leaving your child in a car all day

big and lil bear2

i know it's a repeat, but on oprah today, a woman tells her story of accidentally leaving and consequently killing her daughter by leaving her in a car for over 8 hours while she was at work.

it's a chilling story that makes my stomach turn, but it's worth watching or Tivoing if you haven't seen it. It may open your eyes just a little bit. 

 i personally think she belongs in prison, but that is just the way it goes. 

JulieandBen

I remember my mother driving right past my preschool and heading into work. I was having an off day and was unusually quiet. Knowing my mother, she would have left me there until she realized I was sitting in the car. It doesn't make her any less of a mother or love me any less. Tragic accidents happen. I don't know this woman's story. So many of these are senseless tragedies where their guilt and self torture for the rest of their life on the outside is worse than any prison sentence.

I remember a guy a couple years ago left his baby in the car and hopped his train to DC??? He realized it when he arrived but it was too late. He didn't usually take the child in the morning. Tragic. Just tragic. Worthy of a prison sentence? No. He wasn't charged. 

BlairWaldorf

Accidents happen.  This happens to be the most tragic, heartbreaking kind.

I am sure that mother punishes herself daily without the need for a prison sentence.

TDKitty

I saw this last time it was on, and honestly, I felt horribly sorry for the woman. Clearly it was just a terrible mistake. It was pretty scary to watch, because I'd hate to think I could ever do something like that, but I'm sure that's what this lady thought.

C12H22O11

I don't think prison is appropriate for a person who does this.  I'm sure the guilt they live with every day is punishment enough.

first-time-mama

I heard about this as well. This is very tragic..but I think the guilt she will feel is worse then prison.

 

april_lynn_08

This actually just happened to a family a few towns over from me 2 weeks ago. The mom thought the dad had took the baby to the day care, when really the baby was in her backseat in the carseat. The mom was at work all day at the bank. Heat index got up to well over 105 that day and the poor baby died. The mom had NO idea until she went to pick the baby up from daycare after work. The daycare worker said the baby was never dropped off. When the mom was walking back to her car calling her husband, she seen the baby in the backseat.

I don't believe people like that deserve to go to prison. It's a very tragic mistake and the guilt alone is enough punishment.

SnowshoeMom

A few years ago, there was a case in Wisconsin where the dad took the baby one morning while the mom (who usually did the daycare drop off) was with their older child in the hospital for terminal cancer treatment. 

The family was obviously under stress and the dad hadn't slept much in weeks.  It was well over 90 degrees that day and he came out after work to a dead baby in the back seat.  I can't imagine their heart break ... especially given the condition of their older child. 

I've heard that this is most common with breaks in routine.  And, like someone said previously, the guilt and internal punishment of both parents would be far worse than the punishment of any prison sentence.

smurfetteinred

I have to agree that in 99% of these cases this is a tragic tragic accident that doesn't deserve jail time. If someone's child got ahold of a penny on the floor and choked and died would we call the parents not keeping the floor clean criminal or if you are playing with your toddler outside and in the second that you look away from them they run out into the street in front of a car would that be criminal? She clearly didn't harm her child on purpose and unfortunately accidents can happen very easily when it comes to children - more unfortunately they can sometimes be fatal.

JenniferJaneC

I've seen this in the news a few times where it has been a day care transport driver leaving the child in the van all day because they didn't keep a proper count of how many children they were transporting (how hard is it to take a second look around the van?).  So very sad. 

hipstrix

Someone posted this last week:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/27/AR2009022701549_pf.html

Warning: do not read unless prepared to sob.

Michelle110

This is why we tell our babysitter that if Ellie isn't at her house by 8 AM on weekdays that she MUST call us ASAP. And, if she can't get in touch with me or my DH, she calls my mom and my sister. There are six different phone numbers that she will call just in case of this situation, and one time last month, DH was a few minutes late dropping off Ellie. The babysitter did call me at 8:15 AM to find out what was going on. I also leave my purse and anything else I need for the day on the back seat right next to her car seat. God forbid I do forget that she's in the car, there are two backup plans.

I do not think that woman needs to go to prison. Like pp said, the guilt and sorrow she will feel for the rest of her life is enough.

big and lil bear2

i understand accidents happen and i pray to God nothing should happen, but i still think it's criminal. 

it's sad, tragic, whatever... it's horrible and i can't imagine a more lonely suffering. 

jen5-03

Sadly it happens more than we like to think. I know it seems like there are at least 2-3 cases in my city every year. I don't think any of them are ever prosecuted, but I'm sure the parent or grandparent who did it lives with a huge burden of guilt forever. But it can happen to ANYONE, rich or poor, educated or not.

"Already in 2009 there have been fourteen deaths of infants after being left inside a hot vehicle.  Last year there were a total of at least forty-two such fatalities in the United States due to hyperthermia after they were left in hot cars, trucks, vans and SUV's.  This sadly followed 35 and 42 child deaths in 2007 and 2006 respectively.  Since 1998 there have been at least a total of 428 of these needless tragedies.  " https://ggweather.com/heat/

Some things you can do to make sure it doesn't happen to you:

Put the diaper bag in the front seat, so if you have the bag you know you have the baby.

Get a mirror so you can see the baby and put one in DH's car too even if he doesn't take the baby to daycare often.

Make it a habit to call your spouse after you drop off and require any grandparent or babysitter who is taking your child to daycare/another sitter do the same. DD is 2 and we still do this. It also helps me emotionally to share it with DH when we have a bad/crying drop-off. It's just a 2 minute phone call.

 

 

luvbrettnizzy

I can't read this post anymore, it is making me cry. I can't even imagine how awful that would be. Jail time? I don't think so. My personal punishment would be punishment enough.

ZAngel

She definitely should not receive jail time.  She did not leave her child in the car on purpose. 

These types of things are unfortunate.  When my son was younger, I made it a habit to look in the backseat before I walked away from the car.  However, there was one time when I was running really late and my son was asleep.  I was so flustered that I started driving straight to work and then a few minutes later looked in the rearview mirror and realized, "oh no, I have to drop off my son at daycare first". 

I felt horrible enough just forgetting for those few minutes.  I couldn't imagine what she goes through on a daily basis knowing that she caused the death of her child.... and thinking about the obvious pain the child went through before passing.  That is enough to kill any good parent.  She is suffering enough...

Monsieur_et_Madame_Ha

BlairWaldorf:

Accidents happen.  This happens to be the most tragic, heartbreaking kind.

I am sure that mother punishes herself daily without the need for a prison sentence.

I'm with Blair on that one