About 20 years ago our Pediatrician experienced loosing Three of his toddler patients. All separate incidences and separate families. All three were on vacation, two visiting hotels and one at Grandma's house. The toddlers were able to climb out of their beds and cribs and got out the door to the pool. Sadly their rambunctious toddler curiosities led them to drown in pools during what should have been a fun family vacation.
Block the hotel door, or any place you stay that's not home - with a chair, dresser or anything you can move to prevent tragedy. Even if you think your child is unable to climb out of bed, neither did the parents who lost their children. Our children amaze us by learning new tricks every day and maneuvering their way out the door in the middle of the night is not one we'd like to let them teach us.
I was even a little shocked thinking back on my last trip to Maui and having the EXACT issue with the entry door unlocking when my son pulled on the handle. I was just generally frustrated that I was having to chase him down the hall every five minutes, but it never occurred to me that the pool was literally just steps away around the corner with no fencing, no locks and literally a straight walk into it at ground level off the grass.
This can happen to anyone, anywhere! I hope this advice helps just one family to take this simple step to prevent tragedy from happening again.
Do you have any SAFETY tips for traveling with kids? Please share!
ShareThis
6 comments:
wow, great advice and so important to keep in mind while traveling. We tend to let our guards down on vacation..it's especially important to be vigilant when they are so young and learning new things everyday. Thanks. My husband was out of town for work and the hotel he was staying at had a wide open window when he walked into the room, no screen and he was on the 7th floor! Freaked me out, b/c had we been with our children, what if they had run to the window? very scary.
Great tips which I will share with my friends who have kids. Thanks.
Regards,
David
Malaysia Asia
Melissa, I can't imagine having that screen missing. Sadly not everyone (including hotels) always thinks of child safety, therefore we must be our childrens protectors. But even in a new evironment it can be hard to know what dangers are around us. I'll definately be more aware of hotel windows now that you've mentioned that. THANK YOU for your comment!
What an excellent reminder. While traveling this summer my nephew "wandered" off for about 20 minutes and it was the scariest thing I have ever experienced. Thank goodness he was just in grandma's car in the garage, but so much can happen so very quickly.
Kids are so hard to keep track of every single second of the day, how scary that must have been! My daughter was always great, but my son is a wanderer as well and always gets out of my sight at home in the yard.
Sadly I've also read articles this year on kids like your nephew who snuck into the Car and only minutes later, died from heat exhaustion. Absolutely heart breaking and it happens quicker than you would think.
I just hope we can share our stories and tips to everyone to remind us that it can happen to even the BEST of parents.
Nice and useful travel tips, thanks for sharing!
Best Travel Blog
Post a Comment