Mom/care givers everywhere make sure your blind cords

[lilafowler]

Thank goodness he is ok!

I'm so paranoid, I tuck all the cords into the top of the window jam or wrap them around the top of the blind.

[mushmouse]

Sept 19, 2014 18:48:36 GMT -5 @smace said:

4

God.  You think you're past a lot of this danger and then they really start getting into things. Mine is 4 too and he was really cautious but is getting crazy now.  I think he unraveled the cord minder thing we had on the one in the living room so thank  you for the reminder to check it.

[lilafowler]

Sept 19, 2014 18:49:26 GMT -5 @smace said:

Sept 19, 2014 18:48:03 GMT -5 lilafowler said:

Thank goodness he is ok!

I'm so paranoid, I tuck all the cords into the top of the window jam or wrap them around the top of the blind.

he can reach all that b/c the bed is up against the window. I figured taping the fuck out of it would be the best way to stop further issues until they can buy a new one.

That's a good suggestion-I hate blinds-we're going to replace them with shades as we go!

Ellie's room  was actually the only room in our new place that "came with" shades-I'm SO glad.  

[Deleted]

Oh man. Glad it didn't end up worse!

[peachdragon]

My daughter learned a great lesson the other day on why wrapping a vacuum cord around her neck while mom is vacuuming is a BAD idea.

We have cordless blinds in her bedroom; those rock. The only blinds that have a cord is in the office, and she's not really allowed in there.

[underwaterrhymes]

That's so scary. I was super paranoid about this and replaced all of our blinds with cordless except for the verticals and the ones that cover our sidelights.

The verticals don't present a problem, but the sidelight ones freak me out because he is endlessly fascinated with them and they are head-sized. Luckily there are only two and he only has access to them when we are around. I will be replacing those too just as soon as I figure out what will work there.

[Deleted]

Ugh, scary. We have ours wrapped up on a hook installed next to the window.

[hausmaus]

We just moved into an apartment last week and every window has blinds. I ordered those cord wraps for them, but am worried that won't be enough.  My 4-year-old is obsessed since we never had them in our old house.  They're like a new toy to her.  I may just take all of them down after reading this.  So glad he's ok!

[jenna]

We have shades and cordless blinds. Scary that it can happen to a preschooler. Glad he's ok.

[MixedBerryJam]

Heck. I have teens and I still keep the blind cord tucked up there. (This is my bright yellow office.) I also still only open the top half of my double hung windows. Please disregard the blinds held together with duct tape! I forgot all about that!
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[usuallylurking]

Sept 19, 2014 19:15:03 GMT -5 @ygmg said:

Ugh, scary. We have ours wrapped up on a hook installed next to the window.

This is what we do, too.  And I purposefully chose the orientation of DS1's bunk beds so that they were nowhere near where he could fool with the blinds.  I'm such a worrier.

[moolarkey]

When DD was in elementary school her art teacher's 5 year-old died this way. Strangled on drapery cords. The whole family was such nice people, I have a painting the teacher did hanging in our bedroom.

[Jalapeñomel]

I just went and taped them up. This would have never occurred to me, so thank you for this post.

[isabel]

I am so thankful that the previous owners of our home bought really nice blinds with retractable cords. None of the cords hang any lower than the window sill and you have to pull them fairly hard to move the blinds. One less thing to worry about.

That kid is lucky and so are his parents. That's really scary.

[Jalapeñomel]

Sept 19, 2014 20:52:57 GMT -5 @smace said:

Sept 19, 2014 20:36:42 GMT -5 Jalapeñomel said:

I just went and taped them up. This would have never occurred to me, so thank you for this post.

it's one of those things you don't think about until (a) a tragedy occurs and you hear about it or (b) a near tragedy occurs and you hear about it.

same with anchoring furniture.

Yes, we anchored all of our bookshelves due to a post on MMM.  It just doesn't seem like my kid would have the strength to pull it down, but obviously they do! 

[sofamonkey]

You should be able to shorten the cords. Pop the little buttons off the bottom, pull the extra cord out that way, and snip it. Go as short as possible.

[nadasteph]

Sept 19, 2014 20:54:53 GMT -5 Jalapeñomel said:

Sept 19, 2014 20:52:57 GMT -5 @smace said:

it's one of those things you don't think about until (a) a tragedy occurs and you hear about it or (b) a near tragedy occurs and you hear about it.

same with anchoring furniture.

Yes, we anchored all of our bookshelves due to a post on MMM.  It just doesn't seem like my kid would have the strength to pull it down, but obviously they do! 

We thought that about my kid's dresser and he pulled it down on top of himself.  It happened the day after I told my h he needed to secure it because Ben was starting to mess with it.  Ben was fine but holy shit did that scare me.

[imhischeeseburger]

So glad the boy is okay. The housing office actually sent out maintenance to replace all the horizontal blinds with the vertical ones in all of the houses here on base because a child died from strangulation

[paigeparker]

Thank you for the reminder. I am so so glad he is ok. An acquaintance's niece died from this several years ago (before I had children) and blinds scare the bejesus out of me now. I think about her family a lot.

[stephlove]

This is why I love this place. I never thought that blind cords would be so dangerous. Thanks for helping me check off one more clueless box on my long list.

[Pixiehollow]

Good reminder. Maybe I'm not thinking of something but can't you just cut them as short as possible when the blinds are in the down position? Then only if opening them you need to tack them up? That is what we did with ours.