Momsense

Moms are amazing.  We are multi-tasking machines.  Before "octomom" hit the media circus, I used that term to describe myself.  Octopus mom.  Multi armed, infinitely flexible, able to cram myself into tiny corners of my child's life, strong, intelligent.  We wear a lot of hats, many of them simultaneously.  Some times all of those hats don't fit on the same head, sometimes their is conflict between what all of those hats represent.  Sometimes we wish that all of those people living in our heads would gather up their little hats and GO!

I am a gym-mom.  I support my athlete completely. I support her coaches.  I am an overprotective, paranoid, caring mom.  When she is hurt, I want to baby her, keep her away from all potential pain and injury, bubble wrap her and put her in a box.  I am the physical therapist mom.  This is an unique mom-state that all medical mom's experience - when does our profession jump in and kick the other moms to the curb, and when do we turn off the brain that we have been developing since long before these little two legged intrusions showed up?

Gym girl is injured.  It was only a matter of time.  Gymnastic pushes a body beyond normal limits, demands extreme flexibility (instability) and strength.  She has been training really really hard lately, and the therapist mom has been waiting for the breaking point.  She hurt her shoulder putting on her shirt.  (Techy alert - you can skip this part) anterior subluxation, bicipital tendinits.  Pretty standard fare for a gymnast.  Therapy mom kicks in.  NO Bar.  NO Vault. NO tumbling with hands on ground, including on beam.  Complete rest of shoulder.  I taped it.  The only kinesiotape I have is bright pink - did I mention how much she hates to draw attention to injuries?  Talked to the coaches.  She worked on leaps and walked through routines for 2 days, long week-end coming up.  Tuesday with full tape, she gets to add arms into the dance moves, rest Wednesday.  Thursday she gets to try her routines, and only the ones for competition over the weekend - oh yeah, she has a meet coming up.  If all goes well she practices Friday competes on Saturday.

I am obviously the worst mom in the whole world, and I don't understand!!!!!!  Thankfully, her coaches do.  She has one goal this session - score out of level 6.  She has 3 opportunities to do that.  She does not need to compete at this meet.  Her coaches are fantastic, and never seem to mind when I take over her training program when she gets injured, and they always back me up, often being more conservative than I.

I don't know if I have it in me to let her train on Thursday.  She could really hurt herself.  If she was someone else's kid, I wouldn't even think about it. I would use all of my caring therapist skills to reassure the mom, encouraging her to lighten up, let the child get back to what they love, etc. etc.  But what if it is too soon?  What if she hurts herself?  This is over-protective, caring mom.  She needs to just SHUT-UP, this is obvious PT mom's jurisdiction.  

What if she is not ready to compete?  How is PT mom going to override gym mom?  The little girl is being exceptionally compliant with her program.  I have not told her that she will absolutely compete, she knows we will not even discuss it until after practice on Thursday - but she is SURE that she will.  Can I tell her no?  Meets are not nearly as challenging (physically) as practice.  She could probably do all of her level 6 skills now, without tearing anything, it would put her rehab back a few weeks - but we have another whole month until the next meet.  WHAT am I Saying!?!  Long-term planning mom needs to step in and referee.  She will definitely side with PT mom.  It is not about this meet.  It is about her goals of going to college on gymnastics scholarship, my goal of keeping her involved in gymnastics during the distracting boy/beer/drugs years of public high school.  oh no - is that paranoid mom adding her drivel to the mix?