Today, the mother in me and the budding environmentalist were at odds this evening. My son fell and skinned both his knees at the playground. They were filled with dirt and rock, so we had to shower and clean out the wounds. We've all been there. It HURTS and it's scary knowing it's going to hurt. There were many tears, lots of coaxing and explaining, much sympathy until he finally fell asleep in my lap on the shower floor. It was only after he was sleeping that I was able to clean out his owies. After he woke up, he still needed loves and cuddles, so we stayed there for an hour and a half just enjoying the closeness, the comfort, the warmth, and the white noise of the water. As it should, the mother in me won out over all other voices in my head.
I will always listen to that mother voice and make no apologies for doing so.