Sometime you have to learn the hard way

Sometimes you have to learn the hard way. We expect our children to ignore our directions and get hurt. We weren't looking forward to it, but are aware that personal experience is a better teacher than relying on the wisdom and experience of others. Actually, I think one of the defining characteristics of maturity is when a person no longer feels the need to make mistakes to learn from them himself, but will instead rely on the lessons others have learned by making those mistakes. Unfortunately, you can't expect that kind of maturity and insight in a three year old.

So, Mihaela had to learn a lesson the hard way. We certainly didn't expect this to happen to her. We were convinced that it would be Noah. However, this evening, Mihaela put her hand on the hot stove and got burned. Despite repeatedly being taught the dangers of the stove and to never, ever touch it because you never know if it is hot or not, she had touched it.

We have a flat-top stove and a little red light tells us if the stove is still hot. Luckily, I had been done cooking on the burner she touched for about 10 or 15 minutes, so it was still hot, but not too hot. I was standing by the stove making dinner and Mihaela was standing next me quizzing me about ways she could help (she loves to stir). There was nothing for her to do. Then, I watched in horror (and in slow motion) as she reached up and placed her hand on the burner. I reached for her, but she was too far from my grasp. She planted her hand firmly on the burner, paused and the picked it up and looked at it in astonishment. She never screamed, she never cried. She just seemed, surprised.

I quickly called on my experiences as a grill cook and restaurant manager and administered the appropriate First Aid for burns. She never complained or cried. Her hand got a little red and one blister formed. She has been tentative with her hand this evening. She avoided clapping and was very protective of it during bath time. She has learned her lesson though. She talked all evening about she got a burn by touching the hot stove and how she shouldn't touch it.

One down, two more to go.

*Sigh*