Stupid People leaving kids in car during extreme heat

[wolfwoman]

It's sickening that this is still happening. I never, ever left my DS in a vehicle . My fur babies are never, ever left in a vehicle except if DH or myself are with them. I will not even leave them at home alone if it is too hot. I stay home, keep the AC going and hose them down with water when they go outside. If the repercussions for leaving a child or pet in a these situations were severe enough, then I am sure we would see less of this. Sad to say but people don't seem to learn anything unless it hits them in the pocket. Jail time and fines are the only way to go. People may think this is heartless and harsh. But I don't think the victim would think so. Where are these bleeding hearts when that vehicle is heating up?

[francine1985]

Wow. So that poor baby was left outside unsupervised long enough to "somehow" get into the car all alone and bake to death... I don't understand that at all... my 4 year old doesn't play outside alone. In fact he has to either hold a hand or be in the stroller. (At least until we get to a playground or wherever we are going.)

In the case of the little girl in Edmonton, it seems she trapped herself in the car:

Tsi-Tsi Chitekedza was playing outside the family's northeast Edmonton home Tuesday afternoon, said Grace Vela.

She doen't know how the young girl got into the family vehicle parked in front of the home, she said.
Vela told CBC News she found her daughter inside, seemingly asleep, with her thumb in her mouth.
She began CPR, but the toddler was declared dead in hospital a little over an hour later.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmont...le-mother.html

[DolceBella]

The same day that the little girl died a woman in Edmonton was charged with leaving her 3 year old, 6 year old and 21 month old children in the car. It was ridiculous hot here. It's sickening that people would let this happen.

[squish]

I believe people should have to apply for a license to pro-create. So sick.

[MillieH]

We are so quick to judge, hopefully no one we know or love finds themselves in a similar situation

[loftywater]

Argh. It already makes my anger rise when I read about pets being left in the car in these extreme heat and died as a result of the owners thinking its okay for a pet to stay inside a car while they run do their errands. But once a child's life if involve I'm at a loss for words. But seriously, who in their effing right mind would leave a child unattended in a damn car in this freaking heat weather. Actually regardless of the heat weather, a child should never be left unattended EVER. NO amount of deaths we hear on the news will get through to people's head. They just assume that 5 mins is okay, like come one I think you should be the one left in the car and see how 5 mins is like. It saddens me that a child's life is taken away as a result of a stupid decision made by the person whom they trust with their life. Rip little one

[Zonny]

My DS is seven and I'd never leave him alone in the car, regardless of weather. WTF is wrong with people?

This afternoon I made a quick run down to Superstore and it's about 30 here. And what do I see? Some idiot has a dog in their car, outside the liquor store, fairly large dog, and barking. Sure, you're probably only in there for five minutes, and yes you left the windows open fairly wide, but did you REALLY need to bring your dog with you?

[tjthemanto]

Haven't been following the stores but have heard about it. How sad. Wouldn't know what to think of the relative whom left him in the car if that's what happened (if that is the truth). I agree,if you have 1 child to watch, it should be easy to remember!

Never left mine in the car either,won't lie it's crossed my mind when i just have to run in somewhere, but she was always with someone or taken out. In this day of age it seems to be common sense to not leave a child in the car.

But nowadays a lot of people seem to 'forget' things a lot more...i blame technology and new inventions that are making our brains 'lazier' and more forgetful. I won't lie I've forgoten dd's backpack like 100 times this first school year,lol.

Yup ..that's why they are saying leave your cell phone or your purse or bag or something in the back seat of your car , if you have a kid in the backand driving alone.

The chances are you are likely to remember the kid if you stop for going into a store or something , as you will reach for your purse or cell phone or something in the back seat , when getting out of your car .

[abbasgirl]

There are definitely cases of abusive and neglectful parents but if you can stomach it -- it's worth reading this article which talks about how these kinds of things can happen and actual parents that have done it. The number of incidents have gone up with rear facing car seats, in the backseat. It seems incomprehensible, but these stories are heart breaking.http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...022701549.html

This article is very well written. It's going to take me a long time to recover from reading it, but it expresses how I feel about these tragedies very well. I just can't bring myself to judge someone who has to live with a nightmare like that for the rest of their lives.

[tocgal]

What a horrible horrible occurance; reading the article sheds some light, I also can't bring myself to judge someone who has to live the rest of their life with the nightmare What a terrible preventable tragic - as difficult it is to understand how someone could "forget" their child, I do believe they live the rest of their life with this.

[lecale]

.

[cheapNcheeky]

I can't judge this family for what happened. History has proven that it CAN happen to anyone. I've heard stories where there was a change in the morning routine and the child was forgotten. It doesn't mean this child was neglected or that they were bad parents. Sadly all it takes it one lapse in judgement...or brain fart. I will just grieve with this family and hope that it provides some awareness so that it won't happen again.

I know that life can get hectic sometimes and maybe that's the problem. We should take the time to enjoy the simpler things instead of always being on the 'go'. You don't always have to be moving at warp speed. Let's start taking the time to just step back and take a breath.

In situations where the parents purposely left their child in the car....I have no words. That's just dumb.

[xox2010]

This article is very well written. It's going to take me a long time to recover from reading it, but it expresses how I feel about these tragedies very well. I just can't bring myself to judge someone who has to live with a nightmare like that for the rest of their lives.

Exactly. I know that from reading that article plus accounts from other parents, you can just tell how devastated they are. Nobody is perfect.

[Midnightly]

the ONLY time my daughter stays in the car is when it will take longer to unbuckle her from her carseat then to do the errand (aka dropping library books off in the outdoor drop slot) or paying for gas and the car is always in sight (and her in the back seat) other then that oh heck no she gets out (sure it would be soo much easier to leave her in the car when I run into thriftys to get bread but I would never do it) as I tell her.. I like her too much to leave her behind

[Aimz]

Obviously the loss of a child is a great tragedy, and what the families of these toddlers are going through is something we can't possibly begin to comprehend unless we're experiencing the situation firsthand.

Having said that, if you leave a child in the car in dangerously warm temperatures, you are neglectful. Neglect doesn't mean you are a bad parent, or you intended to cause harm to your child - it simply means you failed to provide the proper degree of care. And no matter what the circumstance, no matter how stressed you were, or how busy, or how overwhelmed with your list of things to do, if you forget your child, you did neglect them. Children that small cannot defend themselves - they can't let themselves out of the car, can't do anything other than scream within the confines of the car - screams that will not be heard.

It's not fair, and it's not just, and it might be judgmental to say so, but I honestly don't understand how a child can be forgotten in a car like a grocery bag that someone forgot to unload. I've read that article, and I sympathize, and I am so sorry for the pain those families are going through, but it's preventable, and it's not something that has to happen.