Scared....

Frightening word I know - but a glorious word to me.  Matt doesn't explain his emotions very well so when he comes up with a descriptive word like this I am like a mom seeing her child taking the first step.  He has had his cast on now for one and half weeks and trying to get him to bathe has become a battle in itself.  Even mentioning the word bath was throwing him into hysterics.  It got to a point over the last 11 nights that it wasn't worth the aggravation to convince him he needs to get in the tub.  I know - disgusting - yuk no baths.  But wait - he has had one bath so far so it really isn't all that bad.  (Of course he has had daily wipe downs - but to get him to get into the tub - I won't even go there).  It wasn't until last night he revealed why he has been so reluctant (his word now) to get into a bath.  "I am reluctant to get a bath because they told me not to get it wet."  (Even though he had his arm double wrapped in a trash bag and taped so no water could get into it with his last bath).  He goes on to tell me - "I am SCARED that if I get it wet it will be ruined and I will have to have another one put on".  So all his negativity when I mentioned the word bath was directed to this hidden emotion that he did not verbalize earlier.  

Of course he tells me this as we are doing our bedtime routine.  We always try to discuss our day prior to bed when he is much more relaxed and open minded.  So when I asked Matt why he gets so mad when I tell him it is time for a bath he follows thru with the above.  I allowed Matt the opportunity to give me some ideas on how to get a bath and be sure his arm doesn't get wet.  He said - "After we put on the trash bag what if we wrap towels around it."  What an AWESOME and CLEVER idea I told him.  "You are so smart Matt - why didn't mommy think of that?"  He said - "Because you are not the one with the cast".  So fingers crossed he will get a good bath tonight.