Children left in cars

[JoiseyMom]

That Washington Post article is the most heart wrenching thing I've ever read. I first read it several months ago when my daughter was still itty bitty, and it almost made me throw up. I do think it can happen to anyone, however I still think there needs to be some sort of punishment. I do know that if my husband made that horrific mistake I don't think we'd still be married. I can't even imagine what the families go through.

What kind of punishment? Do you not think the parent that did this is going to have to live with the guilt of what they did for the rest of their lives. Chances are their marriages will be destroyed, and their lives. How do you move on after this sort of tragedy?

The purpose of jail is to be a punishment/deterent for criminal acts. This was not a criminal act, there was no intent to do harm. This is why none of them that were charged were ever convicted.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

That Washington Post article is the most heart wrenching thing I've ever read. I first read it several months ago when my daughter was still itty bitty, and it almost made me throw up. I do think it can happen to anyone, however I still think there needs to be some sort of punishment. I do know that if my husband made that horrific mistake I don't think we'd still be married. I can't even imagine what the families go through.

Thankfully most mistakes we make as parents have few to any long-term consequences. But keep in mind that mistakes will be made unless you're raising your family in Fantasyland, in which case you may end up raising Peter Pan or Dumbo.

 

[goodeats]

I get that there was no intent, but it just seems nuts to me and so senseless that these children suffered so much. Maybe not jailtime, but maybe speaking publicly to get the word out. I don't know something. Like someone said for most of these people it was a horrible accident, but what if one of them is faking it?

What about manslaughter? Don't people go to jail for stuff like that? I think there has to be some sort of recklessness, but isn't being so distracted reckless?

 

[Tigger&Belle]

What about manslaughter? Don't people go to jail for stuff like that? I think there has to be some sort of recklessness, but isn't being so distracted reckless?

I'm not advocating that parents be distracted, however can any parents say that they've never been distracted? I don't know that we can be on the beam 24/7. My thought instead tends to be, "there but for the grace of God go I", as I send my prayers and strength to the grieving family.

 

[brandylouwho]

unfortunately, it's easy to do. I was supposed to take my dd to the neighbor's one time and then go to the doctor. It was a change in my and dd's schedule. It was a rushed morning. I get in the car, strap dd in and away we go. i pull up at the clinic and there's dd in the back seat. I had forgotten to take her to the neighbor's. Thankfully, I looked in the back seat, but what if I was running five minutes later or was distracted by something else? That was a real wake up call and no metter what I never left the van again without looking at the carseat.
A common component in the tragedies seems to be a change in the routine. mom takes child instead of dad. Dad is running late. Mom stops on an errand. I think it's a tragic consequence of the busy-ness we all face.

This was one of my big fears as a new mother. I made a habit to check that backseat multiple times, every time I got out of that car. On several occassions I did turn to go to work instead of daycare (they were a block away from each other), but always caught myself right away. I fully believe this is because I 1) greatly lacked sleep and 2) had driven to that job without a child for so many years.

On a somewhat similar note, I did forget to buckle my daughter into her carseat one time and proceeded to drive about 50 miles on a freeway. I cried when we arrived and I realized what I had done. (thankfully, no accidents and no harm done). Again, change in routine--I was making an unexpected trip to the hospital because my MIL was having major problems.

 

[Mickey'snewestfan]

I get that there was no intent, but it just seems nuts to me and so senseless that these children suffered so much. Maybe not jailtime, but maybe speaking publicly to get the word out. I don't know something. Like someone said for most of these people it was a horrible accident, but what if one of them is faking it?

What about manslaughter? Don't people go to jail for stuff like that? I think there has to be some sort of recklessness, but isn't being so distracted reckless?

Our judicial system doesn't work that way. Our country is founded on the principle that it's better to protect one innocent, even if it might mean letting a guilty person walk.

The people in the article did speak publicly, but they did so from the depth of their heart, to try and keep another family from suffering the same way.

 

[SunFloridaDisney]

I don't know that we can be on the beam 24/7. My thought instead tends to be, "there but for the grace of God go I", as I send my prayers and strength to the grieving family.

Well said.

 

[DeniseinNS]

I hate reading about stuff like this

Accidents do happen and I can totally see how this could happen to someone if they weren't paying full attention. Force of habit, I constantly look in my backseat before getting out of the car, even when the kids are not there. I find it odd that when they thought the child was napping in the house that they never thought to check on her at all during that time.

We came accross a situation last month while on vacation. We went to Old Navy and when I came out about 15minutes later I noticed that there was a small child around 3 in the van beside us (it was already there when I went in but never noticed the child then) The van was running. We waited about 10 minutes and then we called 911 and reported it and gave them the location and plate #, after 10 more minutes we had to leave and the van was still there and no parents or police yet

 

[krcit]

I have typed a bunch of responses to this thread and I just end up deleting them. I should know better than to open up threads like this. There was a thread a few months ago about a child who choked on a hotdog and people were actually saying that the parents deserved for their child to die because they were stupid enough to give thier child a hotdog It must get so very crowded on top of the pedastal that some people sit on. I am a human being and I make mistakes. Thank God that so far, none of my mistakes have had any tragic consequences. I learn from my mistakes and from other people's mistakes. I will not judge some poor woman who after finding out that her father died, made a huge error that she will have to live with for the rest of her life. She probably thought she brought the baby into the house and put her into bed. My heart breaks for this family.

 

[MoniqueU]

I can't read this thread, I will either puke or start crying. But a few years back a big family with extended family all went to church together came home and did the family, lots of kids a few adults etc. Each adult thought someone else had grebbed the baby and put it down for a nap. Devestating results obvisously. It wasn't intentional or negligent at all it just happened. Totally tragic. Accidents like that happen and I dont get how they do but they do.

 

[Mickey'snewestfan]

I hate reading about stuff like this

Accidents do happen and I can totally see how this could happen to someone if they weren't paying full attention. Force of habit, I constantly look in my backseat before getting out of the car, even when the kids are not there. I find it odd that when they thought the child was napping in the house that they never thought to check on her at all during that time.
QUOTE]

The mother had just found out that her father died thousands of miles away. I imagine she had a lot on her mind and on her hands.

At that age, many parents leave their children alone asleep for 8 or more hours at a stretch without checking at night, and noone judges them.

 

[joyjoy]

Good God. I cannot believe the self-righteousness some posters here seem to have.


How can anyone with a modicum of compassion actually BLAME these poor parents, who have suffered mercilessly? If you need to blame someone, blame the auto industry that has an inexpensive, proven method to avoid these tragedies, yet refuses to install the available sensors in their cars for fear of accountability.

PP said it best... there but for the grace of God go I.