Earlier this week, the girls' Grandmother was in the house, when it became clear that O, age 9, was making me a cup of tea.
Grandmother's response was: "With boiling hot water?"
My answer: "Yes". (Inside I thought, well, no good tea is made with cold water).
Grandmother promptly decided this was too much and she left the house.
I've witnessed this with a lot of other parents. Hot water, BBQs, fireplaces, chemicals etc... The general safety plan seems to be, make sure the little darlings never go anywhere near any of this. Forgetting that this approach also ensures they never actually learn how to deal with any of this stuff, or any of the other risky shit life throws at you.
We tried having latches on the cupboards for a short while, with child one (A), but this soon became more annoying than helpful, so we ditched the idea.
Instead, we settled for paying attention and teaching the girls what they can and can't play with.
Most people take this 'learn to manage risk, instead of simply avoiding it' approach, in some areas, but not others.
Think about swimming pools. What is the better approach?
Never go near a swimming pool, or teach your kids to swim?
Always stay at home, or teach your kids to cross the road safely?
If you teach your child to ride a bike, you must also accept that 100% they will fall of it at some point. Yet, kids learn to ride bikes all the time.
Considering the statistics on car accidents, (roughly 250 per day in the UK), why would you ever teach your kids to drive a car? Yet, most people do.
We are completely irrational with this stuff.
Grandmother's response was: "With boiling hot water?"
My answer: "Yes". (Inside I thought, well, no good tea is made with cold water).
Grandmother promptly decided this was too much and she left the house.
I've witnessed this with a lot of other parents. Hot water, BBQs, fireplaces, chemicals etc... The general safety plan seems to be, make sure the little darlings never go anywhere near any of this. Forgetting that this approach also ensures they never actually learn how to deal with any of this stuff, or any of the other risky shit life throws at you.
We tried having latches on the cupboards for a short while, with child one (A), but this soon became more annoying than helpful, so we ditched the idea.
Instead, we settled for paying attention and teaching the girls what they can and can't play with.
Most people take this 'learn to manage risk, instead of simply avoiding it' approach, in some areas, but not others.
Think about swimming pools. What is the better approach?
Never go near a swimming pool, or teach your kids to swim?
Always stay at home, or teach your kids to cross the road safely?
If you teach your child to ride a bike, you must also accept that 100% they will fall of it at some point. Yet, kids learn to ride bikes all the time.
Considering the statistics on car accidents, (roughly 250 per day in the UK), why would you ever teach your kids to drive a car? Yet, most people do.
We are completely irrational with this stuff.