Lizothelake

I think the mistake that taught me most was; "Pay attention to what the children are up to"; My 2 year old son was seated on his tall legged chair on the oppositte side of the table, happily playing with some small toys. I was busy sewing. Now this was in Emgland, where the standard household electric circuitry is 220V and not 110V. Suddenly there was a massive blue flash, and a crashy, and a small boy wimpering on the floor. He had picked up a small screwdriver with an insulated handle and poked it into the ventilation holes of the motor on my machine! Amazingly the only damage was to his ego; the shock sent him flying through the air, but he suffered no ill effects. I still have that screwdriver, complete with the blob of fused metal at it's tip.
After that he went in the playpen if I needed to sew while he was around, well, until he was old enough to truly understand "Do NOT Touch".
Liz