You know that old proverb that goes along the lines of “better a thousand times careful than once dead”?
Well, although it’s a piece of really grand advice, there are certain situations that we are simply underprepared for. Take this Redditor, for instance; the woman’s not good with kids – and she tried her best to accommodate her friend and her 2-year-old when they came to stay with her, but things went a little south.
More info: Reddit
Woman and her 2-year-old go to visit a friend who’s “not good with kids”
Image credits: Sam Felder (not the actual photo)
One day, when they were preparing breakfast, the mom had to step out for a call
Image credits: Kasey Eriksen (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Erin Resso (not the actual photo)
Image source: u/No_Accountant46
“AITA for not baby-proofing my home?” – this internet user took to one of Reddit’s most judgmental communities, asking its members if she’s indeed a jerk for not paying close attention to her friend’s 2-year-old son who ended up swallowing a small neodymium magnet that was holding her photos on the fridge. The post managed to garner nearly 8K upvotes as well as 2K comments discussing the situation.
Now, did you know that according to a 2022 child-proofing report from SafeHome – the #1 trusted resource for home security and safety – “4 out of 10 parents believed a child’s injury could have been avoided had they taken proper child-proofing precautions in and around the home”?
Falls, poisoning, choking, burns, drowning, furniture tip-overs, electrical shock, strangulation, unsafe toys, sharp objects, harmful plants, open windows, unsecured cabinets – there are a million and one examples of what could go wrong due to inadequate safety measures taken in one’s own home.
Plus, despite all of us having been children at some point, we never truly understand how many accidents could’ve been avoided if we’d simply paid closer attention until we become parents ourselves!
It’s vital to note that little ones are still developing their physical and cognitive abilities, and that’s why it’s best to baby-proof your place even if you think that it’s somewhat unnecessary because you’re sure that your overall well-behaved toddler won’t open your cutlery cabinet and run around with a knife like Michael Myers from the good old “Halloween” franchise.
But life is very unpredictable, and a couple of locks might spare your family from some trouble.
Besides, it’s also incredibly worthy to note that there are folks out there who have zero to no experience with children – pretty much like the author of today’s post. So before you go all bonkers on your chum for having magnet-taped photos on their fridge, ask yourself if the situation was indeed their fault.
The boy was left unsupervised and ended up ingesting a tiny magnet, which the OP was later blamed for
Image credits: Lydia (not the actual photo)
To gain a diverse perspective on the situation, Bored Panda decided to get in touch with a couple of bloggers. Our first interviewee is Sarah Anguish; Sarah started her blog Boo Roo and Tigger Too as she returned to work following maternity leave with her second child back in 2011 as a way to share what life was like as a working mom. Since then, it has received several awards and regularly appears in the top UK parenting and mum blog rankings!
First, we asked Sarah if she could share some basic safety tips that every parent should know when it comes to baby-proofing: “View your house from the vantage point of your baby and toddler. So get down on the floor and see what cables they are able to reach for, corners that could hurt when they fall against, etc. Take a look at your furniture; if you wobble it, will it easily fall? This could be something that little hands attempt to pull themselves up on, and if it has items that will easily fall, could cause injury.”
“Ultimately you have to do what works best for you and the personality of your child. If your little one is more adventurous, then you may find that you need to install all the baby-proofing solutions possible, from toilet seat locks, kitchen door and drawer devices, alongside the usual stair gates and plug covers. Talking to your child (as silly as this may seem) about why they shouldn’t touch something, climb on something, etc. can be more effective than a ‘no, don’t do that’” – the woman responded when we asked for advice on balancing child safety with exploration and learning.
Our next interviewee is Louisa Douglas (Cloth Bum Mum), a mom to two girls aged 2 and 5, and she also offered her take on the questions: “At home, we do some basic baby-proofing. Until recently, we had a stair gate at the top of the stairs, but it was mostly used at night or when we didn’t want the little one to go down the stairs at bedtime, and the chemicals are out of reach, but I’m a big believer in educating kids from a young age about what is safe and not and how to do things safely.
“We can’t watch our kids 100% of the time and to think we can is unrealistic, so what I weigh up is how quickly can things go devastatingly wrong. Also, know your child; every child is different. My eldest wasn’t really that into things, so we didn’t need to lock cupboards, but my youngest is, so we added the child locks.
“When visiting other people’s houses though, I have no expectations for them to prepare for my child. They are my responsibility at the end of the day. If there are some simple changes when we get there, i.e., could we move that thing to make it more safe, I’ll request it, but otherwise it’s not on them. They’re my kids and if it’s really unsafe I’ll suggest they come to us instead.”
What do you think about the author’s story, though, Pandas? Do you believe that the woman is indeed to blame?
Fellow online community members shared their thoughts and opinions
