Accidents at home can happen without warning, one moment you are all safe, the next you are bursting the Emergency Room doors and screaming at everyone on sight because your Little One needs urgent assistance. It becomes a matter of life and death in a heart beat. Yesterday as I was talking about the topic on NTV AM Live, I don’t think I had wrapped my head around how huge the topic is.
I remember one day I came home and my help had a scar on her forehead, I wondered what might have happened, she probably had slip and fallen on her way home, hit a post or something. On inquiring, it was the pressure cooker in my house. I remembered I had left her with the instruction that after the lentils boil and the pressure cooker hisses out once, she was to switch off the gas. After she switched off, she though she should open the cooker and everything exploded, luckily for her, she had dipped the pressure cooker in hot water and so the explosion was not huge. Had my baby been in the kitchen with her, he would have gotten a burn for sure.
She told me a few days ago about a househelp in the neighbourhood who open the pressure when cooking and she burnt half the face down to her shoulder and chest area.
Burns can happen anytime in the house, boiling water can pour, the baby can pull the handle of a sufuria on the cooker, the oven door when baking, these are some of the few instances that we never think about much but are total hazards in the house. When cooking, try as much as possible to keep baby away from the kitchen, if you want them to learn, do the preparation with them but when fire is involved its time for them to leave the kitchen.
The toilet when you start potty training is another hazard. Who would have thought, my son for example wants to use the big toilet, which I encourage because we are not able to carry the potty everywhere we go. However, because of his size, he can easily fall inside the big toilet. We have to teach him that when using the big toilet he needs help. When they are crawling, remember to lock the toiled because the toilet brush will be used as a teether when you are not looking.
If you have a book shelf or a stand, watch out because they will climb by stepping on a stool or a chair.
Remove all tables from the center of the house and let there be space for them to play and run around without the risk of hitting themselves on the sharp edges.
I advocate for no baby walkers as the baby should learn how to walk naturally, but if you must use one, make sure that baby is being watched all the time because the walker gives them access to corners they would otherwise not reach and they can pull things from higher surfaces and turn into an accident.
The baby cot should be as virgin as possible a blanket at most, cot bumpers look pretty but they baby can pull on the strings, especially when they are very small, they can move around and block their airways by being too close to the bumper that limits their air supply and can cause suffocation, save the beautification for later if you must. Dress the baby warm not the bed.
When washing the baby, do not leave them unattended, a few seconds to go pick the towel can turn into an accident.
If your baby seems to be allergic, get rid of carpets in the house of have them cleaned regularly
Baby proof as much as you can but remember the best baby proofing is teaching your baby, remind them not to touch the oven, the sockets not to climb etc.
NB. Have an emergency list pinned somewhere in the house, in time of panic your househelp might even forget how she has saved you on her phone. Have a Taxi number just incase you are far from home, have a doctor’s number. But most importantly, have your househelp receive basic first aid training as they spend most of their days with the baby. Amara Initiative holds regular First Aid classes.
For a continuation of this and more conversations, lets meet on May 9th for Mama’s Break Event.
