Sounds horrible, right? Well this is what happens to many children left in the car while their parents run into the store for a "quick second" . Anyone who watches, listens to or reads the news has read or heard about children dying by being left in the car.
Grabbing a gallon of milk, cigarettes, alcohol, getting your hair done, or any other errand is certainly not worth the life of your child. Nothing is worth risking the life of your child, and I do mean NOTHING!
A mother in Texas went into get her hair cut and left her two small children in the car. A passerby had to smash the window with a hammer in order to try and get the kids out. Even this was proving to be difficult as the mother had not only locked the car, but put the child safety lock on, virtually making it impossible to get the kids out, or even for the kids to get out. A woman had to climb through the window to get them out. Let me just say, that if your hair is so important that you are willing to risk the lives of your children, you don't deserve your children. A broken window is probably going to be the least of her worries.
This is probably the number one preventable death in children every year. It does not have to happen. Take your children with you. As a parent, I do realize that none of us are perfect and getting children in and out of car seats is a pain the butt, but when your child is dead because you didn't want to take a few seconds to undo the car seat or hear the child asking for candy in the store, you will realize how easy it really is to get them in and out. When your beloved child is dead, you will miss that "Mom I want candy. Can I have this? I want that!" Your child will no longer have a voice.
We have all lost our children in a store and panicked that we wouldn't be able to find them. We have all made mistakes, because Guess What?! We are not perfect! Leaving your child alone in a hot car for 7 hours is not a mistake. Leaving your children in the car to get a hair cut is bad judgment, and not a mistake, because you know better.
Are some of these deaths accidental? Probably. There is one case that I recall a few years back, where the dad had the baby, went into work and forgot he had the baby. He was not used to having the baby, it was rare for him to be the one to drop him off at daycare. I know that I run on automatic pilot most mornings, getting back packs together, grabbing coffee, getting 4 kids out the door in a timely manner and then to get to the stuff I have to do. I can see this being an accident, a tragic and useless accident that could have been prevented. A fatal case of distraction and running on auto pilot.
All of these cases are preventable, but they are not all murder. Murder means there was intent behind the action and I don't think the majority of these people meant to kill their children. To the mom who left her children in the car to get a haircut, had your children died, you should definitely have gotten murder charges, your hair is not that important. To those who broke the window, way to go you saved those children. To all parents, please, please, please don't leave your children in the car. To everyone, if you see babies or small children locked in a car, get them out! Break the window, do whatever it takes to get them out!
Older children can get out, even I have ran into the convenience store leaving my 16 year old in the car, but she can get out...and I leave the air conditioner on for her or her siblings, all of whom are old enough to get out of the car on their own. My 7 year old is never left in the car alone. Ever!
Parents, we are not perfect and we live in an imperfect world, but leaving your infants and small children in the car is careless and could have devastating, fatal results that will be hard for you to live with. The death of your precious child or children.
Until the Next Scribble.....
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