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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.
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Comments

  1. RuchiJanuary 26, 2010 at 3:47 PM

    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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