Window of Opportunity

Today

As Carmen becomes more active, we become more aware of the dangers around her. Last week, while I was caring for her I noticed that she is working out that it's possible to climb up on things to give her more access to the forbidden. Her home has enormous Victorian sash windows which have spent most of their time open during the warm weather, and she is already attempting to rig up a way to look out, or maybe climb out, of them.

In My Day

We moved to Rowan Avenue in Eastbourne in 1975. Lizzie was about three and had a little bedroom at the front overlooking a quiet path and, at that time, fields. The windows were modern and just had a small top casement that we kept open during the warm summer months.

One evening, after we'd settled Lizzie and were at last relaxing together, we heard the most terrific rattling and banging from her room. 

We stared at each other for a moment, aghast. What could be happening? We rushed upstairs to find Lizzie with one leg out of the window, clearly attempting her escape. Somehow, she'd clambered onto the windowsill and up the window and opened the catch fully. I don't know whether she would have succeeded and there was a porch roof beneath to break her fall, but it doesn't really bear thinking about.

We heaved Lizzie down, admonished her and shut the window. The next day saw us at the hardware shop buying a lock that would allow us to leave the window open a fixed amount and prevent baby-mountaineering in the future.

Lizzie seemed relaxed about it and the next time she attempted to leave home it was through the front door, carrying provisions and accompanied by her best friend, at the age of about six, but that's another story.

My great-nephew has a more laissez-faire attitude to his baby's explorings, saying "she'll only do it once!" But she isn't walking yet and they say that a baby has to do things ten times before learning it. I'm not sure that I'd want to risk the first nine attempts.