[blparent] safety at parks and playgrounds

Thu Apr 5 17:20:53 UTC 2012

Eight bones in your back? Ow ow ow ow ow ow! How high was that off the 
ground? When I hit the ground from my swing fall, I only skidded about ten 
or so feet and permanently messed up the skin on my palms. Now, when I took 
a twenty foot fall off of a rock wall, that was when I busted l2 and now 
because of broken hardware have a partial SCI.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Erin Rumer" <erinrumer at gmail.com>
To: "'Blind Parents Mailing List'" <blparent at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thursday, April 05, 2012 10:16 AM
Subject: Re: [blparent] inflatable tub bumpers but now changing subject 
topark safety


> Okay, this is an interesting topic but we need to change the subject line
> because we've gotten far away from talking about tub bumpers.
>
> On the topic of safety at parks and such though there is a huge difference
> between being an attentive and conscious parent and being a helicopter
> parent.  It is one thing to do all we can as parents to keep our children
> safe, be involved in what they're doing and try and avoid unnecessary
> injury, and it's another thing to hover over them at all moments and
> constantly intercede with each and everything they do.  Getting hurt is
> definitely part of being a kid and learning but it's a balancing act of
> helping them learn and keeping them truly safe.  We aren't going to let 
> our
> toddler touch the stove to learn about hot things but touching our hot
> coffee cup will teach them about hot things without actually hurting them.
> At parks it is very important to inspect the equipment before our kids or 
> we
> ourselves get on it because some parks maintain their equipment better 
> than
> others.  There a lot more injuries that happen every year than you ever 
> hear
> about and I'm an example of that.  I have always loved parks and all the 
> fun
> they provide but back in 2003 I was swinging with my husband at a park on 
> a
> beautiful spring day and one of the chains of my swing was rusted through
> near the top and it broke.  I fell onto the solid ground because the park
> didn't extend the sand far enough and I broke eight bones in my back,
> rotated my right hip and tore a ton of muscle in my right shoulder.  It's 
> an
> absolute miracle I didn't get a spinal cord injury.  My physical therapist
> in the hospital told me that I was one out of three adult patients in the
> hospital at that time he was treating for swing related injuries.  Pretty
> stunning huh!!  We didn't want to sue at all and I don't recommend for
> anyone to go through a suit unless they truly have to but in this case the
> park district wouldn't take care of my medical bills which is all I was
> asking for and the worst thing is they weren't willing to take care of the
> equipment at the park.  Three years later we won a suit against the park
> district and the equipment was replaced and my bills were paid.  Our 
> lawyer
> told us that a lot of times these big dogs don't do anything until an 
> actual
> suit is made which is nuts but sometimes what has to happen.  It's such a
> waste of time, money and energy for everyone involved.  Thank God today I
> just deal with some chronic pane but nothing else from that horrible
> accident.  I was worried that getting pregnant was going to make my 
> chronic
> pane much worse but praise the Lord I had a pretty pane free pregnancy.
>
> Erin
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of Tay Laurie
> Sent: Thursday, April 05, 2012 7:14 AM
> To: Blind Parents Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [blparent] inflatable tub bumpers
>
> That's another thing, the winning/losing. They don't want the kids to
> experience losing. They don't want to trample on their self-esteem. Pardon
> me, but I played plenty of win-lose games, still do, actually, and it
> doesn't crush me if I lose. I don't think it crushes very many, if any, 
> kids
> if they win or lose, once they understand it's not the end of the world.
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Peggy" <pshald at neb.rr.com>
> To: "Blind Parents Mailing List" <blparent at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Thursday, April 05, 2012 6:52 AM
> Subject: Re: [blparent] inflatable tub bumpers
>
>
>> Oh I think a lot of parents are over protective and also sue happy, as
>> mentioned on this list.  A lot of the playground equipment is being
>> taken down because it's a safety hazzard.  Games can't be played
>> because of safety reasons or because someone wins or loses.  We have a
>> trampoline in our backyard and a couple summers ago our little
>> neighbor boy fell off and broke his arm and I thought surely she'll
>> sue but she didn't, she believes like I do, accidents happen and kids
>> will get hurt.  They want them to have the physical activities because
>> they're overweight but so many things are taken away, what are they
> supposed to do?
>>
>> When Dylan started taking baths on his own, until he could sit up I
>> took a bath with him.  I bought a seat that has suction cups and it's
>> round that sits in the bottom of the tub, bath ring, I think they're
>> called, he liked that and it worked well.  Before that I always bathed
>> with my kids because once when my daughter was tiny she turned her
>> head so quick when I went to get shampoo or something and almost
>> drowned and that scared me so bad because they're so quick, I always
>> bathed with them until they were old enough to sit up.
>>
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Kate McEachern
>> Sent: Wednesday, April 04, 2012 9:26 PM
>> To: Blind Parents Mailing List
>> Subject: Re: [blparent] inflatable tub bumpers
>>
>> Its a millyen daller indestry to keep kids safe.  And the more
>> products to keep kids safe, the more activities of childhood are lost.
>> I've heard of parks not alowing slides, kids getting time out for
>> running in a tot lot, and Ash once got sent home with a note because
>> when she was saposed to stand still she was bouncing on her heals and
>> according to the school this was a hazerd to all.  There's a fine line
>> between what keeps kids safe and hellacopter parenting.  But I have
>> seen some parents starting to relax if even just a bit.  Not saying
>> kids shouldn't be wotched its just I know parents that I think forgot
