Multi-tasking. You've done it. I've done it. But it seems the one trick every parent has employed to actually get things done is responsible for the latest "baby in washing machine" horror story.
The 5-month-old's dad was trying to do laundry and change his son's diaper at the same time, and somehow the little guy ended up IN the family's washer. The worst part? It was just beginning to fill with hot water -- 150-degree water no less -- and his tiny body was covered in vicious burns.
How does something so awful happen?
Easy. Dad turned his back. For a second the authorities say -- they're treating the baby's fall into the washing machine as an accident, and they say there are no signs of abuse.
I've done it. You've done it. Most of us just got lucky.
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I wasn't in that New Hampshire home. But I can picture how it all went down. Here this guy was, trying to get things done around the house, and his little guy made a stinker. He doesn't want to leave him to sit in his own poop, but the washer is filling. So what does he do? He grabs the kid and starts changing his diaper, right next to the open washing machine. He turns to grab something and ... oh. My. God.
I'm not going to pick on this poor father. He's already kicking himself, I'm sure.
But as this little guy gets treatment in a Boston hospital, his story can help the rest of us. We can't stop multi-tasking as parents. If we did, my house would look like an actual warzone (not that "street the day after a parade" is much better, but we're working on it!), and no one would actually eat a meal in this place.
What we can do is slow the heck down. Don't get so caught up in what has to be done that we stop thinking about "how" to do it. True emergencies in life are -- thankfully -- few and far between. Really. It may feel like it all has to be done this very second, but those towels will not get up and walk off in a huff if you don't scoop them from the bathroom floor in the next five seconds. That phone call can wait -- if they don't leave a message on the machine, they obviously didn't want to talk to you THAT badly.
Just think -- if you don't chill out, that could be YOUR little one inside the washing machine next.
What's gone wrong in just a few seconds in your house?
Image via Andrew Kelsall, Graphic Designer/Flickr
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Comments 56
A few weeks ago I turned my back for a moment to clean up the living room a bit and apparently my daughter learned how to move her pack n play out of the way of the hallway with stairs and my 9 month old fell down the stairs. I think its like 9 or 10 steps.Thankfully She didn't get hurt at all not even a scratch or a bruise. She didn't even start to cry till she saw that I was upset and she only cried for a minute. I was more of a wreck than she was I cried all day. We have gates now so she is safely trapped in the living room.
Kids are smart and learn how to get out of any where if they want to, my daughter who was three at the time could get out of her five point harness car seat and no matter what we did she knew exactly how to get out. Some kids are just sneakier then others, no matter what you do they are going to find a way to get out of what ever it is that you put them in. I really feel for this dad and the guilt he must be feeling and i am sure his wife laid into him pretty well.
I feel bad for the father and baby. I hope the baby is able to heal quickly and soon. I also hope that after is able to forgive himself. Accidents happen.
My recent ooops!!! Moment was a few weeks ago, I was pushing my youngest daughter in a plastic baby swing designed to hook up to a family swing set. My oldest (8) begged to help push her. So I stepped aside and before I knew it, my oldest gave the youngest too hard of a push. The swing flipped over and my youngest fell out (she was also strapped in, but slipped out of the belts) and was dangling by her foot, in the second it took me to react, my youngest then had her face dragged along the ground. I felt awful. Her face was scrapped up for a good week. Thank goodness she was ok though.
Got x rays and they were amazed that they didn't find a thing he ground it down so fine all I had to do was give him a ton of water and wait for him to pass what ever was left but he would be fine he was all smiles and laughs but it what is the scariest day of my life as a mother