I forgot my baby in a hot car
By A Mom Just Like You
I was one of those. I heard the stories. I cried for those moms. Whenever I’d hear a story, it would take me days to recover. Yet I thought it would never ever, not in a million years, happen to me. I’m normal. I’m organized. I have it together. I don’t forget anything! For sure not my most tender and precious possession of all.
And then. It happened.
It was a hectic Friday. I was debating if to go buy challah and cake at the bakery before dropping off my son by his swimming class or after.
Then I realized I could run that errand while he’s taking his swimming lesson.
What about the baby? He was due for a nap. I figured my teenage son could watch him. But when I asked him to keep an eye on him because “He needs to nap anyway!” he made a face and reminded me that he wanted to go for a run with his friend, and he’d rather do it now, not later, before it got too hot outside.
So I took the baby with me. To the swimming lessons, and then, to the bakery.
The baby was due to nap. And nap he did. Really quietly.
I left the swimming pool and rushed to the bakery shop. Perfect, I had about 15-20 minutes to browse and select the cookies and challos I wanted l’chovod Shabbos.
I did just that. I enjoyed every minute of it.
I even shmoozed with a few acquaintances I met. I took my time.
Then, I returned to my car. I opened the trunk to put my purchases in. And I saw toes.
Cute, adorable, pink, sleeping toes.
In a hot car.
I don’t need to tell you how my heart dropped. How I ran. How I picked up my baby who was b’chasdei Hashem perfectly happy and smiling, refreshed from his nap. He wasn’t sweating, he wasn’t even warm. It was still morning and the car wasn’t that hot, not yet.
I shook and I cried. I was so ashamed. I was so sorry. I felt like I failed at the one and only thing that I am supposed to do in this world: take care of my children.
I hugged that little baby with all my might and cried for all that could have been, for all the mothers that weren’t as lucky as me. And then, I thanked Hashem for the lesson he taught me today. The lesson that I needed to hear so badly: we are not above anything. It can happen to anyone.
We are all overachievers. Frazzled. All over the place.
We multitask and our minds are preoccupied with a million things.
There is no way I will trust myself again.
I needed to do something different, something that ensured this will never happen again.
And this is how I remembered a great trick a friend of mine once told me (See it mentioned in this post!). The best way to make sure never to forget your baby in a car, ever again.
As soon as you get into the driving seat, remove your left shoe. Take that shoe and toss it close to the carseat (ideally in a spot that you cannot reach over and grab again).
Drive to your destination. It is guaranteed you will not walk into any store/office/home without your left shoe. Once you arrive, you will walk around the car (yes, while missing one shoe, a small price to pay) and get your baby and your shoe.
I have started doing this every time I take the baby with me, and yes, it works. It’s becoming second nature, and I thank Hashem every day for the miracle he granted me with. And, for the strong lesson He taught me, so to avoid tragedy, chas veshalom. Let this post be a zechus to save more overwhelmed and tired mothers, from catastrophe, r’l.
Wow. Thank you for sharing. Every parents’ nightmare…
I take off my left shoe when I put the baby in the car seat.
Thank you Hashem for watching over our children. BH your story ended well. May klal yisrael not suffer any more korbanos. You are not alone, many of us have been in this position. Let’s do our hushtadlus. Please join the initiative to make this device affordable for everyone. Reach out to me to help fund this initiative. 7732405241
I’ve also heard of enabling your purse or your phone next to the car seat to help you remember.
Wow!! Yes this is every parents nightmare!!! Thank you Hashem you have your healthy baby with you alive and well!
I put my pocketbook there… wouldn’t leave without it. The shoe is a great idea, I may start trying that, especially when I’m not planning to shop.
I started putting my pocketbook in the back seat and it helps me remember!
I purchased a car seat with a sensor and alarm for child #6. I always had a fear that I may leave my child in the car. While it BH never happened to me, anything is possible. I highly recommend this car seat for anyone that has a smart phone. The reminder chime is excellent, the alarm sometimes goes off incorrectly but I just acknowledge and stop it – better safe then sorry.
https://cybex-online.com/en-us/car-seats/sirona-m-sensorsafe
This is a big problem in hot and developed countries like Israel, Australia and USA. A reliable habit of always checking the back seat can prevent this from happening to you. There is a cheap car charger device made by 3 dads from Australia that reminds you to check the back seat every time you turn the car off. it’s called CleverElly. http://www.cleverelly.com
Kars4kids has an app that u can download. It will remind you each time you shut the engine to get your baby
I bought the clever elly at the baby store “Elemeno “in Lakewood best purchase ever! You plug it into your USB once and it reminds you every time you turn off the car. Really a necc for every car!
Thanks for posting this! I also had a scare and started looking into reminder products. I recently installed the remind and remind from CSO Radio in Lakewood and it’s so amazing. If a parent doesn’t open the child’s door after turning off the car, the horn will go off. It’s not cheap but worth every penny!
I have the clever elly, and it reminds you to “check the back seat”, but since it plays the message every time I turn the car off or on after a while, you get used to it and you have to be very disciplined to actually turn around and check
This device goes in the carseat, if the child is in it, it beeps when you turn off the car:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B086DM63SN/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1