Posts Tagged ‘safety’

Climbers

Monday, May 16th, 2016

From Monday Mom – Neetika:
Please tell me my children are not the only ones climbing on everything they see! I wish I could say the activity was limited to the usual places—jungle gyms, slides, trees, etc. Haley and Hudson must climb on everything. Sofas, stacked boxes, open drawers… I’m like a broken record imploring “Get down from there!”

It’s great for a child to have an adventurous spirit, but as a mommy, it makes me very nervous! I want to encourage them to reach great heights, but until the fear centers of their brains fully develop, it’s my job to be a nervous Nelly.

Haley and Hudson both also love to read books, so their thrill-seeking activities are certainly tempered by calmer moments. I’ll have to remind myself how pleasant it is to be sitting still the next time I’m reading “Goodnight Moon” for the 1,000th time. It may be mind numbing, but at least there are no falling children to look out for.

Have a great week, everyone!

In like a Lion…

Wednesday, March 2nd, 2016

From Wednesday Mom – Janelle:
We have had bad weather on Tuesdays for over a month. The rest of the week is fine but “tornado Tuesdays” are forecasted with hail, damaging winds and tornadoes, and it’s getting really old. Monday we’re enjoying beautiful, sunny, warm temperatures, and then on Tuesdays we hear tornado sirens and are hiding out in our safe spot.

The boys aren’t happy about the weird weather patterns either. They have been sent home from school early; soccer practice is cancelled; and Tate’s tennis lessons have been cancelled. Sometimes I don’t miss driving all over the place to practices, but I hate the dangers of extreme weather.

We are extremely lucky tornadoes haven’t hit us directly. Our friends, only 10 miles away, were hit hard by a tornado only a few weeks ago. Some only have to replace minor damage, but several friends are searching for a new home.

We cannot control the weather, a lesson I’m trying to teach my kids. We keep our kids informed about the dangers of tornadoes without scaring them. Jack likes to use the weather radar on his iPad to track the storms like his dad. Let’s hope next Tuesday is full of sunshine, and March goes out like a lamb.

Hovering

Monday, March 24th, 2014

From Monday Mom – Neetika:
We’ve had a few nice weather days. Spring still has a long way to go in this neck of the woods, but we’re appreciating the short spurts of temperateness. It’s been nice to walk down the street without tons of layers on and my chest hurting from the cold. The warmth makes me feel a bit more carefree and there’s a new spring in my step. Haley is enjoying it too.

The best part of balmy days? Trips to the park, of course! Haley and I had a play date with some friends at a nearby playground last week. Haley was so excited to be there she almost couldn’t believe it. She bounded out of her stroller as soon as I unlatched her. She climbed, she swung, she rode and she slid. She was basically telling the park, “I’m back!”

While Haley pranced around her thawed-out territory, I was observing parents at the park and how they interact with their kids. Very quickly, one thing became clear about my style versus my peers: I hover. I am not the type to let Haley wander off or get much more than an arm’s length away from me. This might be because last summer, she ran off at a large, crowded playground when my back was turned and it was the most excruciating ninety seconds of my life. But I think this would be my nature no matter what.

In my opinion, the speed at which you can lose a child is too close for comfort. Haley can climb on a structure that’s too tall for her or get pushed off of one by an older kid. I think it’s great that some parents have the ability to let go a bit and give their children some freedom, but I’ve also seen many kids not supervised nearly enough. I don’t feel like I can take chances with Haley. Plus, every time I’m there to guide her, I feel I’m teaching her how to better handle the world around her.

Others may say my approach is overkill. To each his own. I’m just glad it’s finally warm enough to play.

Safe Travels

Wednesday, February 26th, 2014

From Wednesday Mom – Janelle:
I have witnessed several major accidents in recent years on roads and at intersections that I drive everyday with my two young children. The collisions were frightening even at low speeds. My husband reminds me of the importance of not driving distracted, especially when others are.  I want to take every precaution to preserve my children’s safety.

We bought a vehicle with numerous airbags and we installed the latest car seat systems in the second row of seats.  I have read countless articles, blogs and official recommendations for several types, models and features of car seats. When we get a new seat, we make sure to read the manual for proper installation and fit. We make sure our children are strapped in properly, EVERY time we drive.

The annoying thing about car seats is that every year experts from the NHTSA, American Academy of Pediatrics, and others constantly change their recommendations about the type of seat required based on age and weight, direction (rear/forward) facing, as well as technical limits on latch welds and seat belt positioning.

However, I cringe when I see irresponsible parents allowing small children to ride unrestrained in vehicles.  I wouldn’t rank myself as a car seat know- it -all, but when it comes to safety, I want the best for my family.  The examples I see at the pick up line at school scare me… knowing small children are at a high risk of death because they are not restrained in an appropriate car seat or even buckled in for that matter.

Soon we’ll be in the market for a new car seat.  Hopefully all the latest regulations will be posted with clarity.  I want to make certain my kids, and other children riding in my vehicle, are safe at all times.

 

Heartbreak

Monday, December 17th, 2012

From Monday Mom – Neetika
At the moment, the entire nation is mourning the horrible tragedy that occurred in Newtown, Connecticut on Friday. I wasn’t sure if I should or could write about this, but as a parent, it’s all I’m thinking about. Like everyone else, I feel shattered. We wonder “why,” and there will never be a satisfactory answer. Something like this will never make sense.

It’s particularly hard to come to grips with these horrific events as a parent. We want to believe that we can keep our children safe. A simplistic theme may be that no, we cannot always protect our kids. But the truth is usually, we can. Under reasonable circumstances, we can take precautions to ensure our children grow up safe and healthy. Unfortunately the world is not always a reasonable place.

It’s difficult to fathom what the people close to the victims are going through right now. The holidays are upon us, and their loved ones are missing. It’s not right. It makes you sad. It makes you furious. It makes you really wonder what the point of anything is, when everything you love can be taken away without a moment’s notice.

For those of us who remain, our only choice is to go on. To be thankful for what we have. To live our lives to the fullest, appreciating each and every day. On Friday, my family had a difficult day for an additional reason, as my uncle lost his battle with cancer. We’d been procrastinating setting up our Christmas tree and when we got that sad news, my father announced that we would be trimming our tree that evening—no more excuses. We are not putting off joyous events any longer. We are not getting stuck in the minutiae of our lives and forgetting what’s important—the people we love.

I hope for comfort for all those who need it—and at this time, that’s everyone. May you and your loved ones take care.