How do you teach toddlers the dangers of a hard surface?

Discussion in 'Toddlers' started by TheKnight, Nov 21, 2016.

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  1. TheKnight

    TheKnight Active Member

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    Time and time again, I see that toddlers hit themselves on the head because they're either sitting down or close against a wall and suddenly throw themselves back.

    Is there a way to help them remember what happened or what could happen if they throw themselves back on a hard surface? Helping them be more aware is what I want.

    At least the ground was soft:

    [​IMG]
     
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  2. kamai

    kamai Active Member

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    I tell my daughter the real dangers so she can memories them and start learning right away. Of course since they are too young to understand every word I demonstrate. For example if she is too close to the wall and is playing I will pretend to hit my head and tell her, "see this is what can happen to you" and it helps if you say ouch when demonstrating while massaging the hit.
     
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  3. biege

    biege New Member

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    How about letting them experience it themselves like allowing them to touch the surface or the object gently, and tell them what happens if they hit it or or you got hit by it by a way of acting it out yourself? I guess, it's somewhat similar to what @kamai mentioned on the last part.
     
  4. janemarie

    janemarie Member

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    They don't yet have the ability to hold themselves upright and I think they obviously can't help falling over. We know this already so expect it and make the surroundings where you put your baby/toddler safe. If you sit them on the floor give them lots of cushions for example placed around them.
    Once they are a bit older they can hold themselves up and it doesn't happen any more.
     
  5. remnant

    remnant Member

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    Toddlers learn most dangers through experience which is part of growing up. They are lightweight and appear to be spongy. I have seen toddlers fall on hard surfaces from a height which would cause an injury to a grown up and emerge unscathed. They should be gently reprimanded whenever they have such misfortunes. They learn fast.
     
  6. tony

    tony Active Member

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    What I see there is the mother should always keep an eye on her toddler. The toddler may not be able to hold herself or himself sitting for a long time without falling back or sideways if no one is helping. If you make the effort at teaching them what could happen should they fall back, I doubt if the toddler will understand. Best is to watch over them all the time.
     
  7. Binu

    Binu Member

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    In my observation children, including, babies and toddlers, tend to do the things that they are taught to avoid. If you say don't sit near a wall you might hurt your head, it is likely that the child will sit at the wall and hurt himself. Usually I will allow the child do what ever he wants, however, I am always there in case he hurts himself. Even when he hurts, I will there to look after him immediately. When he hurts himself, he will learn a lesson.
     
  8. TheKnight

    TheKnight Active Member

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    I don't mean when they lose balance. Some kids while sitting down on the floor or next to a wall even when they're solid enough, actually forget that there are walls or that the floor will hurt their heads so they actually throw themselves back. Sometimes, they even let themselves fall back during a tantrum.
     
  9. Alexandoy

    Alexandoy Well-Known Member

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    To be honest, I hate this thread because I have so many bad experiences with my nieces and nephews when they were toddlers. My oldest nephew had a big bump on his head when he fell from the concrete stairs of our terrace (I was single then, living with my parents and my married brothers were also living with us). One niece had a bruised nose when she fell from a small chair. I understand that it is the instict of humans to protect themselves but toddlers have no mind about hard surfaces or of falling. The only way I see to teach them to be careful is to guard their moves and always be in control together with the words telling them of the danger.
     
  10. Holmes22

    Holmes22 Active Member

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    Well as much as I am a proponent of letting them figure it out on their own and that experience is the best teacher, I realize that it is pretty hard to watch kids do something that you know is preventable. I always had a thought to giving them a point of reference when it comes to thing like this, so maybe showing them it is hard by breaking an egg or something.
     
  11. TheKnight

    TheKnight Active Member

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    I never thought about breaking an egg. You think it would be okay if we tell them or hint at them that the same thing will happen to their head as it happened to the egg? It sounds a bit mean but if it prevents further hits to the head, then I suppose it would be worth the try. I'll actually try this. Thank you for the tip.
     
