Inspired by news....Dad leaves child in car goes on train

[diskids2]

Apparently a Dad left his daughter in the car while he hopped on a train toward DC.

I'm not being judgemental, but I can't think of any circumstances where I would have forgotten my kids were in the car.

I did forget my son was in the school gym when I left to go home with my DD. But I went back after I was three steps out the door. He was five.


What do you think?

 

[andromedaslove]

I think it depends on the situation. Let's just say for arguments sake that this man usually doesn't take his child to daycare, the wife is the one who has always done that. So he goes about his morning, gets the kid in the car, and the baby falls asleep. Since the baby is asleep and so quiet the man literally forgets the baby is in the car.

I have forgotten my son at home before, after his was first born. I was getting ready to go somewhere. Even had the baby packed in his car seat. I went out to the car to put the things in it and just climbed right in and left him. I didn't even get out of the neighborhood before I realized he wasn't in the car, but it happens. I have also been driving somewhere and realize all of a sudden that I don't hear any noise in the back seats, and I automatically freak out thinking I left my kids somewhere, only to turn around and see them asleep in the back seat.

Dana

 

[RadioNate]

I haven't heard that specific story but I do know that in many of these cases it isn't the parent who's normal job is to tend to the child. Usually it happens when dad takes the child instead of mom because mom is sick. or vice versa.

They then get distracted and go about their normal routine and forget the child.

 

[diskids2]

Since I usually do all of the dropping off and picking up, I didn't even think of that.......I wonder how I would feel if my DH did that.....My first reaction would probably be - is DD/DS allright.....then kill my DH....then understanding, maybe

 

[kmp1191]

Unfortunately, we had the same thing happen here....the gentleman didn't normally bring his daughter to daycare and went to work (youth minister @ a church) and left her in the car....when he remembered, it was too late....the baby died and he was arrested. It was in the summertime and he remebered after about 4 hours.
really sad for everyone in the community.

 

[poohandwendy]

(I don't know the circumstances that inspired the thread, but usually the story has a very unhappy ending)

I think it is always a tragedy and usually an accident, when that happens.

I cannot imagine being responsible for my childs death. How horrible always revisiting the 'should've, would've, could've'. What a nightmare. I always say a prayer for the family.

 

[Mimi Q]

I have had nightmares about this, but thank God have never done it. Glad the baby in this story is just fine. They said the father was terribly upset.

 

[mrsltg]

Oprah did a story about sleep deprivation years ago. A father with a fairly new baby was to take her to daycare. He went to work and a couple of hours later the daycare called to ask where the baby was. It was too late. It was heartbreaking.

I was once driving to the commuter lot and had to drop dd off at school (normally I pick up). She was sleepy and wasn't talking. I was almost at the lot when I realized I hadn't dropped her off. Yes, I can see how this can happen.

 

[poohandwendy]

Glad the baby in this story is just fine. They said the father was terribly upset.

Oh, that is good news, happy to hear that. It usually doesn't make the news unless the ending is horrible.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

Here is the link: http://www.nbc4.com/news/8207021/detail.html Oh, that's our closest metro station. So glad it wasn't warm weather like we had a little over a week ago or obviously like it is in late spring or in summer. Could have been tragic.

 

[Jingle]

With all of the pressures in today's world this can innocently happen. Until something similar happened to me, I would have thought it could NEVER happen unless the parent was negligent. Fortunately, my situation didn't have any serious consequences.

I was going through a divorce, working a stressful job and trying to take care of everything for my two young children by myself. I had one child in daycare and the other was in kindergarten. After I dropped my one child at daycare, I started heading out of town to go to work, with my mind on a million different things. All of a sudden I heard this little voice from the backseat saying Mom, where are we going? I had forgotten to drop my second child off at school before heading out of town for work. It really scared me to think I did this, even though nothing bad happened. Thank goodness my child was old enough to speak up!

 

[beckmrk04]

The father in the OP's news story was frantic- I really felt sorry for him- and so thankful for him and his baby that nothing bad happened!

My SIL were working out last night and discussing this. I can see how a parent would get stressed and busy and if it's not something in the normal routine, it could slip their mind. Luckily he realized it quickly and even luckier the fire dept. had already gotten to the baby. I hope I never do it, but I could understand how it happens.

But I read that he could be fined $500 and/or 30 days in jail- and honestly- I think he's going to beat himself up enough over that one. He was scared to death.

 

[klmall]

Years ago my brother and SIL came home from the grocery store (on base in the army) and since the baby was sound asleep in the back seat went ahead and unloaded all their groceries. They went upstairs unpacked all the groceries and sat down to eat dinner before they realized the baby was still asleep in the car seat!

They were horrified but my DN was unharmed and the weather was nice (mid-spring) and none of the neighbors even noticed since she was still asleep.

It's still sort of a family legend!

 

[SunFloridaDisney]

Don't know if DH made this up to be dramatic or what, but he swears that when he was a kid they were on vacation, his dad was driving late at night and the kids were sleeping in the back of the station wagon. Dad stops for gas, and is checking things with the car, DH gets out and decides to go use the restroom (dad unaware) and they drove off without him!

Didn't take them long (a couple of minutes?) to realize little dh wasn't in the car, and turned around to get him. I can see it happening!

 

[kbkids]

I can totally see how it could innocently happen. We had a case here a few years ago. Bank president, wife was at home sick, so he offered to drop the baby off at daycare while she stayed home to recuperate. Got involved in a phone conversation on the way to work and totally forgot. Remembered about three hours later - but it was too late. It was so sad.

I was taking a meal to a family one night (mom just had surgery), and I had my newborn in the back seat. I was running late, and I had planned to leave the baby with DH while I ran to their house, but he didn't make it home in time, so put the baby in the car and went on. On the way there, remembered something I had planned to fix for her at her house and thought, "Oh, I'll have time now. Shouldn't take more than an hour or so." It was a few minutes before I even realized I had my baby with me and wouldn't have been able to. Scared me to realize that I had forgotten him. But it can happen to the most conscientous of people.