Fire Safety: To tell parents of small children to keep a duvet cover in the bedroom

[WorldLeaderPretend]

When my kids were small, I kept a spare duvet cover under the bed in each bedroom. Before I had children, a house 3 doors down lost 2 of their 3 children in a house fire. Parent got into the room but couldn't get the kids out. This haunted me and I decided I could lower a baby or toddler out of a first floor window inside an empty duvet cover. Even if it didn't go right to the ground, it would hugely reduce the distance they would be falling from. I kept one in every child's room until the youngest was 5 or so. Even today we have an agreed escape plan for a fire (and ladders stored on the side of the house for easy access).

Other top tips include using a towel on the pillow for a vomiting child - you just change the towel rather than having to keep changing sheets and pillowcases.

Oh and after a bad dream, you shake the nasty dream off the pillow onto the floor and turn it over to the nice dream on the other side of the pillow. I still do this now I am in my 50s!

For safety or ease, what do you do? Any brilliant ideas?

There are some very manipulative posters on this thread who decided to take the time to tell the OP they've sparked their anxiety.

Why?? Why would you come on and post that? Do you think the OP or the rest of the world is responsible for the things that make you anxious? Are you trying to guilt trip people or tell them what they should/shouldn't post about in your opinion?

If you've got a fire escape plan then why not just click out of the thread?

And if you haven't, then make one today and that might just reduce your anxiety.

There was a thread like this a while ago with someone keeping water bottles in their bedroom for a similar reason (fire, not hoisting babies).

Can't you just use the duvet cover on their duvet rather than keeping a spare one at hand. I have to pass the cupbaord with all the bedding is to get to DS, so can grab one on the way.

I don't understand the posters telling the op not to spread fire safety awareness 😵Why on earth would you do that?

People on here just get more ridiculous by the minute.

I'm not being manipulative by asking that something is mentioned in title, it's a simple request that can be acknowledged or ignored.

I don't think anyone is responsible for my anxiety but it does no harm to add a warning imo.

I don't understand the posters telling the op not to spread fire safety awareness 😵Why on earth would you do that?

I definitely wasn't doing that.

That's VERY manipulative.

You could quite simply have clicked back out of the thread and let those who wish to discuss it do so, without bringing your personal problems into it.

The OP doesn't need to know their thread meant you took a while to settle down to sleep.

Plus you're still on it so it can't be that bad?

That's VERY manipulative.

I genuinely didn't know this. I wasn't trying g to manipulate anyone I simply asked if a warning could be added.

And yes I am still here, here to defend myself because of posters suggesting it is wrong to ask this. I don't think it is. I also don't know why anyone would have a problem with someone asking. It says a lot though.

If I could change something I did to help others, I absolutely would. I certainly wouldn't be telling someone who said they are autistic and obsessive that they were manipulative for mentioning their anxiety.

You're not the only one who took the time to read the OP and then type out a post to tell them they caused their anxiety.

Others did it too and if you don't think that's manipulative that's fine. We just disagree that's all.

I agree that while the topic is a useful one, it would have better if the title mentioned fire safety - it gives the impression that it’s handy household tips about storing bedding.

It also comes across as a little insensitive given the recent news about the flat fire in Nottingham yesterday where two children died, which is reported to have been set deliberately.

It may be handy to update the title, but only because some posters may scroll past not realising it's about fire safety. There's lots of useful, practical advice being put forward.

It's not a discussion that requires a trigger warning, the OP hasn't disclosed a distressing tale.

It's not a discussion that requires a trigger warning, the OP hasn't disclosed a distressing tale.

Yes, yes OP did.

Yes, sorry 🤦🏻‍♀️ just re-read, she did.

Oh I didn't realise that not thinking about something meant it would never happen!
Why should it take a thread on MN to remind you that fires happen? Burying your head in the sand won't stop it from ever happening to you.
Putting plans in place for emergencies is not only sensible and recommended by appropriate authorities but can help anxiety. You don't have to practice a fire escape route in the dark every day, but just checking your smoke alarms work, windows can be easily opened etc (i.e. don't need to fiddle with little keys), and think about how you can get kids out takes seconds and could save lives.

I agree with the poster that said why wouldn't you just put the kids inside the duvet already on their beds if you were going to try and lower them out the window though? extra padding and less faff.

I am at work (5 min on lunch break) and don't have sufficient computer time to report the thread for a fire safety advisory. Please feel free to report on my behalf.

The thread was never intended to upset anyone.

I’ve reported it and asked for ‘fire safety’ to be added to the title.

An interesting note to add is that the sound of a smoke alarm is unlikely to wake a sleeping child so don't rely on it to wake them in the event if a fire

Maybe every thread should have a disclaimer stating: Caution, coffee may be hot.

I really wonder what is wrong with people who have such an attitude about adding a warning to a thread that talks about children dying in a fire.

Fair enough if you don't think it is necessary, but the attitude about it?

But you too have an attitude @actualnamechange 🤷‍♀️

I don't think so and if I have come across as shaving an attitude I apologise. It stated as a simple request, during which I thanked OP for making the thread. But I don't want to go round in circles here.

I get it, people don't think the warning is necessary. What I don't get is why those people feel the need to make snide comments because other people may benefit form it. It's no skin off your noses if it's there.

I've been the subject of a MN pile-on before and it feels awful, @actualnamechange . I can imagine you may be feeling a little like that now. But please recognize that by admonishing the OP for starting a thread that triggered your anxiety (you will say you weren't admonishing, but that's how it reads - the screen can't convey context, as we all know), you've made this topic about you rather than the actual issue which is stopping preventable loss of life by fire. (I don't buy into a child's life being more precious than an adult's, and I say that as a mother - this isn't about children dying, it's about people dying in a fire and the potentially huge consequences to everyone involved in such an incident including the fire crew).

In future, perhaps DM the OP and make your suggestion for a thread name-change. Or, in case that risks encouraging all non-lighthearted threads from coming with a disclaimer, just don't read these things. Discipline yourself to step away. It's not reasonable to read on, feel bad, then admonish posters. That's not me being uncaring; it's you seeking an amendment to a reasonable way the world is (helpful, in this case) to accommodate you when there are perfectly acceptable and easily accessible options open to you.

Sorry it's not snide I just realised it's actually sarcasm I was meaning. The comment about coffee being hot.

Oh wow. It was an innocent request. Blown out of all proportion.

I completely agree. Trigger warning madness.

Offensive? Easily offended to be upset by a potentially life saving tip for crying out loud.

OP, thanks for the tips. It’s kind of you to share. It could help someone, you never know and no harm is given by sharing it.