Lock your car doors!

[Renee in NC]

I debated posting this here because the atmosphere here is pretty critical when it comes to accidents, but I decided the possible benefits were worth it.

 

Yesterday afternoon, we decided to go see some friends that evening, and we told the kids we were going. They were very happy!

 

The girls and my youngest boy were playing in their room, and I was in the dining room working on a project that is due this week. At some point, the little one slipped out of the house without anyone knowing.

 

My dh came home from work, went in the girls' room to talk to them, then asked where the little one was. I told him with the girls. He said he wasn't there.

 

Everyone started searching for him. One of the older boys went outside to look. He found him in the van locked in his car seat. He screamed at me that he had found him, but something was wrong with him.

 

It was possibly the worst moment of my life. I ran to the van, with dh right behind me. The little one was red, sweating, and lethargic. He had locked himself in his car seat and was unable to get out. The van was hot because it was hot outside.

 

He is okay. We were able to get him inside, get him into a tepid bath, get him to drink a lot of fluids, etc. There are no residual effects.

 

It could have been horrible. If it had still been sunny outside. If dh hadn't gotten home when he did. If we had been just 5 minutes later finding him.

 

I am still sick about it this morning. I never thought he would do something like this. He was ready to go to the friend's house, so he got in the van to leave.

 

I already feel like the world's worst mother, but if I can prevent another mother from feeling like this (or worse!) it will be worth posting this.

[TN Mama]

:grouphug: No judgement here, just hugs. So thankful that there was a happy ending.

[Twigs]

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

[Melissa in Australia]

:grouphug::grouphug:

So glad you found him in time.

[KnitWit]

((((Renee)))) NO judgment here. :grouphug:

 

However, because he is little and it is so hot, I WOULD get him checked for dehydration. He probably needs more than just water.

 

So thankful with you that your dh found him!!!!!

[Country Mouse]

:grouphug: How horrifying. So glad he was okay.

[Renee in NC]

((((Renee)))) NO judgment here. :grouphug:

 

However, because he is little and it is so hot, I WOULD get him checked for dehydration. He probably needs more than just water.

 

So thankful with you that your dh found him!!!!!

 

Thank you. We kept a close eye on him last night, made sure he drank fluids, etc. He doesn't show any signs of continued dehydration, his refill rate is good, etc. We're going to continue to keep an eye on him.

[Mary in VA]

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:Thankful with you!!!!

[Tammyla]

:grouphug:Oh, Renee...I'm so glad he's okay.

 

Little people are so unpredictable. Your warning is a good thing.

 

QUOTE=Renee in FL;3880405]I debated posting this here because the atmosphere here is pretty critical when it comes to accidents, but I decided the possible benefits were worth it.

 

Yesterday afternoon, we decided to go see some friends that evening, and we told the kids we were going. They were very happy!

 

The girls and my youngest boy were playing in their room, and I was in the dining room working on a project that is due this week. At some point, the little one slipped out of the house without anyone knowing.

 

My dh came home from work, went in the girls' room to talk to them, then asked where the little one was. I told him with the girls. He said he wasn't there.

 

Everyone started searching for him. One of the older boys went outside to look. He found him in the van locked in his car seat. He screamed at me that he had found him, but something was wrong with him.

 

It was possibly the worst moment of my life. I ran to the van, with dh right behind me. The little one was red, sweating, and lethargic. He had locked himself in his car seat and was unable to get out. The van was hot because it was hot outside.

 

He is okay. We were able to get him inside, get him into a tepid bath, get him to drink a lot of fluids, etc. There are no residual effects.

 

It could have been horrible. If it had still been sunny outside. If dh hadn't gotten home when he did. If we had been just 5 minutes later finding him.

 

I am still sick about it this morning. I never thought he would do something like this. He was ready to go to the friend's house, so he got in the van to leave.

 

I already feel like the world's worst mother, but if I can prevent another mother from feeling like this (or worse!) it will be worth posting this.

[KnitWit]

Watch his *output*. You might want something like Pedialyte, the concern with dehydration is also loss of minerals.

