putting poision control on speed dial
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| Mon, 10-10-2005 - 4:48pm |
Peter has been doing bizarre things recently: conducting "experiments", eating toothpaste, making off with the bathroom soap.
Twice in two weeks I've had to call Poision Control. One day he ate half a tube of (adults) crest whitening toothpaste (how?). because "I was hungry". called PC, got it sorted out, and he had minty fresh breath for the rest of the day (lol)
Today he managed to spray curad spray bandage in his eyes. I thought I had put everything injurious away, but the kid's imagination beats me every time! I thought he wouldn't spray this stuff on himself, because it is sticky, and he hates sticky. Turns out, he was going to spray it on the dog, whom he had decided was hurt. He was trying to figure out how the cannister worked when he sprayed himself in the eyes (sigh). Short of locking up both bathrooms, my bedroom, and the kitchen, what can we do?
I have told him not to touch anything in the bathroom except the potty, paper, soap, water and towel unless there is an adult present. I don't think that will help long-term.
I have thought about labeling everything thing "kids" and "adults", but that is time consuming.
Any ideas?
-Paula

HI,
instead of acutal labels - how about using colored stickers - like the dots or squares they have at Staples and such? Like Blue for adult stuff and red for kid stuff - etc..... OR - putting a kid friendly sticker on the things he can touch - (whatever he is into, trucks, power rangers, ) - - just a thought........
thanks so much for the advice on starting the word for my DD - I did this twice today and it seemed to work - made her say juice and cookie : ) -- instead of just 'want this'.
you can get Mr Yuck stickers to label things that should not be eaten or ingested. We got some from our ped. when our oldest kids were little and just starting to explore. Amelia decided she was an "adult" and could get her own meds at age 4 so we also got a couple of LARGE tool boxes and padlocks and locked all the stuff up from the bathroom. ok, we didn't have to lock up the toothpaste, but I locked EVERYTHING else up including shampoo and lotion because she started doing experiments (not so dangerous just hugely messy). The kitchen was more difficult. We put harmful stuff under the sink and got some quite complicated child safe locks (my parents and DH couldn't figure them out) to lock up the cleaners.
HTH!
Betsy
paula,
this isn't really about your question. but i got kinda concerned about the amount of fluoride he ingested from the toothpaste. i know poison control wouldn't have been as concerned. but it is a heavy metal in which our guys have a hard time getting rid of. epsom salt baths can help with the methylation process which will help him get rid of the flouride better, and epsom won't hurt him either. it's 1 cup per 60# of child in his bath or a foot bath for at least 20 minutes.
might sound kooky, but you never know--valerie
I love that sticker idea. I think it might actually work. Thanks!
Glad that tip worked. I learned it from a speech therapist. In time she will need it less and less, although I still use it to this day (usually for 'please').
-Paula
visit my blog at www.onesickmother.com
Betsy,
I like the toolbox idea. It might be a good way to safeguard my cosmetics. I don't think we have Mr Yuck in NYS, but will check.
Thanks,
-Paula
visit my blog at www.onesickmother.com
Val,
OK I'm freaked out now. I give my kids flouride supplements from the pediatrician, because there is no flouride added to the water around here.
During the toothpaste incident (a couple of weeks ago) PC told me to have him drink as much milk as I could get down him, as the flouride would bind to the calcium in the milk, and pass harmlessly through his body.
I will check that epsom thing out...
-Paula
visit my blog at www.onesickmother.com
We still have the tool box with our first aid stuff in it from when we had a foster child years ago. Used it while the kids were little. Now I am lucky enough not to have to put the padlock on it.
I guess I am just lucky. I don't have the house "babyproofed" anymore per se because they can get through it all or reach everything, but most of the really dangerous stuff is up high but most can reach it now. Most of our cleaning supplies are "non-toxic" and most of the dangerous stuff is in the garage so it is at least out of site. But there is the regular stuff that you just can't hide all of.
I can totally picture them doing something stupid like that. Well actually in fact, DAve decided to eat a 1/2 a bottle of kids chewable acidopholus one day a few weeks back. Did nothing more than gave him a nasty tummy ache and poops. Tht kind had to be refridgerated and I tried to hide it in the fridge but that didn't work. Now they get the plain old yucky pills. Thing is he hates all other chewables. Go figure. Thier vitamins are actually where they can reach them in containers out and separated. The rest are in the cabinet up high, but Dave has been able to climb the cabinets since he was 1.
We even used to have our fridge and cabinets locked but Dave figured them out. Short of padlocking everything with a key there is little else I can do. I can only hope they stay safe and try my best to keep an eye on them.
It's hard when the kids get bigger than the regular "baby-proofing" age and can get through all the safety precautions and yet still don't have the understanding of what is safe and what isn't.
Renee
Yes. I KWYM. Peter can climb, and Siobhan can open childproof containers (has been able to since 2yo, when I fould her neatly lining up the contents of an Advil bottle, which she had opened). They co-operate on these types of missions....
I think Peter's core issue is the old Autie problem: no sense of danger. Through drilling and drilling, I have managed to get him to understand not to go out in the street (most of the time) and to hold hands in parking lots etc. I guess the house is thought of as a "safe place" so everything therein must be safe, too.
There is an old software adage: "You cannot make *anything* foolproof. This is because fools are so ingenious"
I think I'll need to work on the ingenuity with social stories or the like, rather than foolproofing things 100%. The real danger with completely locking up everything marginally dangerous, is that he will get to a friend's or relative's house and go completely nuts... (and he would!)
-Paula
Who at 4yo once short-circuited the entire house by using a 'concoction' of toothpaste, mouthwash, soap and a shaving brush to clean a lamp in my parent's bedroom!
Karma, how are you?
visit my blog at www.onesickmother.com