Your toddler, too far away to grab, is reaching for a table containing:
- A carpenter’s plane (sharp edge exposed);
- A stupidly expensive but freakishly cool camera that you really like and makes your life more fun and would really, really miss and don’t really have the money to replace; and
- A tall, full glass of water.
You only have one free hand because you’re holding a plate of macaroni and cheese in the other.
What do you do?
{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
Water, because that saves the camera. If your kid doesn’t know to not grab sharp objects yet, s/he’ll learn that lesson now.
You stop time in your head and weigh up the decisions. I would grab water because water on the camera = bad and water on the planer = bad.
What were all these things doing on the table anyway? (says she who had to lunge for a toddler, who was trying to stab the dog with a knife grabbed off the bench the other night).
Unless the toddler grabs the camera itself…
I’d grab the water and throw it over the toddler to stop them in their tracks
No contest. I’d yell at my toddler, and when I have his attention, do a funky dance to distract him. In public. Holding a plate of mac and cheese.
Now *there’s* an interesting image. Got any video?
Scream like a banshee, hence stunning the toddler into a momentary frozen state, upon which you can hurl the “mac ‘cheese” at her, completing the distraction in time for you rescue the camera.
‘Cause let’s face it, that’s what all this is about.
Doodaddy, the most memorable moments in our household are seldom on film. *sigh*
A-Yell at said toddler distracting them for maybe one whole second and then sending them into full-blown tears for a good guilt inducing five minutes? Of course hugs would be put off until camera is out of reach, and if guilt can be put off moving the rest as well.
B-Set down the Mac & Cheese and grab the camera and sharp thing? OK, more like drop the plate and knock over the water while making a dive for the camera and hurting self on sharp object while toddler laughs.
Of course I couldn’t even keep mine from finding his birthday presents early and carrying them around all morning.
I would probably scream and grab the toddler.
Grab the toddler. And then go grab a beer.
I offer a bite of the mac & cheese! The beauty of bribery! Because what kid doesn’t like mac & cheese? And even if they don’t, toddlers are like puppies: they want what you have even if they don’t actually like it. So even if I *know* the toddler won’t really eat it & it will just end up spit out on the floor, at least now the camera… err…toddler is safe & within grabbing distance so that I can put the items on the table out of reach. (Is there such a place that is truly out of reach of the go-go-gadget-arms of a toddler…?)