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While I was in the kitchen WITH my kids. My then less than 2 year old reached into the dishwasher which I had carelessly left open, and pulled out a kitchen knife, a nice sharp one. My other child, then almost 5, said "Mom, Greg has a knife!", and before I could do anything, he reached over and every SO carefully took it away, lifting it out of his hand, and dropping it in the sink.
I've never forgotten this. I still tell them this story, one to illustrate how much, how VERY much sometimes doing one small "right" act can make SO much of a difference. Two to help show how tiny, little dangers can be so meaningful if you don't pay attention.
But had their ages been slightly different? I have no idea what might have happened. A tugging match, a grab for the shiny toy, anything.
I'm not sure what to make of this story, I don't know enough of the details, and truthfully, I'm not going to go looking for them. As a parent that remembers entirely TOO many close calls, and knowing I'm a fairly careful, probably overprotective mother, I know these horrible accidents can happen to anyone.
If the parents weren't careful enough, well, it's hardly unusual. But honestly, I see it all the time. Parents that walk down the street with toddlers toddling after them, walking past driveways and through intersections. Children shorter than the hood of a car. Children far too young to possibly understand the danger that drives by them with reckless abandon just a few feet away.
Neighbors that toss their kids outside to play when they're 2 or 3 years old. I've seen these kids in the street completely heedless of the cars, playing outside with no adults in sight. Their parents weren't even within hearing range. One time, I happened to be looking out my window, and it was two kids, probably 2 and 3 years old, and saw the little girl eating a big apple dropped the apple and it bounced and rolled into the street. Her slightly older brother stopped her from running after it, the street with the sharp turn, on a hill, blind on both sides.
Problem is, the biggest problem is, those are the GOOD parents. Truly. Mothers that are nurses, nice suburban homes or military housing. Fine, upstanding citizens. Even the best of them frequently wind up clueless with their kids. Somehow, there's a disconnect between letting them grow up and keeping them safe.
Far as I'm concerned, even olympic athletes have spotters. Why should the health and welfare of growing, learning, exploring children be any less important?? our job is to get them to adulthood with all their parts and faculties intact, if possible. No one should be expected to pay for their youth with their flesh and bones. As a learning tool, yes it happens. But all things considered, it likely WILL happen no matter what you do. If you take a casual attitude and don't work to limit those instances of possible harm to your kids, you're not letting them "find out", you're increasing their odds of "learning the hard way"
Learning the hard way frequently involves scars, trips to the emergency room, or worse. Children who drown. Children who fall down steps, fall out of cribs, fall out of grocery carts, and the list goes on and on. Paying attention is the most important thing in the world when it comes to young children. Sometimes real dangers are only noticed by the parent. No one else will warn you, no one else will notice. It's a hard lesson.
I will NEVER forget the feelings I had when I looked down just in time to see my less than 2 year old with a steak knife in his hand. And how relieved I was when he brother had the great presence of mind to carefully take it from him, before anything could happen. I think I lost a couple of years life that day, but, that's okay, that's what they're there for, right?
All I know is - Preventable accidents should be prevented. There are enough dangers, enough uncontrollable factors that cause risk and damage in our lives. Every day. Don't go inviting more by tempting fate, and don't ignore the funny "warning" feelings you get as a parent. Sometimes, and I mean this literally and with strong emphasis, those feelings are all that stand between the your child's life and death. Not just in emergency situations either. Sometimes at the doctors office, sometimes at the daycare, sometimes around the neighborhood with other kids. NO I don't mean to keep them forever in padded cribs. I mean to use one's brain and keep in mind the abilities and the understandings of such tiny people walking around with such little hands and less strength.
Because, as this sad story illustrates, sometimes tragedy happens. Whether the parents in this case acted irresponsibly or not, this was a tragedy.
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