to want to warn others of the danger microwaves pose to children after something dd1 did?

[Dillydaydreamer]

I came downstairs yesterday morning to my 3yo dd1 microwaving a large beaker of water. Luckily I got there in time before it had heated and had got it out. I dread to think what could have happened if she had heated the water and spilt it getting it out.
She managed to use a toilet stool (carried downstairs) to reach the microwave.
We now have a high stair gate across the kitchen door!

We have one of those teddies that you heat up in the microwavw and use as a hot water bottle.
Ds3 thought you could do that to all teddies and put ds1's beany baby kitten in there. Melted eyes not a good look for kitty......

We switch off /unplug everything at the socket at night unless it absolutely has to be on .Although this is because I am paranoid about fire.
I think the best way is to explain the dangers to a toddler.Most 3 year olds don't WANT to burn the house downs.It is very difficult to physically restrain a 3 yr old from anything dangerous.

experience of 3 year olds...well, I used to work in a nursery, mother used to be a childminder (rated outstanding, did it for nearly 15 years, mostly preschoolers and babies), have a now 6 year old niece, lots of friends with preschoolers...

have never ever seen or heard of this happening before. Its not funny at all, its very shocking and very bad parenting.

maybe you should drink less at night so you're more alert in the mornings? get up before them FFS

danger isnt the microwave, its the mother.

bye

Bye....

Who said anything about the OP drinking???

ROFL at APerson

She has gone. Perhaps to have the big stick removed

Am utterly amazed that this threat turned bitchy! Wow.

Aperson - well mark me as a crap mother too then as my son put something in the microwave and set it on which set it on fire.

My crime - going upstairs to use the toilet.

She's off to do her homework that she's been putting off all half term

I am safe from this luckily because,

a. My Kitchen is off limits to ALL children (not for this reason) it is kept gated with a very secure gate which gets replaced if and when they work out how to open it.

b. My Microwave is of a bracket high on the wall they wouldn't be able to reach it even if they were on a chair.

Phew one less thing to worry about fo now.

roffle @ aperson

how petulant she sounds, are you sure you are an adult?

3 yr olds can be extremely determined individuals, but you got there before any harm was done and know she can do it now, so at least you can prevent it from happening again

Luckily I have such an ancient microwave that you need to press exactly the right combination of buttons to get it to do anything. And it's really hard to open the door too.

Hurrah for being poor!

mine are all older now, but the microwave is generally prevented from being opened by all the washing up stacked in front of it, waiting to be done

which i am meant to be doing now

Aperson I know you haven't really gone cos flouncers always hang around to see the responses. But perhaps when you actually have your 'own' children, in your 'own' home 24 hours a day, you will be entitled to set yourself up as a paragon of parenting ? Until then, lighten up and unpurse your pouting lips!

To the honey volcano person - cool idea - DD will love it

aPerson, you will get a different perspective when you have your own children.
Really. I promise you.
Am falling off my chair laughing at "get up before them"

you may not believe it now, but "teach them to use the dvd player" is more realistic.

"you may not believe it now, but "teach them to use the dvd player" is more realistic. "

how very true, and make sure they know what chnnnel number Cbeebies is so they can change it if you're forgotten to before you go to bed

BumSquash - do they not just climb over the gate?? (that's what all my children have done with gates that they couldn't open )

we don't have a microwave, I don't trust them

[luddite]

Aperson obviously doesn't know children very well... I used to work with kids and MY mother was a childminder for 18 years.

Call me a bad mum then!!!

Oh better go and stop DS1 (3yrs) & DS2 (1yr) from cooking the roast dinner then...

DH and I were going to have a lazy day in bed while they did the washing too... Bugger

How flippin hilarious that this thread has turned so judgy!

Thank you OP for reminding us of how resourceful sneaky 3 year olds can be.

Thank you Aperson for reminding us of how ignorant up themselves people without kids who think they know all about them can be.

Very bad parenting? I must be the worlds worst mother then. I just had to drag my 6 year old off the flat roof. I know realise that no 6 year old should ever be left in his own bedroom on his own incase he does something that I thought he could not do and would not do.

Kids have a habit of suddenly being able to do things that they couldnt do seconds before.

Anyway, back to the microwave - I think they are particularly tricky because they are so easy to use. You dont need to be very strong or have greatly developed fine motor skills and they make exciting noises. Thats why kids love them.

Mine also happens to be pink which could be irressistable to many small girls (well it was to me)

I don't recall my children being interested in using the microwave at all at that age, and we took the child gates away long before dd hit three. However those early years have turned into a compete blur, so who knows (I think this is one of those protective things nature has in place to ensure that people go on having babies). I do recall much lying on the sofa trying desperately to go back to sleep whilst the children watched cbeebies, so maybe they only started getting up on their own much later.

I have no funny microwave stories, but have enjoyed the ones here (more likely to be done deliberately now that the children are older tbh)

I have to confess that at an age much larger than three, my sister and I used to amuse ourselves by putting the plates my mum had with a silver strip round the edge into the microwave to watch them 'dance'

My ds (3) once microwaved my newborndd's dirty nappy.

Fortunately dd was not in it at the time.

argh, yet another hazard to worry about soon...

When I was 3, I decided to cook myself breakfast - got egg, scrambled it in bowl, heated marg in pan on electric hob, sat on the other front hob so I could poke it with a spatula. I was doing rather well until my mum came in, screamed, and I dropped it all on the floor...
At 18 months MrNC managed to remove a fireguard, unplug the telly, plug the electric fire in instead, and then grab a bar of the fire - he still has the scar on both sides of his hand.

So far just have to worry about A chewing electric cables and pulling stuff on himself - our house is a bit of a building site...

my ds (6) and dd1 (4) can rwach/turn on everything in the house, short of an actual padlock, they can get anywhere. Dd still has a little trouble with the child locks on the kitchen cupboards, but not much. I'm afraid I just assume they can get it/reach it. I have been known to come into the kitchen and find one standing on the worksurface with the biscuit tin cupboard open taking orders from the other standing below. Mind you my 18 month old knows how to pull a chair (adult size) from one room too another in order to climb up on it to get what she wants (usually the kitchen sink and to play with the washing up/water etc.) Fortunately she hasn't yet worked out how to open the gate...

that was switch/turn on obviously

Actually my 18 month old can open the microwave door, I haven't taught her, but she sees her milk heating up and can't wait to get at it..