In my 8 years as a mom....I can pretty much say if I didn't strictly imposed things to my children, something worst could happen. Remember my Our Mama is Missing post? Yes, thanks to the experience I have with my gremlins I can surely say, "I've been there, done that."

As much as we wanted to, we can't tie our children like dogs so they won't get into accidents. They will get into situations that we consider to be our worst nightmares, right? I always being asked by parents in school how I could handle my kids' uber hyperactive? How I was able to handle when Derek fell down from stairs and had to endure 8 stitches just an inch above his eyebrow.

Accidents happen to anyone and anywhere. Derek in his first few months in school comes back with a cut on his lip because he was running on top of the tables.

Cholo wasn't exception.

I was 7 month pregnant with Dean when I was informed that Cholo met an accident while playing with friends. My heart fell as I saw a huge nasty violetish covered 3/4 of his back, I had to bring him to the hospital and had his back xray-ed. Thank God, it was nothing, but the doctor advised us that he should be resting for 2 weeks at home just to be sure. I remembered, two months before that he was running inside the classroom and tripped his face got hit on the table, so his mouth was bleeding profusely.

Those accidents are product of extreme playing. I wish I could stop them so I won't die early due to heart attack. But then there are accidents that can be avoided.

Consistency and telling them why we are doing it makes it successful.  

• Hold and Never Let Go. 

          As early as 2 years old we should start teach them the importance of holding and never letting go.

Hands, Pockets, or anything they can wrap their fingers/hands around -- I always hold my children's hands whenever we are outside the house, especially inside the mall, or on the streets. When my hands can't do the holding, they know that they should wrap their hands around either the hem of my blouse or they slip their four fingers inside the pocket of my pants. 

Hand Grip -- here in Zamboanga, aside from jeepneys, we also have tricycles.  Just like in jeepneys, tricycles also have handles where a passenger have to grasp for support. My boys are trained to not only hold on with one hand in the handle but also with another hand in the other hand grip. 

Derek has just turned two years old when we joined my husband in his area assignment. So anyway, just like any other going-to-school days, we rode on the tricycle. Derek was sitting facing me (green covered seat) and he was holding to the iron hand grip (behind the seat) while Cholo was sitting beside me.

A day before Derek had a taste of sitting on that make shift sit part of the tryc, and he loved it, so he wanted to sit there again.

My hands were on his knees supporting him even though his tiny hands were on the hand grip. Before I pulled my hands so I can pay the driver I reminded him (the same with Cholo as I always does) about never taking his hands off the hand grip.

Derek at 2 years and 5 months

Just then--

Derek: Weeeeeee!!!!
Me (shocked) : hah!
Driver: Diyos ko! Kuyawa!

Know what happened?

I was looking for my wallet when the driver made a U-turn, Derek literally flew for a couple of seconds from his seat and back. If it weren't because of his tight grip he would have flown out the tricycle!

It was really, really, really scary! I was literally shaking and I know so was the driver.

and my two boys?

Well, Derek was jumping up and down with excitement and adrenalin. He kept on saying, "weee!!!"

Cholo was pouting. "Mama, kere yo bula tamen." (Mama, I want to fly too.)