Every parent will tell you that their child’s safety is top priority. Child proofing the house is very common when you have little explorers wandering around.
You can take every precaution you can think of, but sometimes little ones manage to get themselves into bother right under our very eyes.
Blogger and mom of four, Stevie Niki figured this out last week when she found her son with a window blind cord wrapped around his neck.
Stevie was literally only feet away from her 1 year old Tayne, folding laundry, when the incident occurred. But in a move that stunned some people, the mom decided to picture the scene and post about it online. However, it is very important to note that she obviously untangled the tot before taking the pictures.
“I obviously didnt take these photos when he was tangled. That would be a rediculously irresponsible and dangerous thing to do. My children, their health and safety is always priority to me, not a post or a picture.”
This is a shocking warning sign of the potential dangers that can happen to children when they are in the same room as you. The mom saw this and thought the accident was too big not to share with other parents who could learn from it.
Taking to Instagram Stevie said she debated about posting the pictures in the first place, conscious that there are judgmental people out there. “|| WARNING || I ummed and ahhhed whether to even post this because you know, another major mum fail this week that could have killed him (maybe its why i am such an emotional wreck this week) just another thing to criticize another mother, but maybe its more important than me and what you think.. maybe it might stop it from happening to someone else,” she posted.
Accidents can happen in the blink of an eye, especially where children are concerned. Most adults are aware of what can be dangerous for kids but Stevie thinks it’s important for parents to be aware of the risks that can happen whilst in the same room as children.
Stevie explains that Tayne was at most two meters away from her when she heard him cry out. “Next thing i know, i hear him start to quietly cry my name “mamma” i looked up from the washing pile and see him caught in the cords, with them wrapped around his neck. I immediately jump up as fast as i can and untangle him.”
Worryingly, more than 1,600 children from ages 14 months to 8 years have been treated in hospitals in the US for near-strangulation over the last 20 years, according to Parents for Window Blind Safety. In fact, since 1986 there have been almost 600 reported strangulations and 65% of those were children aged 5.
Stevie further explains in her Instagram post that even though you can take the necessary steps to ensuring safety when it comes to blinds, sometimes it’s not enough.
“We often read and hear about how the cords on our blinds (that pull them up and down) should be secured tightly to the frame work .. and mine are! With safety tags attached and all. But these cords along the bottom are clearly a major over sight (at least they were to me) when it comes to the safety of our littles. I would never of given it a second thought if i had not seen what could have seriously hurt him, if i were not right there, with him,” she writes.
Stevie hopes that by sharing her frightening experience that it might save others from finding them in such a situation. “Please, check your vertical blinds if you have them on Windows, above floor length and little ones in your home,” she pleads.
Thankfully little Tayne was just fine after the incident as Stevie writes in conclusion to her startling story. “Just a warning, be careful. He was totally fine just a little stuck, thank goodness.”
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