childproofing
“I need to childproof this place.” is a comment often made over a soundtrack of screaming. “This isn’t enough.” is a thought that usually follows a few days after the initial childproofing efforts, also over the same soundtrack.
But over time, as table corners get wash clothes duct taped over them, electrical sockets get custom cozies plugged into them, and brick fireplaces get surrounded by old boxes, you come to realize that the safer you make the house for your child, the more dangerous it becomes for anyone else.
You spend so much time thinking “how can I keep him out of this” that you don’t think “How will I still be able to get into this?” Anyone with child proofed drawers and cabinets knows the wonderful feeling of stubbed fingers and nearly-torn-off fingernails.
We have two baby gates covering the two entrances to the kitchen. One of the doorways is so wide we actually had to get a giant dog gate to cover it. It’s so tall that Teresa can straddle it if she’s on her tip-toes. I can stand over it while still on my heels, but traveling over it swiftly brings any chance of Noah having siblings into grave danger. The other is only tall about to be annoying. Tall enough that it takes effort to pass over it. Tall enough that if you don’t put forth that effort, you get a stubbed toe or a bruised knee. It’s horribly annoying, but only slightly less annoying than putting all the pots and pans back in the cabinets after Noah has made his way through them all.
So last night, while carving our pumpkin, Teresa went into the kitchen to throw something away, caught her knee, and went tumbling into a ball, only to then be beaten by the falling gate. Noah, much like a dog, began to scream and cry. He was so worried about Teresa’s well being that she actually told me to get him out of the high chair before I made sure she was OK. Once in his mother’s arms he was fine again, but I must say, his screams really made a clumsy fall into a horrific family accident.
So there’s no moral to this story or anything. But I guess what you can take away from it is this: Children will effect every part of your life. Even the health of your fingertips when you take a fork from the silverware drawer.
Good thing there’s also some sweet satisfaction in some instances of childproofing.
2 Comments
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All you can do is try. The most important thing at this stage is keep a sharp eye on him because there really is nothing childproof.
Remember Page got the box off a medication, removed the plastic wrapping off the bottle and removed the childproof cap in less than 2 minutes when she was younger than Noah. That night at the hospital was one of the worst of our lives.
The good news is that by the time he’s 2 you can start to make him understand what is a no-no. Right now he’s simply a loose cannon.
Love you and I pray for his safety, and his nephews every night.
Love,
Dad
By dad on 10.31.08 9:41pm
I hope Teresa is OK! Ouch. How sweet Noah cried for her. My son would laugh and point. Of course, that’s what we do to him, too. =)
Get a swinging gate like we had in our kitchen. The one we have is $60 and metal and bolts to the wall, but you can also get one that just suction cups to the wall that’s probably cheaper. But it has a door so you can walk through it easily. I hated those doors, too, but the things we do to keep our kids out of trouble.
By Big sister on 11.01.08 10:00am
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