At this point in the CPR class I’m on the floor with my baby mannequin I have named baby Troy. He’s called Troy because he’s wearing the #43 football jersey. I know I should be a Giants fan due to the fact that I have been a New Yorker all my life but I can’t help it I love the Steelers. Besides, #43 and I have the same hair and my CPR students will agree on this.
My students and I have just traded places. They have just finished doing their last practice session of 30 compressions 2 breaths for approximately two minutes for the forth time.
They sit back in their seats adjusting their clothing and realize that CPR is exhausting. As I place my mannequin in position I ask:
Do you have toilet paper at home?
They laugh. Teaching CPR without humor is just not fun. Besides they have just spent two hours with me and I figure they know what to expect.
My son who is 17 has his own bathroom. I occasionally use his bathroom and without fail I find myself staring at the empty toilet roll.
- Scene from Zen’s bathroom
Of course everyone is laughing or has officially thought I have lost my mind. I respond,
Glad to see your all still awake and paying attention. The point of my real life story is everyone eventually is left with a toilet roll. Anything that fits into a toilet roll is considered a choking hazard for anyone under the age of 3…
I remember all to well the advice my friends gave me in regard to child safety seventeen years ago. Most of the time I was left confused because the information I received wasn’t consistent. As a teacher my goal is to educate my students in the latest information from American Heart Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics.
The piece found in the Home and Garden section of the NY Times titled Childproofing: Crawling your way to Safety by Bob Tedeschi says clearly, “don’t trust everything you hear!”. And I will add,
Do you Have Toilet Paper at Home? And Go Steelers!