Being a parent is a BIG responsibility. Kids can get into so much mischief; it is easy to get overwhelmed. You have to keep a constant watch on them if you want to keep them out of trouble.
Even when a parent is paying attention, children can get into unexpected situations that lead to danger and distress. One mother fully realized her children’s inventiveness in the most horrifying way possible.
Lindsey McIver lives with her husband and 3 kids in Conifer, Colorado. Over the weekend her washing machine broke, and her husband promptly replaced it.
“On Monday my husband went to Lowe’s and purchased this new front load washing machine,” Lindsey told Love What Matters. “We thought it was the ‘new and cool’ type of washing machine and didn’t think anything of it. We spent that evening installing it with the kids underfoot. We told them several times that they were not to touch it. They all replied ‘OK.'”
The family went to bed without using the new machine, but it spent the night sitting in the house, plugged in and everything. Apparently, it was pretty tantalizing to the children. The next morning, Lindsey woke up to what she could only wish was a nightmare.
“Early Tuesday morning we were woken up by our four-year-old son who was crying so hard he could barely talk. As I was trying to understand what he was saying, my husband flew out of bed and down the stairs. It was then that the realization hit. He had said: Kloe. Inside. Washer.”
Lindsey felt her heart plummet down into her stomach as panic arose inside of her. Her precious little girl had climbed into the washer since the door was to the front and not on top as usual. The new position made it more accessible to the kids, which made it much more dangerous.
The nightmarish situation continued as Lindsey rushed out of bed behind her husband. “By the time we reached the laundry room in the basement,” she shared, “my three-year-old daughter Kloe was LOCKED inside the airtight washing machine. It was tumbling and filling with water. She was screaming but you couldn’t hear her.”
Thankfully, the parents were able to quickly stop the machine and get their daughter out. “Aside from a couple of small bumps on her head and wet clothes, she was fine.” The situation, however, had left Lindsey and her husband in quite a panic.
After looking at the machine settings for the first time, Lindsey and her husband discovered that there was a child lock feature that stopped the machine from starting while the lock was set. It didn’t stop the door from opening, however, so they also placed a child safety lock on the door itself. Now they are more vigilant than ever about knowing what household objects pose a threat to their children.
Lindsey reluctantly shared the story for the rest of the world to see, despite her fears of others mom-shaming her. She seriously hadn’t thought that this type of washer could be such a threat to her kids’ safety, and she hoped her warning would spare other parents from the heartache she had suffered through.
“I post this because I can honestly say we did not realize the danger of this machine. We are continually surprised at the new, inventive ways our kids come up with to try and die. And this was definitely a new one.”
Lindsey’s final words went out to anyone who might feel the need to shame her, as well as the people who mom-shame in general. After all, this does nothing but add stress on parents who are doing their best for their kids.
“This is the season for…all sorts [of] horrible accidents. And that’s what most of them are. Accidents. Shaming the mom doesn’t do anyone any good. We need to be open and honest about our mistakes to help one another keep our kids safe. And trust me, that mom is already beating herself up enough.”
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