>> how to blink with their levels of vidgulence.
>>
>> Kate
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Jo Elizabeth Pinto" <jopinto at msn.com>
>> To: "Blind Parents Mailing List" <blparent at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Wednesday, April 04, 2012 10:08 PM
>> Subject: Re: [blparent] inflatable tub bumpers
>>
>>
>>> If a child is going to hit his head, I don't think it would be on the
>>> inside of the tub.  Imagining the way a fall would go, the head would
>>> be more likely to hit a flat or protruding surface, like the flat
>>> edge of the tub, or the wall, or the faucet.  So I'd question whether
>>> the bumpers would be necessary, especially since you wouldn't want to
>>> leave a toddler in the tub for even a few seconds by himself.  If the
>>> bumpers make you feel safer to have, then by all means, get them.
>>> But I would guess that a bath mat or a towel to prevent falls would
>>> do just as well.  Sometimes I think the baby industry really tries to
>>> see how much money they can get new parents to spend.
>>>
>>> On a similar subject, I got one of those inflatable faucet covers at
>>> my baby shower from the church, and I found the silly thing downright
>>> useless. There was no way to secure it to the faucet, so it was
>>> always falling off, or getting pulled off, and it spent more time in
>>> the water than it ever did covering the spout.
>>>
>>> Jo Elizabeth
>>>
>>> "How far you go in life depends
>>> on you being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged,
>>> sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant of the weak and the strong.
>>> Because someday in life you will have been all of these."--George
>>> Washington Carver, 1864-1943, American scientist
>>>
>>> --------------------------------------------------
>>> From: "Erin Rumer" <erinrumer at gmail.com>
>>> Sent: Wednesday, April 04, 2012 8:00 PM
>>> To: "'Blind Parents Mailing List'" <blparent at nfbnet.org>
>>> Subject: Re: [blparent] inflatable tub bumpers
>>>
>>>> I believe the bumpers go all the way around the three sides, not
>>>> including the faucet side, so it wouldn't be easy for a toddler to
>>>> remove in the way you're talking.  After the toddler years one
>>>> wouldn't need this type of thing in the tub and that's when I could
>>>> see older kids getting creative with the bumpers. GRIN
>>>>
>>>> Erin
>>>>
>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>> From: blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org
>>>> [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org]
>>>> On
>>>> Behalf Of Kate McEachern
>>>> Sent: Wednesday, April 04, 2012 6:21 PM
>>>> To: Blind Parents Mailing List
>>>> Subject: Re: [blparent] inflatable tub bumpers
>>>>
>>>> This just sounds like a bad idea. I have images of it being used as
>>>> a flote.
>>>>
>>>> Kate
>>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>>> From: "Erin Rumer" <erinrumer at gmail.com>
>>>> To: "NFB blind parent listserv" <blparent at nfbnet.org>
>>>> Sent: Wednesday, April 04, 2012 7:42 PM
>>>> Subject: [blparent] inflatable tub bumpers
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> Hello list,
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> I am considering getting those inflatable bumpers for the regular
>>>>> tub that suction cup to the sides.  They come in Sesame Street and
>>>>> other fun designs.
>>>>> My only worry is that they might not stick like they should but I'd
>>>>> love to put something on the tub walls to make the big tub a safer
>>>>> place for our
>>>>> 17
>>>>> month old.  Have any of you used this product?
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Thanks,
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Erin
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> blparent mailing list
>>>>> blparent at nfbnet.org
>>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blparent_nfbnet.org
>>>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info
>>>>> for
>>>>> blparent:
>>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blparent_nfbnet.org/kflsouth%40gm
>>>>> ail.com
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> blparent mailing list
>>>> blparent at nfbnet.org
>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blparent_nfbnet.org
>>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info
>>>> for
>>>> blparent:
>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blparent_nfbnet.org/erinrumer%40gm
>>>> ail.com
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> blparent mailing list
>>>> blparent at nfbnet.org
>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blparent_nfbnet.org
>>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info
>>>> for
>>>> blparent:
>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blparent_nfbnet.org/jopinto%40msn.
>>>> com
>>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> blparent mailing list
>>> blparent at nfbnet.org
>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blparent_nfbnet.org
>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>> blparent:
>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blparent_nfbnet.org/kflsouth%40gmai
>>> l.com
>>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> blparent mailing list
>> blparent at nfbnet.org
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blparent_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> blparent:
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blparent_nfbnet.org/pshald%40neb.rr.
>> com
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> blparent mailing list
>> blparent at nfbnet.org
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blparent_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> blparent:
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blparent_nfbnet.org/j.t.laurie%40gma
>> il.com
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> blparent mailing list
> blparent at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blparent_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> blparent:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blparent_nfbnet.org/erinrumer%40gmail.com
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> blparent mailing list
> blparent at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blparent_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
> blparent:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blparent_nfbnet.org/j.t.laurie%40gmail.com