The Journey to Childproofing Our Home...

It seemed like such a natural progression, since we have had small dogs for many of years and have segregated them into specific areas of the house with baby gates their entire existence, I felt confident that we were a few electrical covers and drawer locks away from baby proofed.  Little did I know that dog proofing and baby proofing were vastly different, let alone TODDLER proofing.  Every day it seems that Ellison and Henry are growing a bit taller and have expanded their reach by a few inches.  I realize this in moments such as when the strategically placed open pop can on top of the side table flew across the room at the hand of Ellison, as I powerlessly screamed, “nnnoooooo.”  There are the moments when we inquisitively looked at the “thing” in our son’s hand only to realize that he had been carry around excrement from the dog.  Or my personal favorite: when our daughter realized she can not only reach into the drawer with a previously mentioned lock, but if she stands on her tippy toes she can help herself to an array of adult medication. Of course, it all has what should be called adult proof lids as I have struggled many of days with the ibuprofen lid as my head throbbed only to surrender it to my husband, yet my 18 month old daughter opened said lid and began pouring the small pills about the room.  Now I may seem as if I am a neglectful mother but in reality it’s in those vulnerable moments when they attack, the two seconds you allow yourself to pee, the three seconds you attempt to turn the meat on the grill or my favorite the milliseconds that you are offering attention to “the other child.”  All and all I am thinking that the boy in the bubble may have suffered socially, but his parents were spared many moments of crisis and near catastrophe. -Krista Reichert-Lunny (Mommy)

 

Note from Mel: We tried "the girl in the laundry basket" but it didn't work out.
Do you have any idea how much a decent "bubble" costs now a days?