I recently went to stay with our daughter, recovering from surgery, to help out with the meals and kids. However, I think I did more harm than good. Here’s the story, and yes, there is a safety message:
Because I am always looking for good safety topics to write about, my daughter had told me to feel free to use her laptop while I was there. As I was diligently searching the web, our three-year-old (almost four) asked her dad for her scissors. Dad told me where they were, and I handed them to her, and continued reading. (I’m supposed to be focused on safety, after all!) He asked her what she planned to cut, and we later saw a flower stem cut into tiny pieces on the cabinet, so we assumed that was the answer.
A little later, she went into the bathroom near where I was still working. I noticed that she seemed to slam the door a little firmly, but after a short while, she emerged, with a very proud look, saying “Look, it won’t be hot on my neck anymore!” (Sometime earlier during a conversation with my daughter, I had mentioned that I had gotten my hair cut, so it wouldn’t be so hot on my neck.) You can imagine my horror, even though she was so proud of what she had done. I immediately knew where she got the idea. And I have failed to mention that her parents prefer long hair, and hers was long, and curly.
After taking her to a salon to have it styled, she was very pleased with her new “do”. Her parents took it pretty well, and are still speaking to me. Friends and family have assured us that this has happened to their kids, as well. It happened on my watch, though…. me, the one that focuses on safety, and here she was, plotting what she was going to do with those scissors. (The scissors were not pointed). But it’s a good idea to keep them from toddlers unless you are planning to watch whatever action is involved. So here’s the warning to all parents and grandparents: be sure to pay attention to what those little angels are up to, because they can be sneaky! And maybe keep an eye on grandmothers, too!