When my second daughter Ellie was born, I thought I was a parenting expert. I read all the books, experienced the late night/early morning feedings, and knew exactly what to expect. What I didn’t anticipate, when that brilliant baby came into the world, was that she would be completely opposite from her sister. The moment I saw her I thought she could have been a twin, but her mind was already working in fun and mischievous ways.
Once Ellie took her first steps, my whole method of parenting changed in an instant. Ellie was curious and everything was a new adventure. She had (and still has) no fear and everything was a game to see how far she could push the boundaries. I had to watch her every second like a “momma hawk,” wondering and anticipating how she might explore our house and discover the things we had in every nook and cranny.
I learned quickly that storing items, especially chemicals and cleaners, was going to be very challenging. Growing up, my mother kept everything stored in low cabinets and containers. I did the same with my first child, but realized that was not the best option for Ellie. She needed to have these items completely out of her reach and vision. My whole mission was to prevent an accident before it happened.
With her extreme curiosity, I knew that everything could be a potential problem, especially if she found it and wanted to explore and taste it. Everything went into the mouth and I quickly changed my approach to storing these items. When she was born, laundry packets became a new option for washing clothes and I was excited to use them at home, but nervous as I didn’t want Ellie’s curiosity to result in accidental exposure.
From that moment on, I was on a mission to put all my #PacketsUp, meaning that the usage, handling, and storage of items was going to be my personal mom mission. I am excited to now be a part of the #PacketsUp initiative to help encourage parents across the country to put these items up and out of reach of young children. Also, keeping the containers secure after usage is paramount to their safety. At our home, I was able to store our cleaning supplies and packets in a cabinet up and above our washer and dryer - voila, #PacketsUp! Simple and easy while giving me more piece of mind.
Ellie is now 4 and while I still have to watch her at all hours of the day, it’s good to know that all cleaning products, chemicals and packets in my house are up – and I feel better knowing this small safety measure was something I could easily take care of as a mom. Let’s face it, accidents can happen in a second and any small changes we can make in our home can potentially make all the difference in the world.
Go to PacketsUp.com for more information and enter your details to receive a free reminder cling - parents should place it in a visible location to serve as a daily reminder to store laundry packets up and away from children! We even have one in our house and the kids love pointing it out as they are now part of our safety team at home.
*** DISCLOSURE: I was provided product and/or compensation for the purposes of this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own and honest.
