Parents' Worst Nightmares

Sometimes I lie awake at night worrying about things like a robbery or fire. Things that are pretty much out of my control. They are just dark thoughts that enter my brain when I am not looking. And pretty much they are fleeting worries. I think about it long enough to think "oh that's awful, stop thinking something like that!" There is one situation that keeps haunting me, primarily because if it would ever happen it would be my fault.

I read this article about hot car deaths in Parenting Magazine a month ago. It is haunting. The first sentence tells us that approximately 37 babies and toddlers die each year when they are accidentally left strapped in car seats or become trapped in vehicles that rapidly heat up. As I read this article I thought maybe I would be better off not reading something so grim, but it really has made me think and kept me conscious of who is in the car with me. I am writing this post so that another parent might be saved the grief and blame as well by putting the issue in the front of their minds. According to this article a baby could die in just 15 minutes trapped in a car on a 75 degree day! Here are just a few tips from the article to help you remember to always check the back seat for passengers: 1) Always put your purse or anything you will need when you get out of the car on the floor in the back seat so that when you gather your items you will notice your child. 2) Make a habit of always opening the back door of your car when you get out to make sure no children are there. 3) There are several devices made to remind parents when children are in their car seats. You can take a look at these devices here.

I hope that readers of this blog will share this information with others. As parents of young children, we are often sleep deprived and stressed. It takes one lapse in memory for a tragedy like this to happen to anyone. Talking about hot car deaths and giving parents and caregivers tips on how to prevent this kind of tragedy may save a child's life.