TV, when a cop puts his hand on the perpetrator’s head to maneuver him into the back seat of the squad car.

I’ll add it to my list of “talents”, I guess...and maybe file it away for playing cops and robbers when the girls get older.