Am I overreacting?

nfrtny · May 2012

DH thinks I'm weird for not wanting DS to walk around on side walks and driveways cause I'm afraid he's gonna fall in his face. Am I being overly paranoid? I know kids get hurt, but I don't want him busting his face or his head on the pavement. He's only been walking for a month, so it's not like he's a pro or anything! His birthday party will be in the backyard at my parents house, with like 60 people, and I'm trying to figure out a way to keep him off the driveway. Am I just totally weird??

tulipblossom · May 2012

Yes your over reacting. Letting him on sidewalk, driveways, ect is fine. Even if he falls its not like he's falling off a bike or running or anything. I take O outside all the time she even when she does fall she's fine.

IdigDirt · May 2012

I think it would be easier for him to walk on a hard surface and hopefully if he falls it's just on his butt.

nfrtny · May 2012

DS never falls on his butt, ever. He tries to run everywhere he goes. He has fallen face first into the driveway twice and I'm ALWAYS afraid he's going to bite into his tongue or his teeth are going to go into his lip or something disgusting like that.

magnoliablossom00 · May 2012

I don't think you're overreacting. DD has been walking since 8months and am just now starting to feel like she is balanced enough to walk independently on sidewalks, etc. I used to hold her hand when she'd walk on concrete. I feel confident enough in her walking abilities now to let her go on her own though. Bittersweet!

Magenta728 · May 2012

I don't think you're overreacting. If you posted this 6 months from now, then that'd be a different story. DD has been walking for a month and a half, and when she falls, it's face forward. Usually, her hands catch her, but not always. I totally understand being so cautious bc our LOs are such early walkers. I'll be a lot more comfortable with it in a month

mesr · May 2012

i think you're being overly paranoid. kids get hurt as they learn to walk. it happens. he has to fall so that he can learn how to avoid falling in the future.

gymnst1013 · May 2012

I do understand where you're coming from - of course we don't want to see our kids get hurt. But at the same time, kids DO get hurt and they generally learn from their mistakes. I think keeping him from walking on the sidewalk or driveways is being overprotective and helicopter parent-y.

MammaBear81 · May 2012

mesr:
i think you're being overly paranoid. kids get hurt as they learn to walk. it happens. he has to fall so that he can learn how to avoid falling in the future.

This, they develop "fall reflexes" (e.g. putting their hands out as they fall) and that will help them get hurt *less* as time goes on.

Birdies08 · May 2012

gymnst1013:
I do understand where you're coming from - of course we don't want to see our kids get hurt. But at the same time, kids DO get hurt and they generally learn from their mistakes. I think keeping him from walking on the sidewalk or driveways is being overprotective and helicopter parent-y.

I agree, especially with understanding where you're coming from, OP. Last year at our block party, we had toddlers running up and down the sidewalk. I had a mini heart attack each time one fell over, but most of the time, they just got back up and kept running. One little guy conked his head pretty bad, I swore we were going to have to call an ambulance, except then he was fine in 2 seconds (he wasn't bleeding or anything, I just got freaked out- luckily I kept it to myself!).

The falls are scary to us then they are to our LOs

mari_gold · May 2012

mesr:
i think you're being overly paranoid. kids get hurt as they learn to walk. it happens. he has to fall so that he can learn how to avoid falling in the future.

Agreed. I also think falls are less likely on solid surfaces such as concrete.

MrsPBNJ0220 · May 2012

I don't think you are being to paranoid, our DS still is not walking and I can't even stand the idea that our house is tile. I don't think there is anything wrong with being overly protective, does it make your job more busy, yes, but in the end if you save your child from getting her then that's great.

I also don't think it's so bad to let them walk on the concrete, but that's easier said than done, because I will likely be like you. I have a friend who's son had just started walking, well had been for 2 months, and he fell on the concrete, his teeth did go through his lip and he bit his tongue. More or less it required surgery, and I would rather be over protective then have something like that happen.

kimbo1216 · May 2012

Look at this way. It probably won't take many falls for him to figure out how to stop it.

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