This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama. This month our participants have shared stories and tips about protecting our families. Please read to the end to find a list of links to the other carnival participants.
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“What the—“ I glance up and nearly choke on my chai tea as
Rosie, my daring 18-month-old toddler flashes me a cheeky grin and proceeds to
leap from the couch.
Just then she tries to use a picture frame as a foothold to scale the wall. Instantly there is a crash,
toddler and picture frame tumbling down. It all happened in a blink of an eye
and before I can even catch my breath she is standing up, perfectly fine and
ready for her next “big climb”. I don’t
even have to wonder where she gets it. As a rock climber’s daughter she had
seen her parents do the same thing just last weekend.
We spend a majority of our free time outside, if not in our
garden than usually hitting the trails and exploring the Texan landscape. For
Rosie the outdoors is all she has ever known. And as a mom, I delight in her
joy as she sees a lizard dart across a rock and the way she giggles when she
finds a twig to hold. Sorry Fisher Price, there is no substituting that
simplistic happiness.
One thing I learned early on is that you can’t baby proof
Mother Nature. And so I arrive at this parental impasse of keeping a curious
(daresay fearless) toddler safe in an environment with plenty of dangers. Luckily I can personally minimize many of these myself by practicing common
sense when it comes to hiking with a toddler. However the greatest asset is passing this knowledge along to my
daughter so that the outdoors will continue to be a place of comfort for her. It
is certainly a work in progress, one that requires both infinite patience (“No
sweetie, you cannot eat that rock…yep dirt tastes pretty gross, huh?”) and lots
of diligence.
But the trade-off is pretty great too: I get a child who
thrives in nature and has a constant curiosity about the world around her.
***
Visit Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama to find out how you can participate in the next Carnival of Natural Parenting!Please take time to read the submissions by the other carnival participants:
(This list will be updated by afternoon September 10 with all the carnival links.)
- Stranger Danger — Jennifer at Hybrid Rasta Mama shares her approach to the topic of "strangers" and why she prefers to avoid that word, instead opting to help her 4-year-old understand what sorts of contact with adults is appropriate and whom to seek help from should she ever need it.
- We are the FDA — Justine at The Lone Home Ranger makes the case that when it comes to food and drugs, parents are necessarily both their kids' best proponent of healthy eating and defense against unsafe products.
- You Can't Baby Proof Mother Nature — Nicole Lauren at Mama Mermaid shares how she tackles the challenges of safety when teaching her toddler about the outdoors.
- Bike Safety With Kids — Christy at Eco Journey In the Burbs shares her tips for safe cycling with children in a guest post at Natural Parents Network.
- Spidey Sense — Maud at Awfully Chipper used a playground visit gone awry to teach her children about trusting their instincts.
- Water — sustainablemum explains how she has used her love of canoeing to enable her children to be confident around water
- Safety without baby proofing — Hannabert at Hannahandhorn talks about teaching safety rather than babyproofing.
- Coming of Age: The Safety Net of Secure Attatchment — Gentle Mama Moon reflects on her own experiences of entering young adulthood and in particular the risks that many young women/girls take as turbulent hormones coincide with insecurities and for some, loneliness — a deep longing for connection.
- Mistakes You Might Be Makings With Car Seats — Car seats are complex, and Brittany at The Pistachio Project shares ways we might be using them improperly.
- Could your child strangle on your window blinds? — One U.S. child a month strangles to death on a window blind cord — and it's not always the obvious cords that are the danger. Lauren at Hobo Mama sends a strong message to get rid of corded blinds, and take steps to keep your children safe.
- Tips to Help Parents Quit Smoking (and Stay Quit) — Creating a safe, smoke-free home not only gives children a healthier childhood, it also helps them make healthier choices later in life, too. Dionna at Code Name: Mama (an ex-smoker herself) offers tips to parents struggling to quit smoking, and she'll be happy to be a source of support for anyone who needs it.
- Gradually Expanding Range — Becca at The Earthling's Handbook explains how she is increasing the area in which her child can walk alone, a little bit at a time.
