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Move Over Guilt, Safety First



While vacuuming, I heard a noise and chose to ignore it. Then something tugged at me to go investigate the source of the noise. I found Ben pinned underneath the TV and table. I lifted it all up, and pushed him with my foot, out of the way.

Sometimes when Ben is wild and we cannot watch him every minute, we strap him into a chair. I always feel terrible doing it. Ben had been strapped in the chair while I was cleaning, and the guilt was eating at me. So I got him out. It was not ten minutes when I heard the bang - and it did not even dawn on me what could have happened - I kept vacuuming for another couple of minutes.

Ben likes to kneel at the table in front of the TV to get a very close and personal experience with the movie he is watching. This one being a home movie, he must have wanted to get real close.

Ughh! The damage - a busted lip, swollen nose and demolished brand-new 32" flat screen TV, a recent gift from our neighbors.

So what have I learned? Safety is going to be a huge issue for us as Ben gets taller, stronger and heavier.
Ben can now reach the stovetop and counters, climb onto his desk and pull-up to his dresser. At Christmas, we found out he can unlock his bedroom door and crawl around the house unnoticed. I am unsure how to handle all of it. It is overwhelming.

I wonder if we can teach him safety. The speech therapist suggested making red circles with an "X" near areas that are off-limits. Any ideas are welcome.

The other thing that I have learned is that my guilt - - is my guilt. Acting in a way to assuage my guilty feelings may not be in the best interest of Ben. Worrying about what others might think of me because I keep my child locked up is not a reason to unlock him. Finding ways to make our home secure, teaching Ben safe behaviors and continuously monitoring my own feelings and actions will keep Ben protected.

Comments

  1. Safety is a very big concern in our home as well. I try as much as I can to keep all dangerous things out of reach but you are human and there is only so much you can do. Not everything can be hidden/anchored to the wall/ etc. It's exhausting to always be one step ahead of your kid.

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