"Today I almost killed my daughter."

Today I almost killed my daughter. I feel sick even writing this, I’m not sharing our story for attention or sympathy but as a scary wake-up call for us all – to stay vigilant. The truth is I’m so beyond embarrassed that it happened ‘on my watch’, because I’m such a cautious parent as it is, but I feel it’s important to share in the hope that this, or similar NEVER happens to anyone else.

It was like any other regular afternoon of ours, which includes me in the kitchen prepping dinner with my daughter playing with cups and pots at my feet. I had peeled and chopped the potatoes, placing them in the pot and the knife back on the board, when I took one step to the left to remove the husk from the corn. As quickly as I had briefly stepped away, my daughter had stood up and grabbed the board from the bench. Which resulted in a 20cm knife falling and narrowly missing stabbing her in the face.

My heart sank. I felt sick and still do. At the thought of the should of, could of and would of, and how quick everything just happened, within the blink of an eye. Once the initial shock had passed, I began to cry, thinking of how lucky we were that she wasn’t even left with a scratch. Up until the incident, she had never reached up for the bench, nor grabbed anything off it. It shocked me that she could even reach. Unfortunately, accidents like this happen all the time.

I’ve copped so much shit in the past for being a ‘helicopter’ parent, or one that is overly cautious. And I’ve always worn it on the chin because I know at the end of the day; it’s better to be safe than sorry, mum says. Children are so quick, and we can really never be too careful.

LISTEN: Parenting with six kids. (Post continues…)

I implore everyone to be so so careful and remain extra vigilant, but especially so in the kitchen, the bathtub (don’t leave any children unattended even for a split second, they can slip and hit their head, or worse, in the blink of an eye), in and around pools of water and beaches and even in car parks. (I know it is hard, but I have a strict routine when getting the kids out of the car.)

It is also a timely reminder that we should NEVER judge another mother or family in the face of tragedy (or ever really?) All too often I see comments on social media in relation to tragedies and accidents (such as drownings or children who have wandered off) saying things like:

‘How could that even happen’
‘Where were the parents?’
‘That would NEVER happen to me’.

Truth is it CAN happen to you (we all pray and hope it doesn’t), these types of things happen to EVERYDAY people every day. They are labelled ‘accidents’ for a reason; they are purely accidental, freak occurrences.

Children are determined, inquisitive and lightening speed escape artists. So please, keep comments, opinions and judgements to yourself, and take these incidents as lessons and warnings to always stay on the ball. Hug your babies tighter tonight, because I know I will be.

This week has been an absolute disaster, but I’m so thankful that someone was watching down on us today to protect my little Wildflower, even when I couldn’t.

This piece originally appeared on That Mum Wife Travel Life and has been republished with full permission.

The author of this story is known to Mamamia but has chosen to remain anonymous.

The feature image used is a stock image.