(Drinking more is good, but if he is not peeing more, then his body is in conservation mode. Also, darker urine with a stronger smell is another sign...praying with you that all is WELL)

 

Bless your heart. Don't allow yourself to *relive* this and dwell on it. This does NOT mean you are a bad mom. :grouphug::grouphug:

Edited May 6, 2012 by MSPolly

[Swimtaxi234]

:grouphug:

[Jennifer in MI]

Oh honey! You are NOT at fault. Accidents happen. You and dh are awesome parents because you recognized something was wrong and took action right away.

 

:grouphug:

[Parrothead]

Well, thank goodness you found him when you did! :grouphug: I'm so sorry you had such a scare.

[melissad2]

:grouphug:

[Lolly]

You are in no way a bad mom! This was a complete accident. Hug that boy for all of us. I'm so glad he is all right! Thank you for the warning. That is something I would have never thought of happening in a million years. :grouphug:

[Mommyfaithe]

Watch his *output*. You might want something like Pedialyte, the concern with dehydration is also loss of minerals.

(Drinking more is good, but if he is not peeing more, then his body is in conservation mode. Also, darker urine with a stronger smell is another sign...praying with you that all is WELL)

 

Bless your heart. Don't allow yourself to *relive* this and dwell on it. This does NOT mean you are a bad mom. :grouphug::grouphug:

 

:iagree::iagree:

My youngest had a way of getting himself into the most dangerous predicaments.

 

I am glad your baby is ok!! You are not a bad mom at all! We all have kids do weird things that can have disastrous endings. Thank God he was ok.

:grouphug:

Faithe

[kwg]

:grouphug: Thank you for the reminder!!! I often forget and I too have a little one, five years old.

 

Thank goodness he is ok!!! Accidents happen :grouphug:

[Alyeska]

Wow, I am so glad he is okay!! :grouphug:

 

 

...I always left my car unlocked when my kiddos were little. I never would've thought that they could've gotten themselves locked in. Wow.

 

 

Try not to guilt yourself! It is over, all are safe, and you are a GOOD mother!!

[delaney]

I think about that often b/c my 3 year old can buckle himself in but not out. We have a van so he can't reach the door handles thankfully.

[clarkacademy]

My older son did the same thing exactly. Only he snuck out of the house in the middle of the night when we were all asleep. The front door must have somehow locked and he couldn't get back in. He got in my car and fell asleep. I know just how you feel. I felt terrible forever. It is really not your fault. You are human and things happen. There is no way we can possibly watch them all every second. I am so glad he is all right. After things have calmed down start talking to him about this.

 

You may al;so want to get one of those little alarms that you can stick on your door that will go off or even just a cheap little chain lock. That way you can always know he can't get out.

[Heatherwith4]

:grouphug:

[Sophia]

:grouphug:

My 13 y.o. locked herself in our car when she was about three. It is a terrifying thing to realize, I know. :grouphug:

[Renee in NC]

I think about that often b/c my 3 year old can buckle himself in but not out. We have a van so he can't reach the door handles thankfully.

 

We have a van, too; this was our 12-passenger E-350. My ds can reach the handles, though, as he is pretty tall.

 

My older son did the same thing exactly. Only he snuck out of the house in the middle of the night when we were all asleep. The front door must have somehow locked and he couldn't get back in. He got in my car and fell asleep. I know just how you feel. I felt terrible forever. It is really not your fault. You are human and things happen. There is no way we can possibly watch them all every second. I am so glad he is all right. After things have calmed down start talking to him about this.

 

You may al;so want to get one of those little alarms that you can stick on your door that will go off or even just a cheap little chain lock. That way you can always know he can't get out.

 

I did tell him that he could not get in the van without us. Problem is, he is language-delayed, so I am not sure how much he understands, and he is isn't really able to articulate anything about it either.

 

Watch his *output*. You might want something like Pedialyte, the concern with dehydration is also loss of minerals.

(Drinking more is good, but if he is not peeing more, then his body is in conservation mode. Also, darker urine with a stronger smell is another sign...praying with you that all is WELL)

 

Bless your heart. Don't allow yourself to *relive* this and dwell on it. This does NOT mean you are a bad mom. :grouphug::grouphug:

 

Definitely will keep an eye on it!

 

:iagree::iagree:

My youngest had a way of getting himself into the most dangerous predicaments.

 

I am glad your baby is ok!! You are not a bad mom at all! We all have kids do weird things that can have disastrous endings. Thank God he was ok.

