Lessoned Learned: Treadmills

Isn't it the truth that we always learn our lessons the hard way? And as a parent, we truly want to take all the pain away from our kids, but sometimes, you can't. right?

This is the case with the lesson Melanie learned yesterday with the TREADMILL.

Melanie's lesson: Don't play on a treadmill.

Mom's Lesson: Don't assume that Melanie can't turn on dangerous machines on her own, just muck sure they are unplugged.

Story behind the lesson: Yesterday we were at my dad's house celebrating his birthday. Everyone had just finished eating, and Melanie was playing on Grandpa George like he was a jungle gym. Grandpa got a phone call which he couldn't take with Melanie on his lap and set her down. I had been sitting right next to them, but I didn't hear Melanie ask Grandpa if she could play on the treadmill. What I DID hear next was a loud, blood curdling scream. I look over and my lovely daughter is pinned between the back end of the treadmill and the fireplace, and the treadmill was going FULL speed. I ran to her as fast as I could (of course screaming and wanting to cry) but the damage was already done. One of her knees, her wrists, hands, fingers, all were rubbed/burned by the fast moving belt of the treadmill. I suppose I should be grateful that I was so close that I could get to her that fast because I was able to stop it. It could have been much worse. Apparently she turned it on by her self, unknowningly to the highest speed, and it shot of her the back end. That would have been the end of the story if the treadmill weren't so closer to the fireplace.

Thankfully I had an Aunt there that is a nurse and she was able to look at all Melanie's wounds and determined that she didn't need to go to the emergency room. We have pretty princess band aids for Melanie, so she now thinks she looks pretty cute with all her "battle scars" (which is what I have convinced her they are all).

Here is her with some of her battle scars on her hand. You can't tell from the photo, but she had burns on all her knuckles, and in between each of her fingers on her right hand. And also on her wrist.

Her right knee was the worse. We didn't have a cute princess band aid for that battle scar, so Mom and Melanie made a cute rainbow band aid instead. I'm so grateful that it wasn't worse, and if could have so easily been. I'm thankful she had a thick shirt on and her chest and stomach was not injured (as she was laying with her chest on the belt as well.) I'm grateful that I had other family members so close by so that we could rescue Melanie right away (as I was a little panicked) and that Aunt Tammy was able to look at the wounds. And I'm thankful that we have both learned our lesson so that we can, hopefully, avoid serious pain in the future.