  12. workingbuck

    workingbuck Active Member

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    Well when I was taking care of my cousin which was way younger than me obviously, when ever I would like to teach him something I would tell him a story. Since some toddlers enjoy stories, I just tried if it works since my cousin always smashes his head onto a wall or even the floor if he gets a bit irritated. so one time when he was in the mood for a story I made up a story that goes like this " The wall is a bit hard isn't it? A friend of mine kept banging his head onto the walls of their house and he got his skull broke. He stayed in the hospital for years which made his parents really sad." he looked at me with that look on his face that tells me he won't do such a thing ever. then I asked him if he wants his parents to be sad and he answered with a big no. I guess it helped quite a bit since after that story, every time he wants to hit his head to a wall or something hard, he would stop and he would just get mad instead of hitting his head.
     
  13. TheKnight

    TheKnight Active Member

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    @workingbuck Hah, I was expecting a more brutal story but I guess you can't really strike fear into a child that much or else they might be traumatized. I could say something like that to the toddlers I take care of but most of them will just forget it by the next day. I would need to come up with a story that isn't too brutal but one that will stick with them.
     
  14. Decentlady

    Decentlady Active Member

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    I don't think you teach toddler dangers of anything, you just let them experience it and be watchful.

    I don't think their brains can remember the dangers unless they feel it for themselves. As a parent it is your duty to see that they don't get hurt badly and you have to be on their backs full time but with time they do learn what's good and what's bad.
     
  15. faith

    faith Member

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    This may sound cruel, but experience can be the best master. Trial and error is a powerful teacher. Sometimes you have to let them learn by falling and getting up again.
     
  16. pwarbi

    pwarbi Active Member

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    I might be a little old school in the way that I approach things, but when I was growing up my parents used to let me learn my own lesson and if I hurt myself doing something, then even at a young age I would know not to do it again. Even in this day and age I still think that still works, and while I think as parents it's only natural that we want to try and make sure that our children don't hurt themselves in the first place, sometimes it's the only way that they will learn.

    Obviously the scenario determines what you should do, and I'm not suggesting that if a toddler is reaching for the handle of a pan of boiling water then we should let them get burned, but if we can see that no real injury is going to occur and all that will happen is a few tears, sometimes it's better to let that happen so they will learn their own lessons.
     
  17. workingbuck

    workingbuck Active Member

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    Haha I totally agree,that's why I always need new stories. Children tend to forget some things even if they are stories. The funny thing is, they do not forget funny stories which they loved laughing at. There was this story that my baby cousin loved so much that he wanted to it told to him everyday. What's funny is he always laughed at it the way he laughed at it the first time.
     
  18. TheKnight

    TheKnight Active Member

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    That's true about the funny stories or funny actions that I do that make them laugh. Every day they would want me to do the same thing or tell the same story several times and they never get bored of it. This is why they need to be told a story that affects them in a way they'd remember and not forget without causing trauma. It's going to be a tough one.
     
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  19. Nocturnal Writer

    Nocturnal Writer Active Member

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    Communication is the shortest way to do it. It could be done by teaching them. Let them know that it is bad to hit their head, their body to anything that is hard for it would damage or affect their brain or whatever. Don't tell them of fairy tell about reality. And foremost is to watch them over always. Let his playing area free from obstacles or anything that could harm him. Be a real for them. No fantasy.
     
  20. workingbuck

    workingbuck Active Member

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    Yes it is quite tough. Have you ever tried telling them stories because you want to teach them something? but then while you're in the middle of the story they suddenly want you to tell them a funny story which you have already told them a dozen times LOL!
     
  21. TheKnight

    TheKnight Active Member

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    Yeah and that happens when one story reminds them of another. I don't care how entertained they are with the current one because as long as they remember the other one, the current one becomes garbaged. You gotta sometimes appreciate the honesty of children, though. Sometimes when telling a story, I make a gesture or a sound that they like so as you can predict, they derail the story and want me to continue doing it over and over again.
     
  22. workingbuck

    workingbuck Active Member

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    Haha, I agree, children are too honest. A grown up can lie that you look awesome, while a child would not mind telling you that you look like Shrek. It's a bit harsh but I do find that funny.
     

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