Have you seen that new Neosporin® commercial with three hot moms at the playground? (Not a men's playground, but the kiddie kind.) They're sitting on a bench, undoubtedly talking about Jon and Kate divorce news (I'm kidding), when a kid falls off a slide and yells out in pain. The moms immediately reach into their bags for the new Neosporin® product: Neo To Go! It's some sort of First Aid/Pain Relieving spray.
But wait - they don't just pull the product out. They spin it on their fingers like a gunfighter in the old west. Three hot moms ready to save the day!
To which I say: WTF? What happened to letting kids tough it out?
Don't get me wrong - if there's blood, chances are someone needs a bandage. If an arm gets broken, paramedics should be called.
But a scratch?
I'm guessing if those were three hot dads sitting on that park bench, undoubtedly talking about the best chicken marinade recipe, mai tai recipe, or maybe just waxing on about backyard sex (this time I'm not kidding), the men would have shrugged, told the kid to dust himself off, and the dads would have gotten back to the manly business of hanging out.
I realize women might perceive behavior like this to be uncaring. Please know, we dads care a lot. It's just that men are genetically predisposed to teach our offspring how to be tough. Even the most caring, loving father knows not to fawn over a bump or scrape at the playground.
It doesn't take a David Letterman joke about Sarah Palin for people to understand that men can be crass.
Is that so terrible? After all, every hot dad knows that crass rhymes with bad ass.
28 comments:
Let it be noted that dads are MUCH more apt to comfort their little girls who get hurt over their little boys who get hurt.
I remember when my kids were little and my daughter came up to the front door just screaming like a banshee. I ran to the door and said, "Someone better be bleeding!" That was the rule. You'd best not alarm me if it's not an emergency.
Of course, you shouldn't run to a kids side when they just fall down. But if they cry and come to you for a hug, there's nothing wrong with a quick reassurance that all is right with the world and that their little bodies will heal, sending them off to play again. It's called "teaching them to get back on the horse."
But sometimes, we are so determined to let them tough it out, only to discover they are really hurt.
It's a tough balance.
However, there is nothing realistic about commercials. Ever.
I have a funny story about my ex - he was home alone and about 12 and cut his finger really bad (according to him "you could see the bone". yeah, right, I call embellishment). Anyway, he calls his father who is Dean at the MEDICAL school and his dad says "Just tape a popsicle stick to it. Mom will be home in a few hours and take you for stitches then if you need them." Which he did. LMAO. The dad also told the brother to "put a paper towel on it" when he cut his scalp open one day. And amazing! They both lived.
Lets just say I don't carry neosporin but I know nearly all boys want acknowledgement when they have a boo boo. Even the grown up ones.
Little boys grow up to big strong men who need love and reassurance. You know you guys - your cold or flu is always the worst!! LOL
How do I know these things... I am married and a mom to four boys, er almost grown boys ages 17 - 24!! It never changes they still need that quick look from mom that everything is ok.
As far as the neosporin - nah, my boys wouldn't of wanted it, but just a your ok, go play would of been enough.
Love your blog! Just added as a follower.
It's a commercial. Commercial's are stupid and play on stereotypes.
The rule at our house is "No blood, no foul, no bandaid."
It is my firm belief that my darling little monkey son who climbs EVERYTHING will break at least one bone before he hits Kindergarten, so I'm saving the sympathy for then. Just kidding, kissing boo-boos is how I make up for the no band aid rule!!!
However, mean mom (that's my nickname) has been known to say "Well, I did tell you not to [insert dangerous activity here]. Maybe next time you'll listen."
Cliked ad, got whole different page...weird.
I have to say, I like crass, and Letterman, and his Palin jokes (even the Rod one) and I am was never a boo-boo baby neo mom (thank goodness).
My favorite parents are the ones who don't even sit to talk, they hover over the swings and jungle gyms feeling all sweaty and paranoid that the kid might miss a monkey bar and have their self esteme ruined.
I am with the guys on this one.
I totally agree with you on this. Women tend to worry too much about the causal boo boo.
When we were young we were told to blow on it and get back on our bikes and tough it out. Too much coddling of kids now days....
no I totally agree with you. I think the media, commercials and other moms, websites, magazines, (everything in our face) teaches us to be paranoid. You read a magazine article on the little scrape that got infected and little Tommy is paralyzed from the neck down or some crap. lol So yes, mothers learn to freak out about everything because it's slammed into our brains from worst case scenarios. I resist it. I think a little soap and water goes a long way. A scrape is a scrape and honestly I wouldn't bother with a bandage unless there is some dripping blood. I loved showing off my wounds as a child so I loved slapping on as many band aids as I could.
It is SO reassuring to know that I'm not the only mom who has the "If there's no blood then figure it out." rule.
I prefer to have my kids tough it out too. And I have two little girls! I've seen other moms run to their child's' rescue when they so much as fall down and those same kids are whiners.
