Horrifying but important
MrsHartman7
member
I thought long and hard before posting this article, but I think its too important disregard. The link is from a Huff Po piece that the author does every year at the start of summer about forgetting kids in cars, but it basically references and links to a pulitzer price winning article written by Gene Weingarten. The article is beautifully written, but I again warn you that it is very disturbing. For people like me, the pain that the article invokes is a catalyst to some changes in my routine. Also, awareness of the reality is key in prevention.
Here goes:
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/25/what-parent-leaves-child-in-broiling-car_n_3497956.html
I look forward to discussing ideas for prevention and want to know if this has spurred you to change anything in your routine?
Re: Horrifying but important
Maybe I should clarify 'change in routine'. Its not something like: I wont leave the baby in the car while i get drunk in the casino (because clearly I will still do that). But I decided that anytime I put the baby in the back seat, my purse goes on the floor board back there too.
Ginny DX 21-Hydroxylase Deficiency Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia
Charlie DX Specific Antibody Deficiency & ASD
Here's a clicky for you. It does an excellent job of highlighting how this could happen to absolutely anyone.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/27/AR2009022701549.html?sid=ST2009030602446
Ginny DX 21-Hydroxylase Deficiency Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia
Charlie DX Specific Antibody Deficiency & ASD
I know how you feel, me too. I read an interview with the author, who had an extremely close call with his own child and here is a quote:
It would never have happened again. I didn't need a Plan. I had an intense experience that altered my mindset every single time I got into a car with my children. I can tell you the basal ganglia got turned off. Every time. Put key in ignition. Check mirrors. Disable basal ganglia. Turn key in ignition. ...
I think the pain of reading his article is enough to alter my mind set and turn the basal ganglia off.
I agree it does an excellent job. I admit I had the same biased feelings before i read the article. Nothing but sympathy and resolve now.
Agree 100%. I'm going to make my husband read this when he gets home.
Ginny DX 21-Hydroxylase Deficiency Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia
Charlie DX Specific Antibody Deficiency & ASD
I'm too hormonal to read it this time around, but I've seen it in previous years.
I'm definitely aware that it can happen and happens to even the best of parents. My mom tells the story of how they left my brother sitting in his car seat on the kitchen table and they didn't realize they left him until they were about ten minutes down the road. He was strapped into his seat, perfectly fine, unable to get hurt, but it's scared her.
Our diaper bag also acts as my purse when I'm running around with baby, and I'm paranoid about losing my purse. Diaper bag always goes in the back seat with LO. I always do a mental check before leaving anywhere. Baby. check. diaper bag check, cell phone check.
i remember reading the article shortly after DS was born and sobbing. I live in fear that something like this could happen to me. I remember my dad forgetting he had to drop me off at school because he was distracted. Thankfully I was old enough to say something, but things like this can happen to anyone.
An incident just happened in MN where a dad forgot the baby in the car. I believe they are criminally charging him. I just can't imagine the criminal justice system can do anything more to him. He already has to live with the fact that his child suffered a horrible death because of his mistake. Does charging him help anything?
I think it's important to remember this doesn't *typically* happen to people with babies as young as ours. It happens to people who've gotten back into the routine of work & life and adjusted to a "normal" schedule. I'm just not willing to say it could never happen to me just because I have a mental checklist I go through every time I leave with DS.
I also think I should have waited to read this because I had a huge scare today because it made me bawl. I pulled into my garage after bringing DH lunch at work, turned off the car, put the key in the cupholder (I've always done this since I park in the garage, rethinking that now!), got out and shut the door to walk around to the passenger side to get DS out and as I'm halfway around the vehicle I hear it honk. WTF?!? I have no idea why but it's happened to me twice before in the three years I've owned it, my tahoe randomly locks itself. I completely flipped out. I'm locked out of my car, it's not running, and DS is inside it! Thank God it was inside the garage in the shade at least. I ran inside and was literally throwing items out of our entry table where the spare key is and found it within about 30 seconds (I found the spare before my husband picked up his cell, lol). DS never even woke up from his nap. I think it took an hour for my heart rate to slow down!!!
Absolutely heart wrenching. I'm in tears.
Makes me think that if I even see the outline of a car seat in a parked car, I'm gonna walk over and look inside. If someone walking by had noticed any of those poor babies, they may have been able to help.
I was thinking the same thing
What should you do if you see this? 911?
911 then ask 911 operator what to do I guess. I would feel inclined to smash a window open though if it meant saving a baby!
Smash the window.
Ginny DX 21-Hydroxylase Deficiency Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia
Charlie DX Specific Antibody Deficiency & ASD
I was thinking the exact same thing, how many times have i gotten to work and not remembered driving there? I was tired or stressed and my mind 'autopiloted' me there. I think the awareness that the phenomena even exists goes a long way toward prevention.
I am definitely going to check cars that I see a car seat outline now too.
I couldn't even finish reading the article, these stories are too devastating.
My DD cries anytime she's in the carseat which is a constant reminder of the fact she's with me! I can't even fathom myself ever, ever forgetting that I have DD with me. I EBF her and don't pump so wherever I go, she goes. She's still feels like an extension of my body!