Honey, I left the Kids in the Car
August 19, 2008
I’m getting a little sick & tired of reading about parents who “accidentally” left their child in the a hot car, leading to the kid’s death. Are people just getting more forgetful, or is this some kind of tactical way to relieve oneself of changing diapers and midnight feedings? I’m going to be positive here and assume it is the former. It still really aggravates me that so many of these incidents have occurred in the recent weeks. Here are just some of the more recent stories:
July 14 – Houston, TX – Baby’s uncle drove him and several other young family members to his apartment for swimming at about 2 p.m. Uncle told children to exit the vehicle and hold hands while they walked to his apartment, but toddler was possibly asleep when everyone got out of the car, which is why he was overlooked. Baby was found dead.
Saturday Morning – Phoenix, AZ – A mother says she was under a lot of stress, was in the process of moving and had little sleep when she accidentally left her 2-month-old girl inside a hot car outside a Phoenix grocery store. Luckily, the child was rescued before any permanent harm occurred.
Sunday Afternoon – York County, PA – Infant was left in car after church. Parents didn’t even notice!! Their oldest child came forth to inquire of the whereabouts of her youngest sibling. The child was found dead.
Tuesday Afternoon – Broomall, PA – Toddler’s grandfather accidentally left him in the vehicle for 5 hours while he went to work at the CHI Institute during 97-degree day. Toddler died in car.
… and there’s a whole lot more where that came from. This is very disturbing and is happening far too often. How the hell do you “forget” the children you are responsible for?? I don’t care how old the kid is or how tired and stressed you are. There’s no excuse for forgetting that little person that has been with you all day, even if they are sleeping. When I babysit my mind is CONSTANTLY on what the kids are doing, if they are safely playing, if they are happy, if they are still breathing, etc. You would think a parent would share these worries and fears, but at a magnified level. I guess not all parents are capable of proper child care, anymore.
What is the solution to this? Should we have an alarm go off in the car every time a parent forgets and locks the doors with their child still inside? I would say no, because if that’s the case, then there will probably be 1 alarm for every 5 parents in a parking lot, and how annoying is that? Plus, it brings attention to the offenders, which no one will sign up for. Should we just say that you need a mental evaluation to test your memory and awareness levels before you can have a child? Right, like any parent would voluntarily go through that. I have an idea! Why don’t parents and guardians stop forgetting about their children. Take a freaking parenting course, read the books, hire a nanny if you are that incompetent. There is NO excuse for abandoning a child in a situation that can lead to death. NONE.
Oh, and by the way, when it reaches 100 degrees Fahrenheit outside, the inside of your car can register on average at about 155 degrees. Poor, poor kids. If you ask me, as punishment, we should lock the parents in the car for the same amount of time they “forgot” their kids on one bright and humid day. See how they like it.
