Babies and Stairs

 

Do you have a new baby? I have a suggestion from a experienced mom, now grandma tip for you that really works. Babies and stairs are a dangerous thing. But if you teach a almost but not quite crawling baby how to go down stairs safely you will have one less worry.  Gates are great, keeping doors shut if you have them good. But what if the gate or door is not secure?  They you get boom, scream and tears.

As your baby gets close to the up on all fours, the "I am moving stage", take the babe to the stairwell, put baby on tummy, feet facing steps.  Mom or dad then sits a couple steps down, gently pull baby's feet down one step, let the little person know to stay and not turn to sit.  Continue on down until you get to the bottom.  Start again.  Then you can let them go up the stairs with you coming  up behind them. I bet you are saying to yourself, I will never forget to shut the gate or door, I am a diligent mom..  Ah but someone else may forget or not check.

We have 13 steps to our lower level, steps that end on a linoleum (old)  covered cement floor hard and unforgiving.  While caring for my first grandchild I used this method to keep her safe, good thing too grandpa didn't always remember to shut the door at the top of the stairs.  When I would go downstairs I took her with me, walking ahead of her as she came down, just in case.

One evening I went looking for Merissa, couldn't find her, she was close to a year old, I called down the stairs, "is Merissa down there with you?" Yes was the answer. OK safe sound and it was the first time she did it on her own.  The next time I was ready, she was crawling down the hall and through the kitchen, I grabbed the camera, I had it running when she got to the top of the steps. With a big smile she backed down one step, looked at me and lifted her toes up, and slide half way down, stopped laughed and lifted her toes again and slide (carpeted stairs) the rest of the way.  Now if only I could get this video on the computer from the old super 8 camera you could see this.  It was a little scary to see her sliding not just backing down the steps. But basically that is what I had been doing when I taught her how to do it, only it was one step at a time not 6 at a time, that was her idea.    The ending to this, she never got hurt going down the stairs of our home.. 

Then there was the day she shut the door while she was on the stairs, I came in to see little fingers wiggling under the door, I looked through the window, told her to move down, and watched while she backed down far enough for me to open the door.  The door opens into the stairwell.   I had a exterior door installed with a large window so I could see the stairs before opening the door that way you didn't open the door on someone's face.  Comes in handy for pets too. 

 Saroya Poirier

Do Over

I want a do over
Begin again
I want to be loved
Have fun

A sense of humor like mine
Droll, ironic, risqué
Downright dirty

Practical impractical
Wishful hopeful
Dreamer dancer poet

Wild imaginationStories that live only in mind
That make me cry, laugh, desire

Things I imagine doing, Too shy to try
To stand in the rain, admire the stars
My heart is open to one who can see
Thrill at the wind in the trees

Can you see me?

 Saroya Poirier © November 17, 2013

 

Virgin or Version which word is it?

The year the Disney  real people movie with Glenn Close, 101 dalmations, came out, I asked Merissa if the other grandma had taken her to see it.  She said "I saw that virgin".  I said "version", she said, "virgin- version whats the difference?"  A little more back and forth with the word and it is going to be a learning experience.

She was 6 at the time. So now to figure out how to explain the difference and meanings of virgin and version.

So I started," if you don't bite or eat the apple, it is a virgin".  A questioning look on the child's face.  "A toy you never take out of the box is a virgin". She gives me that same puzzled expression. "People who don't have sex are virgins". My opening words here are, "Mommy and Daddy aren't virgins they had you".  Now she just looks all worried, "what happened, were they married, did he hurt her?" I answer, "no honey they loved each other but never married and no, Daddy didn't hurt your Mommy."

 "I still don't understand" she say. So I start " Great grandpa isn't a virgin", I said. "Ohhh she says with all the confidence of a 6 year old, "I know about Great Papa, he was married to your mom, and Aunt Annette's mom and Jan Jan". As matter of fact statement as you can get from a 6 year old. That not impressed at all kind of answer from her.

She looks at me "But I still don't understand".  At this point I am grasping at straws to find words she will understand. So I start, "Merissa, you are virgin because you never had sex and grandma isn't." The look on her face was priceless, incredulous, she says, " YOU HAD SEX"??????? the most shocked expression on her face, I never expected. Well, I said, how do you think I had mommy and uncle Dale? "NOT SEX" she says, her eyes got big ( she didn't really know what sex was yet), "don't say anymore," she holds her hand up in front of my face, "it's my fault" she says, "I asked,". She wouldn't look at me, wouldn't let me talk all the way home. If I tried to say something, UP went the hand in my face.  I tied not to laugh. I would start to say something, and there was that little hand... she is 24 now.   I wish I had a video camera that day.

No I am no a great writer, if I take a breath, I put a comma.... 

©Saroya Poirier          November 14, 2013