HELP - 11 MO FELL DOWN STAIRS!!!!! WORST MOTHER IN THE WORLD!!!!!

[Weejy]

I AM OFFICIALLY THE WORST MOTHER IN THE WORLD!!!! I WAS UPSTAIRS TODAY, 11 MO DS IN HIS COT PLAYING, I TOOK SOME WASHING DOWNSTAIRS AND WHEN I CAME BACK UP I DIDN'T SHUT THE STAIRGATE. DS WAS BORED IN HIS COT SO I GOT HIM OUT, PUT HIM ON THE FLOOR, SHUT THE DOORS TO ROOMS I DIDN'T WANT HIM IN AND PUT SOME IRONING AWAY. NEXT THING I HEARD WAS A LOUD NOISE AND THEN A SCREAM. DS HAD FALLEN DOWN THE STAIRS. I PICKED HIM UP, HE WAS SCREAMING, I WAS SOBBING, PHONED HUBBY WHO RUSHED HOME, DS IS OK, NO SIGNS OF INJURY BUT I NOW DON'T FEEL HAPPY BEING ON MY OWN WITH HIM AS I FEEL LIKE I AM INCOMPETENT!!!!! I HAVE A FRIEND COMING ROUND FOR THE DAY, THANK GOODNESS, BUT CAN ANYONE HELP ME OUT HERE? HAS ANYONE ELSE HAD THIS HAPPEN OR AM I THE ONLY COMPLETE F*&^%$NG IDIOT USELESS MOTHER IN THE WORLD THAT WOULD LET THIS HAPPEN?!?! PLEASE HELP ME, FEELING VERY VERY LOW AT THE MO.

my daughter fell down the stair at he same age. She had just learnt to crawl and we hadn't put up the stair gate yet. We heard a bang then a scream and DD had attempted climbing the stair and fell down.
She screamed blue murder for about 5 minutes then suddenly went quiet and eyes just stared. We took her to hospital where she promptly fell asleep. Doctor couldn't find a bumps and said she was just being a drama queen

These things happen don't worry about it.

You DO feel terrible, but we canot wrap them in cotton wool, so we do what we can, and learn from the mistakes.
Saying that, we have been to A&E twice, for the same thing...(he split his eye open running in the house).

We can't protect them all the time, and this is how kids learn, otherwise, how do they learn that fear associtated with pain...(know what I mean)
I still hurt myself doing silly things I am 34!!LOL

marie
x x x

Weejy - hope this makes you feel better...

When aged 6 months, my dd decided to roll for the very first time while on our bed, and fell off, cue trip to hospital as she reacted very badly.

A few weeks later, she rolled off the changing table when dh was leaning to get a nappy, luckily he caught her by her foot, but she was still bruised from where he'd grabbed her.

Last week (aged 19 months) we went to the zoo. We were in their "rain forest" in a pitch black area, she was pulling to move, she slipped from my grip, fell backwards and hit her head on some rocks.

Last night, put her into the cot while I went to the loo, she was leaning on the bars, her centre of gravity shifted and she fell out of the cot onto the floor.

So, dont feel like a useless mother. Your child is safe in your hands... probably not in mine!