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Safety 1st: A Motto That Never Gets Old
Four of us, my aunt, my two male cousins and me were recently looking at the book of baby facts that had been started for my expected niece. My one cousin, the girl’s father showed me the page for all of the baby’s soon-to-come words, phrases and questions. I then learned that our grandmother has always s used “safety 1st” as her motto, whenever she is a primary caregiver.
How does she demonstrate her commitment to safety? Does she buy a lot of safety 1st products? Does she talk like a salesman for the safety 1st car seat or the safety 1st tandem stroller? Does she carry around many of the items associated with baby safety?
No, our grandmother does none of the above. Instead she puts all of her effort into watching for potential dangers, and then telling the baby in her care to avoid those items/situations. She began practicing her safety system here in the U.S. when she first began caring for my older cousin.
As she carried that baby boy in her arms, she would point to things that could be harmful. Then she would say “dangerous,” using her native language, Farsi. As a result, my cousin had a “safety 1st” attitude when he started to talk. In fact his very first word was the word “dangerous,” spoken in the Farsi language.
Our grandmother had first cared for children in a county where there were no safety 1st baby products. As a result she had learned how to teach children what they should and should not do. According to my aunt, my older cousin used to cover electric circuits with a flat hand, and then he would say “dangerous” in Farsi.
Most of the time my older cousin enjoyed a life that lacked any substantial amount of danger. He did, however, have some close calls. One of those accidents occurred while my aunt was working, and my cousin was under the care of a non-relative. One afternoon a stroller other than a safety 1st tandem stroller was out where my cousin could easily play with it. He somehow got stuck in the stroller. Fortunately, my aunt soon arrived home from work, and she helped the temporary babysitter to release him.
A second accident occurred when there were no safety 1st products in the rear of my cousin’s apartment complex. My grandmother, seeing that my aunt would arrive home at any moment, went inside. My cousin, seeking a way to keep himself occupied, had climbed inside of an old coffee table. After he had closed the door, he had found that he could not get out.
As my aunt walked to the rear of the apartments, looking for her son, she heard a pounding coming from the old coffee table. She walked over and opened the door. My cousin remained safe, ready to grow up and become a consumer of safety 1st baby products.
Right now he and I set aside time for the examination of many of those products, as well as the many other baby products that are on the market. We want to get all of the best things for our first and only niece. That little girl baby could grow-up to be a spoiled child, were it not for the fact that my grandmother is still in the area.
I expect her to teach my niece as carefully as she taught my cousin. I expect her to insure to all of us, my cousins, my grandmother, my uncle, my aunt, my brother and me, the enjoyment of a little girl who understands the meaning and importance of safety.
The above article was written by Sue Cher