Persistent Redditor Warns Friend About Drawstring Setup Inside Her Baby's Crib Which Might Be Fatal, Friend Won't Listen Insisting Her Baby Prefers It
Suffocation prevention is among the basics when it comes to making a baby's environment safe. The easiest way to do this is to keep out the unnecessary items from the crib or sleeping area.
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It's really important to understand how dangerous strangulation can be because it can cause more serious injuries compared to trauma in other parts of the body. This is because the neck is where all the blood and oxygen flow from our body to our brain.
Sadly, it's also the most vulnerable and unprotected part of our body. Babies are especially at risk when there are things that might strangle them inside their environments.
But believe it or not, some parents have setups that include strings. That's why there's one Redditor who just can't sit idly by as she sees her friend using a drawstring inside a one-year-old's crib.
This friend had been using a drawstring in her 19-month-old's crib since birth. The drawstring was tied around the crib bars and the child's bottle, posing a serious strangulation risk if it became entangled with the child.
Despite the concerns and insistence of the original poster (OP) on the potential danger, their friend initially resisted removing the drawstring, telling the OP that it was a comforting mechanism for the child.
The OP is torn between understanding their friend's parenting choices and prioritizing the safety of the child. She asked the "Am I The A**hole?" (AITA) community whether it was worth the risk, especially when there are clear alternatives available to mitigate such dangers in a baby's environment.
Ultimately, she sought opinions from others on Reddit to gauge if they were overreacting or if their concerns were justified. She was very vocal and persistent about removing the setup as she believed it was life-threatening.
The OP saw a drawstring setup inside the crib of her child's friend. She persistently tries to have her friend remove it.
The OP considers the setup life threatening, which is why she is adamant about getting removed.
It's common sense that parents shouldn't be placing any kind of string inside a baby's crib.
But the OP's friend also insists that nothing bad will happen.
Because of the baby's limited movements, they are at risk in a dangerous setup.
That's why it's the parent's job to ensure that everything in a child's environment is safe.
The OP's friend insists that the baby considers it a comforting mechanism. That's why she won't listen.
This is one of those issues where it's okay to be an a-hole for the sake of a child's safety.
The OP's persistence may make her seem like an a-hole to some people. However, in doing so, she may be saving a child's life.
It's better to be an a-hole now than for the friend to regret things later.
This user has pointed it out: The OP's friend has no common sense when it comes to child safety.
Any item that might strangle a baby should never be inside a crib.
If we consider whether the OP was being the a-hole, she is indeed acting like one. After all, unsolicited advice tends to make people feel defensive rather than receptive.
However, being the a-hole in this situation was justified. The OP is simply concerned about the well-being of her friend's baby, even if it comes across as an a-hole move.
The OP might want to talk to other people to help convince her friend before it's too late.