- Safety Sense and Self Confidence — Do you hover? Are you overprotective? Erica at ChildOrganics discusses trusting your child's safety sense and how this helps your child develop self-confidence.
- Staying Safe With Food Allergies and Intolerances — Kellie at Our Mindful Life is sharing how she taught her son about staying safe when it came to his food allergies.
- Don't Touch That Baby! — Crunchy Con Mom offers her 3 best tips for preventing unwanted touching of your baby.
- Playground Wrangling: Handling Two Toddlers Heading in Opposite Directions — Megan at the Boho Mama shares her experience with keeping two busy toddlers safe on the playground (AKA, the Zone of Death) while also keeping her sanity.
- Letting Go of "No" and Taking Chances — Mommy at Playing for Peace tries to accept the bumps, bruises and tears that come from letting her active and curious one-year-old explore the world and take chances.
- Preventing Choking in Babies and Toddlers with Older Siblings — Deb Chitwood at Living Montessori Now gives tips on preventing choking in babies and toddlers along with Montessori-inspired tips for preventing choking in babies and toddlers who have older siblings working with small objects.
- Keeping Our Children Safe: A Community and National Priority — September has many days and weeks dedicated to issues of safety; however, none stir the emotions as does Patriot Day which honors those slain the terrorist attacks. Along with honoring the victims, safety officals want parents to be ready in the event of another disaster whether caused by terrorists or nature. Here are their top tips from Mary at Mary-andering Creatively.
- A Complete Family: Merging Pets and Offspring — Ana at Panda & Ananaso shares the ground rules that she laid out for herself, her big brown dog, and later her baby to ensure a happy, safe, and complete family.
- Be Brave — Shannon at Pineapples & Artichokes talks about helping her kids learn to be brave so that they can stay safe, even when she's not around.
- Catchy Phrasing — Momma Jorje just shares one quick tip for helping kids learn about safety. She assures there are examples provided.
- Know Your Kid — Alisha at Cinnamon&Sassfras refutes the idea that children are unpredictable.
- Surprising car seat myths — Choosing a car seat is a big, important decision with lots of variables. But there are some ways to simplify it and make sure you have made the safest choice for your family. Megan at Mama Seeds shares how, plus some surprising myths that changed her approach to cars eats completely!
- I Never Tell My Kids To Be Careful — Kim is Raising Babes, Naturally, by staying present and avoiding the phrase "be careful!"
So true! My kids also explore nature to its fullest — by sometimes eating it, ha ha. I love the connection with nature you're fostering for your daughter!
ReplyDeleteI love that thought - you can't babyproof mother nature. My toddler is a huge mouther - and that's not limited to things that are actually appropriate to put in one's mouth. She's also eaten dirt, rocks, berries, grass, etc. I have to constantly watch her, but I love that she likes to commune with the outdoors ;)
ReplyDeleteLovely! Your daughter is lucky to have such active outdoors parents.
ReplyDeleteAll I can say is thank heaven my daughter wasn't a big "put things in her mouth" child. However, being a lover of all things nature, she pretty much wants to be outside, exploring, all the time. And you are right - you can't child proof nature. We have had our fair share of incidents but they always serve as a learning opportunity which we all value! Great post!
ReplyDeleteYour post reminds me that sometimes keeping kids safe means letting them eat dirt. Studies of the rise in pediatric allergies point to the elimination of "dirt in their diet" as a primary culprit. So, I make my kids wash hands when coming in from outside, but I certainly don't stop them from making mud pies in the backyard. If a little dirt goes in the mouth, so be it. (My vigilance is piqued, however, at common playgrounds where neighborhood cats tend to do their business in the sandbox).
ReplyDeleteI remember when my oldest was a toddler she drove me nuts shoveling handfuls of rocks and dirt into her mouth at every opportunity. I was so paranoid about it. Now I sometimes forget to make them wash their hands for dinner after playing outside all day. I let them climb trees and jump off ledges, which often get me dirty looks from other parents. They say, "Oh, that's dangerous" or "Oh, I don't think that's safe." I know they think I am a reckless parent who doesn't keep close tabs on what my kids are doing but I know perfectly well what I am doing.
ReplyDelete