:grouphug:

Faithe

 

This is the same child who pulled his dresser over on himself 2 weeks ago!

 

He is asleep on the couch right near me. He slept in our room last night. He started wimpering and whining this morning while sleeping, so I brought him out here with me. I'm having a hard time with what might have been, probably because my oldest ds's friend died this week from heat stroke. Sometimes it's hard to let go of the what if's.

[jrn]

:grouphug:

[clarkacademy]

We have a van, too; this was our 12-passenger E-350. My ds can reach the handles, though, as he is pretty tall.

 

 

 

I did tell him that he could not get in the van without us. Problem is, he is language-delayed, so I am not sure how much he understands, and he is isn't really able to articulate anything about it either.

 

 

 

.

 

Then I really think those little chain locks are a good idea for your doors. They are easy to install and you can get them for just a few bucks. It will give you piece of mind. My older son has special needs as well so this was really all that worked because he tried to do it again!

[Paintedlady]

DS did the same thing when he was very young, maybe 2 years old. It was scary! Don't beat yourself up--just learn from it. Kids do things we can't always predict and most of the time they're (we're) okay. :grouphug:

[goldberry]

:grouphug: Thanks for sharing...no judgment....we are all just human moms who love our kids.

[Mrs Mungo]

My son did almost this exact thing when he was little. I actually called the police because I could not find him. I found him in the car before the police came and called back to cancel, but it was very scary!! Thanks for the reminder!

[NittanyJen]

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

 

You are an amazing mom for deciding the personal risk of helping others was more important than any criticism anybody might make!

 

No criticism from this front; it could happen to anybody. I am so glad he is safe!

[nertsmommy]

:grouphug:

 

You're not a bad mom. Kids do all kind of things we can't predict.

 

My close friend has started looking her car doors because her 4 yr old was going out and getting in and trying to drive.

[Rivka]

That is so completely horrifying. I am so glad that your son is all right. My life flashed before my eyes just reading that - I can't imagine how it must have been for you to experience it!

[6wishes]

Thank you so much for posting this story! I have a 3 yr. old who,likes to "play" in the car, and will be doing this from now on. I've also shared with my dh to make sure he does as well.

[gardenmom5]

:grouphug:

[Word Nerd]

:grouphug: How scary! I had an escape artist, too, and after one scary incident we put on a door lock/latch like they have on the top of hotel doors.

[happypamama]

Oh my goodness, so scary! I'm so, so glad your little guy is okay. :grouphug: for you, mama.

[Hilltop]

:grouphug:

So glad he is okay!

[Jen in PA]

:grouphug:

[LG Gone Wild]

I debated posting this here because the atmosphere here is pretty critical when it comes to accidents, but I decided the possible benefits were worth it.

 

Yesterday afternoon, we decided to go see some friends that evening, and we told the kids we were going. They were very happy!

 

The girls and my youngest boy were playing in their room, and I was in the dining room working on a project that is due this week. At some point, the little one slipped out of the house without anyone knowing.

 

My dh came home from work, went in the girls' room to talk to them, then asked where the little one was. I told him with the girls. He said he wasn't there.

 

Everyone started searching for him. One of the older boys went outside to look. He found him in the van locked in his car seat. He screamed at me that he had found him, but something was wrong with him.

 

It was possibly the worst moment of my life. I ran to the van, with dh right behind me. The little one was red, sweating, and lethargic. He had locked himself in his car seat and was unable to get out. The van was hot because it was hot outside.

 

He is okay. We were able to get him inside, get him into a tepid bath, get him to drink a lot of fluids, etc. There are no residual effects.

 

It could have been horrible. If it had still been sunny outside. If dh hadn't gotten home when he did. If we had been just 5 minutes later finding him.

 

I am still sick about it this morning. I never thought he would do something like this. He was ready to go to the friend's house, so he got in the van to leave.

 

I already feel like the world's worst mother, but if I can prevent another mother from feeling like this (or worse!) it will be worth posting this.

 

Anyone who is criticizing you can ST(BLEEP!)U. What a terrible day! :grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

[Renee in NC]

Anyone who is criticizing you can ST(BLEEP!)U. What a terrible day! :grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

 

No one is criticizing me. I know that on the internet people can be very judgmental about things that happen. It's human nature; if you can find some reason to blame the parent, then it can't happen to your child because you would never do that, let that happen, etc.

