For those of us with little experience with babies and toddlers that first child is a lesson in terror. At least it was for me. I was constantly checking my oldest just to make sure she was still breathing. Parenting books are great but you simply cannot learn about every possible thing that can happen. Too many things are learned along the way; you muddle through and hope that you are doing a good job...oldest kids are like experiments. With each of the other two there was more and more that I was prepared for but still not everything. From sickness, to injuries, to school issues and neighborhood kid disagreements...you just keep learning more and more.
Mine are all grown and went through their periods of thinking I was a complete dolt as a parent. Now two of them have their own kid(s) to tend to. I see them go through the same things, make the same mistakes, and find out as time goes on that perhaps it wasn't being a dolt but it was being thrown curveballs that had to be managed as well as possible. A lot is learned in hindsight.
I have to admit to some stifled and not so stifled laughter on my part when my daughters get a great big helping of parenthood!
As for your friend, I can see several things that could/should have been done to avoid that accident. House doors locked, car doors locked, child not left alone with someone unable to care for them....there but for the grace of Zeus went I.
Mine are all grown and went through their periods of thinking I was a complete dolt as a parent. Now two of them have their own kid(s) to tend to. I see them go through the same things, make the same mistakes, and find out as time goes on that perhaps it wasn't being a dolt but it was being thrown curveballs that had to be managed as well as possible. A lot is learned in hindsight.
I have to admit to some stifled and not so stifled laughter on my part when my daughters get a great big helping of parenthood!
As for your friend, I can see several things that could/should have been done to avoid that accident. House doors locked, car doors locked, child not left alone with someone unable to care for them....there but for the grace of Zeus went I.
I'm your huckleberry.
