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photo credit: david drexler

The tragic death of Mike Tyson’s daughter, four-year old Exodus, is heart-wrenching to say the least.  It most definitely struck a chord in a lot of people being that the accident was something that could have been prevented.  The little girl was accidentally strangled by a cord hanging from a treadmill in their home, and every person who heard or read this news probably had the same gut-reaction:  it never should have happened.  But it did happen, and as horrible as it may sound, the Tyson family has to live with this tragedy while the rest of the world either judges, sympathizes, or at best, walks away with a little lesson.

We do all we can to protect our children–from strangers, sickness, bullies, and every imaginable danger they might face whether we are around them or not.  But children, particularly pre-school age ones, are very susceptible to unfortunate incidents.  They are naturally curious and want to touch and test out everything.  They do not however, have the built-in knowledge that would alert them if something is bad for them.  This is where we come in and guide them as parents–a job that we should not take for granted.

Not all parents are the same, though.  Some are ultra-conservative and would not let a single dust particle touch their child.  Some are on the other extreme, the type who would let their child roam free to discover the dangers of the world by himself.  Some are in-between.  Whatever tack you choose to adopt, it is never a bad idea to keep a few safety basics in mind:

1.     Safety starts with you and your child. Train children about safety at a very young age.  Use consistent phrases that your child can associate with danger such as:  “That will hurt you;” “Careful, that will give you a boo-boo;” or “Don’t touch it, it’s hot.”

Screaming out the dreaded “No!” all the time will not explain to your toddler why he or she should not be doing something.  Instead, the child will just feel restricted and that something is being denied from him.  He will end up not understanding the situation and will probably endanger himself again in the future.

The human mind wants to know why. Children and toddlers are no different. With a simple justification which takes you an extra 5 seconds you can help your child understand the reason they shouldn’t do something and they’ll be much more likely to follow your orders this way.

2.     Do as much as you possibly can to danger-proof your home.  Dangling drapery cords, electrical cables, glass-top furniture, open drawers, standing water in the bathroom, gym equipment (as in the case of the Tyson household)…the list of hazards goes on.  There are numerous books out there that will educate parents about changing the home environment to make it safer for little ones to scamper around in.

3.     A little knowledge goes a long way. The internet is a good place to start when it comes to getting yourself informed about common accidents and how they can be prevented.  Take the time to browse through some sites, or if you have more than enough time, print out a list of common safety hazards and post it in the house.  Let family members and caregivers know that you have the information readily available and that they should spend some time to familiarize themselves with it.

4.     Take time and make time.  Being in a rush all the time is part of being a parent and cannot be avoided.  But it is during times like these when we forget to do little things such as putting a knife away or picking up a wayward toy at the top of the stairs and these little oversight can lead to big danger.  Make it a habit to check for potential hazards particularly during stressful hours of the day.

5.     Be vigilant, but try not to lose sleep over every little thing.  You wouldn’t want to create a stifling environment for your kids.  Loosen up, but not so much that your child ends up looking like a beat-up pulp, lest the neighbors call the cops on you.  It’s good to be flexible and allow yourself to switch tactics as you see fit.

Always keep in mind that accidents can happen to anybody at any given moment. We may not possess super powers to prevent each and every one of them, but we can definitely prepare ourselves, our children and our home.  Remember, children never asked to be born into this world.  It was our decision as parents to bring life to them; therefore we owe it to them to guard their lives with our vigilance.

What Are Some Things You Learned?

Post them in the comments so we can learn and avoid tragedies like this in the future.

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