My 7-year-old is fond of telling strangers that her mom is “90 percent wise owl and 10 percent angry mama bear.”
She got the line from a TV commercial.
I think it’s from those Charmin ads, which feature the family of animated bears discussing the merits of proper rump wiping skills, and how it’s never a good idea to walk around with toilet paper remnants sticking to your backside.
Hey, even bears have to preserve their dignity.
In any event, back to the mama bear versus wise owl line.
When my daughter says it, I take it as a compliment, though, on most days the opposite is true.
No matter how hard I try to channel my inner Caroline Ingalls or Miss Spider, I end up displaying way more than 10 percent worth of mean mama bear.
However, I often justify the primal instinct as a necessary reaction. After all, a mama bear has to protect her cubs, right?
When I see my daughter in pain–physically or emotionally–my inner mama bear is unleashed in full force.
Case in point, my daughter was recently bit by a boy who attends her school.
And by bit, I mean the kid sunk his fangs into the side of her hip with such force that it broke the skin, caused severe bruising and precipitated a trip to the emergency clinic. Fortunately, my daughter’s tetanus shot was up-to-date.
Granted, the animal… I mean boy… who left a perfect imprint of his upper and lower teeth on my child’s flesh is a preschooler. However, his age and apparent psychological issues don’t excuse his behavior. Nor does it justify his parents’ flippant reaction to the event.
And by reaction, I mean complete denial.
When approached, Fang’s father basically shrugged off the incident chocking up his kid’s lack of self control to “a phase” he is going through. You know, because gripping a person’s flesh in between your teeth is just something 5 year olds do when they get frustrated and can’t get their way.
Really?
Oh, and since the boy’s sister has been a chew toy for her brother and she’s “still alive,” well, by all means, let’s just forget the incident ever happened and move on because: “It’s really not that big of a deal.”
Release the angry mama bear.
Oh. Yes. I. Did.
Because bears have a remarkable sense of smell, and that day, the aroma of BS being emitted from the boy’s dad was too overwhelming take.
What brings out your inner mama bear? Or, are you a calm, wise owl 100 percent of the time?
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