It Only Takes A Second....

I am definitely not someone who needs a heart wrenching story to convince me to act when it comes to the well-being of my children. My dad is a nurse & so growing up I was made well aware of the countless dangers & consequences that can come from not wearing a helmet, a child consuming chemicals, guns not being locked up properly, leaving out plastic bags & small objects near children unattended, forgetting a kid in a car, not watching children near any amount of water, & so forth. Maybe I knew a lil' too much. My father has always worked in the medical field with children & so over the years I heard many cases of children being injured & even dying from household accidents that could have been avoided. My husband is also in the medical field & comes across many tragic cases involving children getting burned, drowning, & other horrible injuries. It is true that we can't live our lives in fear, with 5 kids it definitely takes major faith to believe they will all remain safe & healthy day after day, but we also need to make sure with young children that we take as many steps as possible towards prevention in our homes (and having extra watchful eyes when they are in other people's homes).

Recently on Facebook, a friend of mine re-posted 1 of the saddest posts from a mom's blog who lost her child from a dresser falling over on her-It was not even a large dresser. The story absolutely rips at my heart & can't help but make me feel as if I should give my own house a second look. Personally, locking down larger furniture has always been the #1 thing on my house-proofing list. The moment I get any new item of furniture, it gets strapped down immediately! I don't care how inconvenient or "not cute" it looks, I would much rather be safe than sorry! I am very passionate about encouraging other parents to do the same to their furniture if they have younger kids. Yes, you may feel like you are with the every moment so it could never happen, but it only takes a second! Even if your young one is not walking yet, its never too early to start baby-proofing.

Again, I am not encouraging us as parents to live our lives in absolute fear & shelter our children from absolutely everything, but there is also wisdom. A child has no idea that a big screen television topple over on them, they have no clue that they are top heavy & could easily fall into a toilet by just peering in too far! Baby proofing is only for a season & while it is not a substitute for proper supervision, it is a great helper!

-M&M Momma

P.S. Never ignore your intuition. If you feel a "check" about something as a parent, don't hesitate to check it out no matter how inconvenient or "stupid" you might feel about it. It's a gift.

Here is the link to post from FB if interested (VERY sad)

http://lovelightlaughterandchocolate.blogspot.com/2012/12/be-with-me-just-for-today.html