TIL letting my 7 year old use a ladder without spotting her was a huge mistake

I was in the garage organizing shelves in Toledo, heard a crash, and found her dangling off the third rung with the ladder on its side, and now I don't let anyone touch a ladder unless I'm right behind them - anyone else have a close call like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

angela_harris1mo ago

Honestly, overprotective parenting isn't doing kids any favors either.

joel_clark371mo ago

Toledo, that makes me do a double take, their kid was seven not three.

rose_reed1mo ago

Does anyone else feel like we've swung too far in the "let kids be independent" direction without thinking through basic safety? I get that overprotective parenting can be a problem, but a 7 year old on a ladder without any adult nearby is just asking for trouble. It's like when people say let them climb trees and fall, but there's a difference between a scraped knee and a broken neck from a ladder. Honestly, I've noticed this with a lot of things lately, like letting little kids use sharp scissors or walk alone to the park way too young. We're so scared of bubble wrapping them that we forget the other extreme is just as bad. It's about finding the middle ground, not picking a side.