The answer is always yes!
One of the great joys of parenthood is watching our children develop new skills. From a newborn whose skills are mostly limited to being able to grasp a finger and suckle at the breast, to an infant who can sit up and reach for objects, roll over, crawl and then walk, it takes forever and yet goes so fast. There is often a gap between how wonderful we think it will be when they can finally do all of these new things and the reality of how much more complicated life is once they can move!
They grow up so quickly…
While the days and weeks can take forever, the months and years somehow fly past
Whatever you wish to call it — sixth sense, intuition, best guess, somehow most parents seem to know when they need to step in and protect their child or their belongings. Has the thought passed your mind that baby could:
knock over great aunt Molly’s favourite vase
reach the knife block
get to the top of the stairs before you
pull the TV over on top of themselves
<<insert thought bubble here>>
If thoughts like these are crossing your mind, the answer to “should I do something about that” is always yes! Somehow we seem to know when our child either can or is close to being able to do these things and thus hurt themselves or damage the household. Should I do a first aid course? Learn CPR? Yes, yes, YES!
Do you think baby can..?
IF YOU CAN THINK IT, CHANCES ARE,YES THEY CAN DO IT!!!
So, my simple advice to you is when that thought crosses your mind, act upon it! Move the vase, put the knives away, barricade the top of the stairs and secure the TV! Ditto for acting on thoughts of getting down on your hands and knees and checking the floor either in your own home or when away from home. It is remarkable how quickly the rest of us forget and how we lose this intuition!
Apart from simply acting on those thoughts when they come, please do be proactive in this space — creating a safe place for your child is really important. As for learning first aid and how to do CPR, it is not just about saving the life of an elderly family member or random stranger, it may save your child’s life. Raising children have a great list of home safety tips, including links to organisations which offer CPR training. If you think you should, don’t just think about it, do it!