Safe at Home

Now that Finley is mobile… or at least partially mobile... She can roll in one direction, but hasn’t quite figured out how to roll back. So, now that she is partially mobile, we hit the stores last weekend to find everything we could to baby proof the house.

If you think about it, it’s technically not baby proofing. That would mean we were doing everything we could to keep from having a baby. And, everyone can clearly see that we failed at that. In a good way. What we are really doing is creating a very large padded cell. It’s true. We’re not trying to keep Finley from getting hurt as much as we’re trying to keep her from hurting herself.

And it’s really not her fault. Just because her balance resembles some of my best nights in Pullman and her motor skills are as accomplished as a UW quarterback, we are supposed to cushion every edge and corner in the house. The accidental trips and stumbles are all a part of being a baby. But, if we can keep the trips to the hospital to a minimum, then we’re doing alright.

The real baby proofing is for when she gets curious. It’s for the times she decides she wants to find out what flavor a power socket is. It’s for when she wants to pull the bookcase down because of that shiny thing on top. And it’s especially for when she’s sure there’s candy in that cabinet below the sink.

The crazy thing about all of these “safety measures” is that most people think most of these curiosity calamities would only happen if we weren’t watching them. And who would do that? What kind of parent would I be if I wasn’t keeping watch on my baby 24/7? The answer is… A real parent.

As much as we like to think we have a handle on every situation, the truth is that those rug rats are wiley. That’s right. Those munchkins can move. You turn your back for two seconds and they’re halfway to Mexico.

Case in point: Heather comes in from work and I set Finley down on her rolling blanket. Again, she can only roll one direction and she’s new at it. Heather and I have a welcome home moment and the next thing we know, Rollergirl is under the dining table. I think I might have to put a heavy weight on one of her legs so she’ll just roll in circles.

But that’s the whole point. We’re not making the house safe for the times we’re watching her, we’re making it safe for the times we’re distracted. Even if it’s a load of laundry or a phone call, that dryer buzzer and phone ring is basically the starting bell at the track.

BZZZZZ! Clothes are done. AND THEY’RE OFF! Finley’s out of the gate, followed closely by “Let’s go under the coffee table” with “Penny on the Floor” right behind. “Penny on the Floor” is getting closer and here comes “Penny in the Mouth.” “Mom” makes a late charge and at the wire it’s “Mom” taking away “Penny in the Mouth” in a photo finish.

The reality is that we can’t be everywhere at once. We also can’t be responsible for every bump and bruise that’s lurking in the shadows. But we can take a few extra measures to make sure that those scrapes and scratches are minimal. We all have to learn from mistakes, but if we can avoid trips to the emergency room, those mistakes are a lot easier to swallow. Well, easier to swallow than a penny, anyway.