Kids’ safety is no laughing matter. With approximately 250
Australian children killed and 58,000 hospitalised by unintentional injuries
each year, it is an incredibly sobering thought. Accidents happen all too
quickly, many though could be avoided with a little forethought. But, with mother-guilt
at an all time high with any new baby, laying blame achieves little.
Thankfully, my
toddler wasn’t a climber. A characteristic that may reduce potential dangerous
scenarios, yet should never induce complacency. Which brings me to that fateful
day…
After reading a
delightful picture book together, I placed the book on the bedside table and
the baby in the cot for her afternoon sleep. Leaving her to settle, I continued
with the daily chores.
Some time had
passed when I heard a sickening sound.
An enormous thump
emanated from the nursery…
silence…
then a blood-curdling scream.
Screaming is good.
She is alive. She is conscious. She can breathe.
All of this was
racing through my mind as I ran to her door.
Reaching out to
push open the door, all I could hear were her cries of pain.
The door swung
back.
The door
connected…with her head, forcing her to the ground causing her to hit the back
of her head on the floorboards…again.
Rushing to pick
her up, she stopped crying. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head. I shook
her. I screamed her name, over and over. She came to and started crying again.
After checking her
over, I immediately reached for the phone and within minutes an ambulance had
arrived.
By this point in
time, I had ascertained that Miss Two had in fact fallen from her cot trying to
reach for the book that we had just shared. A large lump was emerging from her
forehead as testament to the fall.
And a second large lump was developing at
the back of her head, testament to my overly enthusiastic mothering instinct.
Two wonderful
ambulance officers soon greeted me. After giving her the once over, it was
clear that she was going to be OK.
Asking about the
incident, I walked back through the ‘crime scene’, provided a ‘witness
statement’ of all that happened, showed the cot and the height from which she
fell, indicated the wooden floorboards, and then pointed to the door.
Ah, yes, the door…
It was about now,
after the dust had settled, that one of the ambos turned to me with the ever so
slightest smirk on her face.
It was only then, and only then, that I could see the ever so faintly slapstick side to all this.
My daughter had
just sustained a head injury to the back of the head. Not satisfied that she
did a good enough job of it, I then inflicted a second, but this time, frontal
head injury.
Six hours of neuro
obs later, we were given the all clear to be discharged from the short stay
ward at the children’s hospital. Many a nurse came by to meet the Mother of the
Year candidate as my reputation had preceded me, apparently.
 |
A very unhappy Miss Two
in the back of the ambulance |
I’m not proud of
causing one of those 58 000 hospitalisations and I will never forgive myself
for inflicting further injury. But, as I started, I intend to finish: blame
achieves little; forethought achieves much. Get down to your kids' level and
look for dangers and don’t put anything past them!
So, how did we end
up? Well, Miss Two was prematurely whipped out of her cot and into a toddler
bed; a floor rug was placed alongside; a bed rail was installed; and the door
was never pulled around again.
Mother of the Year
award is looking good this year!
I am participating in the National
Kidsafe Day Bloggers Competition to support and promote child safety, along
with the added bonus of chances to win prizes. All opinions are my own and not
those of Kidsafe. To find out more or to enter the competition, please visit www.kidsafeday.com.au
