s/o kids left in hot cars: creating a system to make sure it never happens to you

[Laurie4b]

My kids are all thankfully well past the age of being left in cars, but I thought this article was tremendously wise. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/25/what-parent-leaves-child-in-broiling-car_n_3497956.html?utm_hp_ref=fb&src=sp&comm_ref=false

 

"People are, by definition, fallible, the argument goes. Pointing fingers and punishing them does not prevent the next mistake; creating a system that assumes fallibility and works around it makes a lot more practical sense." 

[regentrude]

All those safety measures recommended to be done every.single.time will work well for the parent who is usually on child care duty and will make these procedures a routine. The accidents, however, happen typically when the parent who is not normally the one to drop off the child is asked to do something for which he does not have a routine. So, if one parent (typically dad) does not usually have the car seat in his car, he won't have a stuffed animal and the routine down, he won't be used to checking the backseat every time because there is nobody there, he won't be used to putting an item in the back seat... the only measure that will help is for the daycare provider to call when the child has not arrived or for the other parent to call to verify the drop off happened as planned.

The other things are a great safety routine to develop for the parent who is usually handling drop off duty, but those are also much less likely to forget the kid.

 

[Another Lynn]

Well, what if it's his/her daily routine to put brief case (other work related items) in the back seat - whether he/she is transporting the child or not?  That would establish a routine of always getting items out of the back seat in order to go into work. 

[msrift]

I always leave my purse in the back when I have the kids. I usually need to put it down to help people buckle up, so I just put it on the floor in front of their seats. Plus it keeps me from any temptation I may have to get out my phone. Any contrived stuffed animal thing is bound to fail.

[Farrar]

If you read the full WaPo piece that's quoted and linked in there (it's very worth reading - not sure if it got linked in the other thread or not) you'll see that some NASA engineers invented a system to warn you if you forgot your baby, but they couldn't bring it to market in part because people all think it wouldn't happen to them.  Yet that's just not true, not statistically speaking.

[Farrar]

Hm..yeah and if it were very expensive I can imagine not buying it either.  There are 100,000 gadgets we "need" for our baby.

 

Maybe more awareness?  Just planting this into someone's mind at some point (pamphlet at the hospital) might make them think about it.  I know stuff I was told stuck with me long after the fact.  And I don't know if I would have thought about it otherwise.

 

I had the same reaction about gadgets and babies.  But seeing as there's so many, it was more what it said that no one would buy this particular one.  We all think we're immune when we're not.  Probably there are some families with routines that help them be less susceptible, but so much of that is circumstance.  I doubt I could have forgotten my kids because they never stopped screaming in the car.  And there were two of them, which probably helped.  But should you become a stay at home parent and never let your partner transport your baby?  That's an unrealistic expectation for most families.

 

FWIW, I think the tricks suggested in the article are superior to a gadget anyway.

[SKL]

On a related topic, if a young child ever goes missing, one of the first places to check is in the car (including the trunk).  It seems people search everywhere except the car, until it's too late.  :(  The pool first (if you have one), the car second, and then everywhere else.

[SKL]

I like the idea of a big, jangly bracelet on the kid's car seat that you wear when he's in the seat.  You will notice it if you walk off without taking the kid out of the car.

 

Another thing, it's not a bad habit to give your car a once-over every time you walk into work, just in case you find yourself driving your boss to lunch or something.  :P  You get in the habit of always looking in the backseat, kid or no kid.  Then if there is a kid back there, hopefully you will notice.

 

Another idea is to put a music maker on the back seat when the kid is in there, and not turn it off until the kid is out of the car.

[coffeegal]

I always leave my purse in the back when I have the kids. I usually need to put it down to help people buckle up, so I just put it on the floor in front of their seats. Plus it keeps me from any temptation I may have to get out my phone. Any contrived stuffed animal thing is bound to fail.

 

:iagree: Mom taught me this trick for remembering to turn off the car lights. Turn on the lights, toss the purse into the back. Put in the baby, put the purse at baby's feet. :001_smile: 

 

[Trish]

Maybe a simple app would work. Something that sends you a message at the time work starts. 

 

Speaking of "app" put the CELL PHONE near the baby (not within reach though).

[maize]

Maybe also develop a habit of calling to check in with whoever is watching your child (spouse, babysitter, whoever) as soon as you arrive where you are going.

[Stacia]

...

[MomtoCandJ]

Point your review mirror so you can see the top of your child's head or carseat (yes this is how I drive :D) I can still see out the rear window to back up and what not.

[MomtoCandJ]

We live in a hot area.

 

I noticed last week that Wal-Mart had big yellow signs on their doors reminding people to check their car seats before entering the store. I wonder if it is especially to do w/ heat-related deaths?

 

I had never seen one of those previously. Needed, though, as there are too many tragic fatalities each year when it's hot (whether children or pets).

 

We don't live in a "hot" area but I've also seen this sign at Walmart

[MomtoCandJ]

We live in a hot area.

 

I noticed last week that Wal-Mart had big yellow signs on their doors reminding people to check their car seats before entering the store. I wonder if it is especially to do w/ heat-related deaths?

 

I had never seen one of those previously. Needed, though, as there are too many tragic fatalities each year when it's hot (whether children or pets).

 

We don't live in a "hot" area but I've also seen this sign at Walmart

[mirth]

You have to take a picture of the baby, or kiss the baby on the head everytime you get out of the car.  Everytime you fail to, you have to donate money to your least favorite charity according to this formula, y = 100x^2, where x is the present number of times you've failed to kiss/photograph the baby, and y is in $.

[gardenmom5]

I like the putting the purse in/next-to the carseat - I will leave my phone, I will ignore things on the front passenger seat, (I will even ignore things dangling from the visor) but I won't go off without my purse.

 

and if someone else is taking the baby - calling and checking!  I've been razzed by my family for calling and asking, but jiminy . . .

[Hoot]

Even though ds is long past the age of being left in a car, dh and I in always text each other when we drop ds off somewhere. Just a quick, "did the boy get to biology ok?" This was never an issue when he was a baby because I didn't drive then and I ran a daycare so he was always with me at home or we were all together. However, it seems like an easy enough routine to maintain in addition to being in the habit of always checking the backseat when you get out of the car.

[happi duck]

I think this young boy came up with a great idea...made of rubber bands and duct tape!  It's basically a length of rubber bands looped through the strap on the back of the driver's seat and then when the child is put in the car the other end of the rubber band cord is place on the driver's door handle.  The driver can't exit the car without seeing the cord.

 

Here's the boy's website with instructions to make one: http://www.ezbabysaver.com/

[Excelsior! Academy]

Sticky note on the rear view mirror.