Maybe I sound harsh?
Eh, whatever. My girls are tough.
You have to teach them that they need to be independent, so I think the man way is pretty darn good...
It's really quite simple, on the playground in front of the other kids you tough it out. When you get home, that's where you get pampered and treated with ointment.
Althought the commercial depicts it that way I don't believe this is just a "mom" thing. As eveidenced here many moms aren't so overprotective, nor am I.
I think it's more first-time parents that tend to go overboard. Remember sterilyzing the pacifier when it fell on the floor? Well I never did that but there are many things that I didn't think as important for my 2nd, 3rd and 4th children that I did with my first.
First, I have to admit: I have Neo to Go in my purse right this minute. But, in my defense, I - klutz that I am - am the most likely person in my family to need mobile first aid. :)
As for the kids, I agree that most of the time (absence blood or breaks) it's best to just dust 'em off and send 'em back out to play.
But! You have to cut the moms a little slack on this. If it's dad's job to "tough 'em up", well, it's mom's job to coddle them just a little bit. Balance. Harmony. Yin. Yang. All that jazz. :)
There is nothing worse than a pansy kid, boy or girl. I carry bandaids, but it stops there. If I happened to have Neosporin in my glove compartment or something, chances are it would be expired.
it is a commercial for crying out loud...probably written by a man...
how many commercials can you list which depict real life authentically?
We had the "be broken or bloody" rule too. Which backfired when one of the kids broke his neck in the surf...but ate hotdogs and played volley ball before getting the adults involved and being rushed to the hospital in an ambulance lashed to a board.
I kinda thought the Neo-to-Go would be great for camping and in the car...but I can't imagine carrying it to a playground.
We had the "are you bleeding"? requirement for a bandaid as well. Then we added a 5 minute time out to let it heal. (Yeah, time out sucked - so they went without band aids) To top it off they got the boo boo kissed. (Well, next to it). They once received a "The mouth has bacteria and will cause more harm than good" lecture, because the bloody gash was too gooey for me to kiss.
Today my kids are 16 and 18. They filet fish at the docks for their summer jobs. If they injure themselves they offer it up with a grin and a "Kiss make infected"?
Yeah, they wait until it's REALLY gory before they offer it to my kiss. =P
ha ha!! I think we evolve with each child!! Now with 3, bandaids are rarely carried..."are you bleeding? no? good then go play" is a common phrase.. and yet..when they need the loving and caring I tend to look at the feelings behind the tears VS the size of the scratch! that is probably a mom thing!!:)
Neosporin? Pffft.
Pansies.
I just douse it with a little whiskey...
Well, at least the feminist dad bloggers won't be harrasing this company over that commercial. They actually got it right by using all women.
hmmm...we only used whiskey for teething...
Ok...so it's reverse with my hubby and me...he's the one who goes running to the kids when they hurt themselves with band aids, ointments, and peroxide in hands..he gets worse as he gets older. I am more on the the, "don't even think about wasting band aid on that" or "if blood's not gushing out, you'll live"...I know, sounds very insensitive but I also believe in letting kids tough it out.
But I also do kiss their boo boo's if they come to me and of course give them a hug and some words of reassurance and then send them on their way. And that commercial is sooo for selling that product than anything.
seriously that is why God gave kids a mom and a dad (and hopefully can be involved)
they need to learn these different lessons!
My mom is TOTALLY one of those moms. I swear the lady should buy stock in Neosporin. I shit you not, my two year old asked for "Ne-sporin" on like an 1/8" scrape.
Their Grammy is turning my kids in the little sissies.
I'm more of a tough it out unless it's bleeding or broken. I'll dish out a few band-aids and ice packs but for the most part I just let them go.
Drives my mother freakin crazy.
me thinks you need to re-think this a tad-
Neosporin- trying to sell a product.. need much more product if you are putting it on every little scratch= more money for P&G.
most of the women here, including myself seem to disagree with your post and agree with the fact that kids need to toughen up a little bit.
however- i suppose as single parents- a lot of us just dont have the time to coddle every hurt.
My own children liked band-aids because people would ASK them about their owies. and unlike the childrens benedryl commercial with the boy running and hiding when he is sick, my children LOVED the taste of meds so we had to lock them up to avoid overdoses.
So does that make ME a man when I barely acknowledge that my kid is crying?
And if they do come to me I play that, "What was that? I can't hear you over yoru crying?" bit?
Just wondering...
I'm with the guys on this one! :)
Mostly we grab the red washcloth to cover the injury, so no one (including me) can see the amount of blood being lost. Then, admittedly, there's usually a smear of generic neosporin because of all the horse-crap germs around here. The one time we washed the wound with soap and water, no peroxide or ointment, Jones got a wicked infection that left a big ol' scar. They don't tend to cry much because it gets in the way of playing, I guess.
Thanks for the post
healthy food toronto
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