The Grand Prize

Our family vacations are usually outdoorsy. Not camping. I would never. I need a bed and a hot shower. But, my husband, children, and I do like hiking (not too steep or the whines are unbearable), especially to waterfalls. 

Most recently, in the North Carolina wilderness, we were creekside and my youngest, a five year-old girl, tossed her hat to my husband and I sitting nearby. He caught it and she said “You caught it, Dad, so you win the Grand Prize.” She is obsessed with awarding prizes and trinkets. She turned to me, sensing that I was feeling left out (I wasn’t), and said “Mom, if you would’ve caught it, you would’ve gotten the Grand Prize.”

And I said to her, “I’ve already got the Grand Prize- you and your brother and sister.” And it’s true, my three children are the most wonderful blessing. They’re smart, kind, and beautiful. I love them with all of my heart even when my patience is paper thin and I’ve been over-touched and over-stimulated. I would do anything for them- cut endless crusts off of their sandwiches, sacrifice my body (goodbye, pelvic floor!), and die for them. 

And then she sighed dramatically, “Oh Mom, you’re so silly.”

But I know I’m not alone, and other parents are willing to do the same for their children. Specifically, when it comes to bringing in the experts to explain puberty to their pre-teen daughters. We’ve been in countless living rooms and taught thousands of girls about the menstrual cycle and the hygienic products that are used. So if you’re thinking of broaching topics of Anatomy and Physiology without watching our Mom Video first, I’d have to say “Oh Mom, you’re so silly.”

-Dr. Quin