 

I appreciate that no one has been that way. I also really appreciate all those who have shared that it has happened to them, because it makes me feel a little less guilty.

 

As for dehydration, I think he is fine. He came and sat on my lap a little while ago and he was SOAKED! Must be all those fluids we pushed last night.:tongue_smilie:

[KnitWit]

I'm having a hard time with what might have been, probably because my oldest ds's friend died this week from heat stroke. Sometimes it's hard to let go of the what if's.

 

Oh! I am so sorry! I can DEFINITELY understand how this would make you feel. :grouphug:

[LG Gone Wild]

No one is criticizing me. I know that on the internet people can be very judgmental about things that happen. It's human nature; if you can find some reason to blame the parent, then it can't happen to your child because you would never do that, let that happen, etc.

 

I appreciate that no one has been that way. I also really appreciate all those who have shared that it has happened to them, because it makes me feel a little less guilty.

 

As for dehydration, I think he is fine. He came and sat on my lap a little while ago and he was SOAKED! Must be all those fluids we pushed last night.:tongue_smilie:

 

I am glad. I think everybody has had some kind of terrible moment like that. My son wasn't locked in a car but he nearly got hit by a car in the parking lot. He wandered away from the playground while I was talking to another mom.

[Denisemomof4]

Oh my gosh, Renee, how scary!!!!! I am so glad your little guy is ok!!!!

 

 

accidents happen to ALL of us. It is unfortunate but it happens.

 

So glad things are well with all of you!!!

 

Eta: we left a kid at church once. We took two cars this day because I had to stay for a meeting afterwards. D thought he was with me (he was) and I assumed dh took him home with the other kids so he could eat lunch.

 

I still am scarred from the time I took the four kids to the lake. I was watching my little gang having fun and turned to reach into the cooler for a Starbucks coffee drink. I noticed an elderly lady RUN into the water like a bolt of lightening and I just KNEW it was because of one of my kids. Dd9 was lauing down in about two feet of water, eyes wide opened and terrified, and she couldn't move. I ran in and got to her right before the lady did and totally lost it. I remember that look on her face all these years later. It is as if it just happened.

Edited May 6, 2012 by Denisemomof4

[sheryl]

:grouphug: Renee, Accidents happen to everyone....no criticism here. The good news is he was found "in time" and he'll be good.

 

CELEBRATE that he'll be fine!

[mommymilkies]

:grouphug: Accidents happen! I'm so glad he was found in time! My kids have a bad habit of trying to drown, I swear sometimes. Once we were at a swim birthday party at a hotel. I took the little kids to go change and dh was with the big kids. He was talking to someone (and these kids are strong swimmers who had years of lessons!) and my ds went under because it was too deep and he was tired. My eldest tried to rescue him without alerting anyone. They were both under and luckily someone else jumped in and grabbed them just as I got back. I about had a heart attack!

[TGHEALTHYMOM]

:grouphug:

 

I am so glad your little one is ok. It did scare me to start reading your post.

 

I had a similar, but not so bad thing happen just the other night.

 

My kids were helping carry groceries in, and our toddler got in the van, and it was fortunate that I saw him as I came in the back door.

When I got in the kitchen, I asked my oldest if he shut the hatch and locked the van. He had, so I asked him if he got his brother out and he was clueless that he was even in there!!

He was locked in the van... only for 2-3 minutes, but it still scared me to death!!! And dh was busy outside, so he had no idea either.

 

I gave the lecture on how dangerous that is, and I will be the one to have to check to be sure both vans are locked, and that they don't play in them. :grouphug:

 

Thanks for the reminder and warning. It may help another clueless mom out.

Edited May 6, 2012 by TGHEALTHYMOM

[Forget-Me-Not]

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug: So glad your LO is okay mama. Absolutely no judgement here, goodness knows I've had my share of those "where was my head?!?!" moments! Thanks for the PSA. I park my car in the garage and never lock my doors. I hadn't even considered a scenario like this, and I will be more careful in the future.

[Tap]

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

[PollyOR]

:grouphug:

[happyhomemaker25]

My heart stopped reading that! Thank you for sharing! I'm so glad your guy is ok. :grouphug:

[LibraryLover]

That is very scary! :grouphug: