DEAR ABBY: I am writing this letter to warn parents how easily kids can get into things when you least expect it. My niece (I'll call her Karen) and her 1-year-old daughter, "Kimberly," were at home. Karen was in the kitchen and Kimberly was in the bedroom.
Karen became concerned because she couldn't hear what Kimberly was doing. When she checked on her, Karen found that the child had gotten hold of her purse and had the strap wrapped around her neck. Kimberly's lips were turning blue and she was very pale. Karen unwrapped the purse strap from around the child's neck and attended to her. Karen was terrified, but thankful that she had checked on Kimberly when she did.
It's amazing, Abby. My niece and her husband had baby-proofed the electrical outlets, kitchen and bathroom cabinets, and even put doorknob covers on doors they didn't want Kimberly to open. Now, after that frightening afternoon, Karen also makes sure she puts her purse, diaper bag or anything else with straps out of reach. -- AN AUNT IN DENVER WHO CARES
DEAR AUNT WHO CARES: Thank you for the warning. I'm sharing it with my readers, along with the reminder that drapery cords and those for venetian blinds can also be very dangerous for toddlers and small children, and should be kept out of reach of tiny hands.