Lock your car doors!

[Liz CA]

We live in a rural area. I rarely lock cars. Could have happened to me if I still had littles around. And it gets piping hot here as well...Thank God he is fine now. Deep breath. All mothers have scary moments. Another deep breath! :grouphug:

[KidsHappen]

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.

 

My grandson can buckle himself in but not get out as well. I keep my car locked when I am at his house.

[KidsHappen]

:grouphug:

[A.Balaban]

I am so so glad that you found him in time!

 

We park our cars in a parking lot, so it is always locked... and we park about 2 blocks away from our cars so I don't think I have to worry about DS climbing in them. :P

 

My son can open car doors (from inside and out), and buckle him out of his car seat. This came in handy one day when DH and I were out shopping, put the kids in the car, and shut the car doors. I had opened the passenger door and put my purse down (with MY phone and keys) and then my DH had accidentally dropped his keys in the back seat. Somehow the car doors were locked, and my DH and I had no phones and no keys! It took me about five minutes to coach my DS through unbuckling his seat, and get him to climb into the front of the car to open the window. We actually were trying to figure out how to call the insurance company (we pay for lock out service) when DS got the door opened!

[Kim in Appalachia]

:grouphug: How horrifying! I'm so glad he's ok!

 

No judgment. Stuff happens, and it happens fast. The worst thing is thinking it could never happen to you. Thank-you for reminding all of us that it easily could. :grouphug:

[SewingMom2many]

I'm so glad your little guy is ok!!

 

I really appreciate the warning. I have a 2 and 4 yo who love to run outside when they aren't supposed to. We installed door alarms so at least I know when they go out and now that they know I come after them immediately and they get in trouble they don't do it anymore. However, I will definitely be locking the van doors from now on just in case they do get out, I never even thought about something like that happening.

[QuirkyKapers]

:grouphug: Things like this can happen so quickly! Don't tell yourself you are a bad mom.

[Butter]

How utterly frightening. Thanks for the PSA. I will officially never give my husband grief over insisting the car and van door be locked. We live in the middle of nowhere and we never locked the car doors when I was growing up. My husband grew up in neighborhoods so they always locked the car. He has always insisted on locking them and it never occurred to me that something like that could happen. I only ever thought about locking to prevent theft.

[LeslieAnneLevine]

 

No judgment. Stuff happens, and it happens fast.

 

:iagree: :iagree: :iagree:

[BatmansWife]

I know how horrible it is to be searching the house for your child and not know where he is. I found my ds, when he was 2, out in the backyard looking at the fence his dad had been building. I'll never forget the panic searching high and low inside the house, running outside and being in a panic about which way to even turn to look (scared to death ds had turned right and headed toward the lake!). I'm so glad your son is ok. Don't beat yourself up about it though. Maybe you can keep the front door locked until he is old enough to not go out on his own (although maybe this scare will make him think twice about leaving the house by himself anyway).

[Osmosis Mom]

My ds then 3 pulled a trick on us as well. Totally disappeared while I had friends over and kids were outside playing. We have a few bodies of water near us so as I was running around like crazy and even beginning to look around the water, I was almost faint with fear. I had looked in the house, called the kids, my friends were looking, I cold barely think (this was with 5-7 minutes). Finally I look in my bedroom again and the kiddo had climbed into my bed and was sound alseep under my covers!!

 

But, honestly, thank you for the warning about the cars. Worth taking your advice. So thankful your little is fine.

[RoughCollie]

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug: I am so happy that you found him in time! :grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

[TranquilMind]

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.

Hey, no judgment here at all! I'm so thankful you found him, and he's ok! Kids can slip away - it happens, no matter how diligent you are.

 

Mine never did that, with the car, but the oldest created a work of physics in balanced chairs and tables in order to reach a high lock, unlock the door, and take off to play with some kids on another street. She was three years old, and my husband was resting in the living room, thinking she was in her bedroom playing. She slipped down the stairs, and out into a sunroom, and took off. Thank God a woman found her, remembered seeing her, and brought her home, instead of overreacting and calling CPS. She did it once and never again. It happens!

 

I can pretty much guarantee your child will never get in the car again without you, but good advice!

[*Inna*]

That is so scary. :grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

[LillyMama]

Okay, wait a minute. You have SEVEN kids, the oldest is 18, and this didn't happen to you until your youngest is FIVE? I am impressed you made it this long. My kids have done these kinds of things from the start. My (then three year old son) pushed his craft table into his (then 18 month old) sister's room, put a chair in her crib, a chair on the table and helped her climb out. He then "dressed" her- in a diaper, headband and one sock. I found them outside playing in the backyard at 5:12am. It was 42 degrees outside. I say again- you made it 18 years?!

 

I'll judge you. I judge you as a far better mom than I am, if this is the kinds of things we judge moms by.

 

I'm glad he's okay, and I'm glad you posted it here. I hope you know that you are NOT a bad mom. Although, after reading the above, you might not want to trust my standards.

[Catwoman]

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

 

I'm so glad he's OK, Renee! I'm glad you posted about this, because it's an accident that could happen to anyone, but could often be avoided by simply locking the car doors.

 

I hope you're not blaming yourself for this -- accidents can happen, no matter how careful we are.

[Mimmy]

Thank you for posting this reminder. I'm glad your little one is OK.

[FO4UR]

:grouphug: I am so glad he's OK!!!

 

 

I found mine playing in the van just last week. No judgement from me.

[mskelly]

I am so sorry this happened to you. Thank you for sharing your story and reminding us that bad things happen to good people all the time and we should not take one second with our children for granted. Keep your chin up. I know there's lots of extra hugs going around your house today. :grouphug:

 

What a sweet boy, just excited to see his friends!

