® Benjamín Juárez


(Good) Bruises / Exposure

I feel happy about my daughter's injuries: that could be the worst phrase ever. Let's try again.

My baby has just celebrated her first year old and I think she's doing OK. And us, as parents, seem to be on the track that we want to be on. I have an example. Some kids may have the burden of parents that hover too much on top, and the opposite is true as well. Which is why I feel good: our baby is exploring the world in a good way, and this may produce some injuries. But as long as they're not too harsh, nor too bland, that seems fine.

If I would have no clue on what happened to my kid, maybe that would be a worrying matter. Maybe nothing happens at all. But I know. Our baby likes to crawl underneath some furniture at home. There's even one special table that has some spaces in between the stability feet (which are shoulders width). And that is the place where she ends up rubbing her shins and produces bruises on her thin leg skin.

At first, when we were changing her diapers with my wife, we wondered what was going on, just thinking possible explanations. A short while later, watching her crawl again through the pit also known as the tunnel was the answer: we noticed a friction between her crawl and the table's base.

Perhaps we fall on the side that too much exposure is better than none. Exposure isn't only about risk, but rather about adventure, exploring the world and having a nice time despite many minor details. Maybe the bruises are just due to growing bones and such, in which case I may have rambled too much. But well, I'm happy.