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You can never be to careful. Our son pulled out the wall-socket covers that we put there to protect him, and inserted a sucker stick( the stick from an eaten sucker ) inside the wall socket!
If one can never be too careful, we would all wear helmets when we drove our cars and have houses without windows. Fact is one can be too careful and we must make personal decisions about what is reasonable and what is not.
As i upgrade some things around the house, i am installing tamper resistant outlets because they cost about the same and don't require ineffective covers. After a recent gathering at our house, a neighborhood parents recently sent out a group email with a link to buy outlet covers online. Subtle.
Hubby and I were semi casual. We did some basic things like putting up stair gates, child locks on the areas we didn't want them to get into, etc. This actually made it a bit easier on us--we could relax a little bit and not worry about them getting into things they shouldn't. We did put safely caps on the outlets since my husband almost electrocuted himself when he was a young boy. In fact, some of the caps are still there to this day. I don't think that we went overboard though---just some basics.
We had some friends a bit back who childproofed everything and I mean everything. Everything was bumpered, not a single sharp edge in the house. When I went to the bathroom, I had to get the hostess to tell me how to raise the toilet lid since it was locked.
We were pretty casual with our kids when they were babies. Our children came to us when we were pretty old (mid-40s,) and we just didn't have the energy (or desire) to do the hyper-parenting that I've seen other parents do. I did gate off the kitchen, secured heavy bookshelves and put plug covers on, but that's about it. I am careful about what they eat, but not fanatical. I am fanatical about fire safety, though.
Last night I told DH that perhaps he had gotten a little too casual. After he left for work yesterday morning, our 6 year old came out of the kitchen holding a blow torch (unlit.) I was horrified and took it from her. When DH came home, I told him about it and he said, "But it was empty." The look on my face indicated to him that the blow torch isn't something to leave on the kitchen counter, empty or otherwise!
Had to laugh about the blow torch...men are so funny. We had a baby, and Daddy was always leaving his guns around the house. I told him he had to put them away because of the baby. He looked at our 6 month old son, and asked me if I thought he could shoot one yet. That was not the point...I wanted him to get in the habit of putting ALL guns in the safe, all the time.
I suppose I was a casual Mom...let the dog clean my kids faces, baby slept with the cat...but my kids always looked neat, our home was tidy, (yes, the dogs ate all the food on the floor). My kids are all grown now...
But, I was a tiger Mom on making my kids wear coats, and jackets...no one left the house without a sweater. Weather in Montana changes too fast..and my kids appreciated always having a warm coat.
I was always fairly casual with my son when he was younger, but I made sure that he was safe and that I performed my motherly duties (letting him know when he did something wrong, punishing him when necessary, rewarding him for doing something good, making sure to child-proof things in the house). Now, he's 10 years old and he's such a good kid and we have such a great relationship that I don't ever feel the need to be an overbearing or strict mother. He's even told me that he never does anything bad because he'd be afraid to disappoint me. As a result, I'm a lot more casual in my parenting than most other parents I know.
If one can never be too careful, we would all wear helmets when we drove our cars and have houses without windows. Fact is one can be too careful and we must make personal decisions about what is reasonable and what is not.
As i upgrade some things around the house, i am installing tamper resistant outlets because they cost about the same and don't require ineffective covers. After a recent gathering at our house, a neighborhood parents recently sent out a group email with a link to buy outlet covers online. Subtle.
Maybe you should take the hint. don't be surprised if kids aren't allowed to play at your house as your child gets older.
Had to laugh about the blow torch...men are so funny. We had a baby, and Daddy was always leaving his guns around the house. I told him he had to put them away because of the baby. He looked at our 6 month old son, and asked me if I thought he could shoot one yet. That was not the point...I wanted him to get in the habit of putting ALL guns in the safe, all the time.
I think , as in most things, there is a middle ground here. My youngest is 16. I remember them using car seats. They wore bike helmets and sometimes pads. I don't remember if we used outlet plugs or not. I also don't remember putting up cleaning materials,but we must have. I do remember years of not having knick knacks down low because they would get destroyed.
I didn't helicopter. Unless it was a bad fall I tried to ignore it and see what they did. IME if they saw me gasp when they fell they were more likely to cry. I do wish I had been better with their diet. I always cooked good healthy meals, often from scratch but I wish I hadn't let them have as much junk food. My stepdaughter has a 1 year old and she is very diet conscious and I like that.
I was always fairly casual with my son when he was younger, but I made sure that he was safe and that I performed my motherly duties (letting him know when he did something wrong, punishing him when necessary, rewarding him for doing something good, making sure to child-proof things in the house). Now, he's 10 years old and he's such a good kid and we have such a great relationship that I don't ever feel the need to be an overbearing or strict mother. He's even told me that he never does anything bad because he'd be afraid to disappoint me. As a result, I'm a lot more casual in my parenting than most other parents I know.
You're in for a big surprise in a few years!
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