Summer Break Blues

Maarten fell from a tree! He is bleeding!
I hear him cry.
If Maarten is crying there is really something more serious going on.
He is on his knees wailing. I wish I can check his wounds but he won't let me. He gets up and runs off to play with his friend.
His nostrils and mouth are all full of dirt and he is spitting blood. He is angry which means he probably is in pain.
But in a second he acts like nothing has happened.

Only at home when I put him in bath I see how badly bruised he really is.

This is actually not a special event since Maarten has similar accidents almost on a daily basis.

Yep! We have a very wild child.
You may say the apple never falls far from the tree...

I do like Maarten's liveliness, enthusiasm and always cheerful spirit, though... ugh, I am about at my wits end when it comes to disciplining him lately.

Everything seems to be fun to him, he is not scared of anything. But unfortunately it's not only climbing trees and jumping from high places.

Today Maarten was about to run into traffic on a busy street and I was so scarred I couldn't stop him. I did at last but someone didn't approve of my behaviour and therefore I got into trouble with local police!

I'm very upset and humiliated but the bruises all over Maarten's body are really not from abuse!