[Mommyof4ks]

So glad he is ok, things like that appen so fast. I try to always lock my doors, because I am afraid of neighborhood kids getting locked in my car like that (boundaries are not observed by everyone here), but it is a good reminder to be more vigilant and double check.

 

Most of us have one of those scary moments as parents I think. For me it was the backward flip that hyperextended ds's neck while he was on high dose steroids. I really thought with his brittle bones he had broken his neck, but thankfully all was well.

[TX6]

Thank you for sharing your story with us. I was scared reading it. I know something like that could have happened to my 5 year old. He can get in, but he cannot get out of his seat.

 

:grouphug:

[Renee in NC]

Okay, wait a minute. You have SEVEN kids, the oldest is 18, and this didn't happen to you until your youngest is FIVE? I am impressed you made it this long. My kids have done these kinds of things from the start. My (then three year old son) pushed his craft table into his (then 18 month old) sister's room, put a chair in her crib, a chair on the table and helped her climb out. He then "dressed" her- in a diaper, headband and one sock. I found them outside playing in the backyard at 5:12am. It was 42 degrees outside. I say again- you made it 18 years?!

 

I'll judge you. I judge you as a far better mom than I am, if this is the kinds of things we judge moms by.

 

I'm glad he's okay, and I'm glad you posted it here. I hope you know that you are NOT a bad mom. Although, after reading the above, you might not want to trust my standards.

 

Well, just for the record, my youngest is 3, not 5. And, mine have done plenty of crazy things...PLENTY! I can easily see mine doing exactly what you posted above. Kids do crazy things. You cannot keep your eyes on them every minute of every day.

 

This just happened to be the worst as far as possible outcomes.

 

So, no, you aren't a bad mom either. Bad moms wouldn't care. Bad moms would be too busy blaming someone else for what happened to care if her child were okay.

 

I've gotten over the bad mom part now, but we are definitely increasing the supervision. I want to lay eyes on him more often...my mistake was assuming he was with his sisters.

[crazyforlatin]

Thank you for sharing, and he sounds so cute, getting himself buckled in and eager to go. Your story is a good reminder for me, not specifically about car doors, but other areas.

[Teachin'Mine]

: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!

 

 

:iagree: Thank God he's okay. :grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

[justamouse]

:grouphug:

 

I am so glad he's safe.

[jenL]

SO glad your son is safe!!!!

 

My youngest was an escape artist, and we had to be extra vigilant as well. While I was cleaning up the kitchen one day, my neighbor came over and walked right into my wide-open front door with my youngest (he was almost 3 at the time). He had run outside and was playing in the cul-de-sac completely naked! I had only taken my eyes off of him for a few minutes during which time, he had stripped himself down, unlocked the front door (at that time, I had no idea he even knew how to unlock our doors) and proceeded to enjoy himself outside.

 

Accidents can happen to anyone. :grouphug:

[funschooler5]

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

Renee, that is something that could happen to any of us! I'm so glad he's okay!!

 

 

: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!

 

Wow, almost the exact thing happened to us at a hotel pool! #3 was just a toddler, and I was holding her, sitting with my feet in the hot tub (DH was taking a nap in the room). Oldest DD and DS were in the pool. DS couldn't swim, so he was supposed to stay in the shallow end, but I guess DD thought she was a good enough swimmer for the both of them, so she pulled him to the deep end. He panicked and pulled them both under. Luckily, a lady was in the pool and she pulled them both to the side, since I couldn't jump in holding my toddler. We were all pretty shaky the rest of the day!

[MamaT]

Renee, I am so glad he is okay. Like everyone else, I agree that could happen to anyone.

 

When my youngest son was 3, my oldest had friends over who had recently gotten their driver's license. About 20 minutes after they left, they called to tell me my 3 year old was asleep in their back seat. :confused: Things happen even to good moms.

[Mommee & Baba]

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

 

:iagree:

[SonshineLearner]

Yes, you're right. Also, as a precaution when I had younger children, I left the windows down a bit... and the back windows vented. I did this because I'm paranoid and had heard of horrible accidents. Since I take my dog around, in the summer I leave the windows vented because I'm paranoid that I'll forget him. I've also written on the car windows "DOG" just because I'm so nervous. I am SO NOT above anyone else in the "remembering" thing. If other people can forget... so can I :(

[Lisbeth]

:grouphug: I will pray for a peace to come over you. This happens so easily, it can happen so fast. You are NOT a bad mom.

[lauracolumbus]

I apologize for not reading all the other posts, but I just had to say that I can't imagine how you could possibly be at fault for this.

 

I can't imagine your terror for that brief period. I'm sure it will haunt you for a very long time.

 

I'm also grateful that you've shared it here b/c even though I don't have little ones, I will pass along this story to my friends that do.

 

I would never in a million years think to lock my car doors in the garage although only the driver seat stays unlocked b/c of my auto lock system.

 

Blessings to you.

Laura

[jamijoy]

I'm glad you posted this because I hadn't thought of it before.

 

I have a good handful of things that could have had some bad outcomes with my kids, so it's a bit comforting that others do as well (as long as they do end well).

 

:sad:

[PentecostalMom]

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

:iagree:

[JustGin]

(((Hugs))) to you! So glad your little guy is okay. My little (now big) boy fell out a second story window at that age, so I totally understand the feelings of guilt, but those will pass. You are not a bad mother! Try to consider all the ways you already work to protect him realizing we do the best we can but some times things just happen. Give yourself a big hug and hug him a few extra times too.

[Kirch]

:grouphug: I can't imagine. I'm so glad he's okay.

[Lizzie in Ma]

:grouphug::grouphug:

How terrifying, you poor thing. Accidents happen, no judgement here.