I know this article may seem a bit morbid but "accidentally hurting your kids" has been a top topic of conversation among many mamás this week. This theme was prompted by the story of the dad who "accidentally" left his 22-month old son in his car for hours. Now it looks like he and his wife might have done it on purpose. I can't imagine any parent doing this to their own child!
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Most of us have hurt our kids without meaning to! A harmless scratch; losing sight of them; dropping them or allowing them to fall; burning them. We all have examples. Take a look at some the stories told by some of our own mamas Latinas!
The top examples provided by our members were:
- Falling or dropping them
- Burning them (while bathing or with hot tea)
- Scratching them by mistake
The example cited most often was losing sight of them for an eternal moment. Some mentioned that this happens even more often now that mamás are distracted by their smartphones! However, most–if not all–of those moms who participated in this conversation say that they can't fathom "forgetting" their babies in a car or anywhere for more than a few moments.
We all feel awful when it happens even when there's little to no consequence. I CANNOT imagine the pain experienced by a parent whose child has accidentally drowned or has been poisoned or shot. ¡Ay Dios mio qué dolor!
After researching the topic, I found that accidents are, by far, the leading cause of death among children and adolescents. Most of them happen at our own homes! The top causes of accidental death among children are: drowning, fire, falls and poisoning. And, among teens 18-24, accidents, homicide and suicides are the leading causes! So even as a mom of teens the worry doesn't stop!
Imagen vía Thinkstock
