When my first child was nine months old, we took a family trip to Ireland. We were anxious about the lengthy flight, but it turned out just fine. The road trips through the picturesque countryside? No problem there either. What we didn’t foresee, however, was the impending dread of our hotel room and that king-sized bed.
On the last leg of our journey, our little one had been nothing short of a trooper. Sure, he didn’t sleep on the plane, but he also didn’t wail his head off—instead, he just curiously gazed around, making fellow passengers chuckle. A win in my book!
After landing and picking up our rental car, our son decided to celebrate with a blowout of epic proportions in the backseat. Hey, it’s all part of the parenting adventure, right?
But here’s the kicker: falling off the bed.
Yep, in that hotel room, I placed our surprisingly well-behaved nine-month-old on that enormous bed and wandered into the bathroom. I noticed something amusing and called my partner to share a laugh. Just seconds after she entered, we heard a thud followed by a wail. He had tumbled off the bed while we were distracted. Not even a pint of Guinness could ease that shock.
When your baby takes a tumble off the bed, couch, or chair—like when you foolishly prop them up before they can walk and then let go (I admit, I did this once with my friend’s baby)—the panic and guilt hit hard. Yay!
In those frantic moments, your mind races with worries: Is his nose broken? Does he have a concussion? Can babies even get concussions? How do I know if he’s hurt? And then there’s that looming dread of long-term effects: Will he end up brain-damaged or worse? But here’s the relief—most of the time, your little one will be just fine.
My son turned out alright. Fast forward nearly six years, and he’s still thriving, especially if “thriving” is measured by how much mischief he can create—he’s practically a pro at it!
Chances are, when your baby rolls off the bed, he too will bounce back. Those adorable little heads are surprisingly resilient. Thank goodness for that! I haven’t met many parents who haven’t faced this minor mishap. Babies are speedy—just one moment of distraction and they can suddenly turn into little daredevils. Luckily, evolution equipped them with those squishy heads to reduce the chances of serious injury.
As for us? Well, that day in Ireland, we weren’t particularly fine after the fall—not for quite a while (and definitely not after a few visits to the pub). And just a couple of months ago, baby number two took a spill off the bed—not once, but twice! But guess what? He’s perfectly happy, flashing that blissful grin of his. Maybe we should get him checked out…
Helpful Resources
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In Summary
While a baby rolling off the bed can send any parent into a panic, the odds are in your favor that they’ll be just fine. Parenting often comes with these little bumps in the road, and it’s all part of the journey.