When one woman shared her advice on how to remember a baby in the back seat, the internet instantly became divided. Some people praised her idea, and others thought it was absurd. You might think this seems like an obvious thing. Remembering a living human being in the backseat of your car is something you would think you’d remember. Unfortunately, this is a situation that happens more often than you think.
According to KidsAndCars.org, 39 children die each year from being left in hot cars while unattended. As a result, this equates to almost one child every 9 days. Tragically, since 1990 over 1,000 children have lost their lives this way. The organization reports that 13% of these deaths were from parents who intentionally left their children unattended.
Who Leaves a Baby in the Back Seat?
Of those 1,000 deaths, 56% were due to parents who accidentally leave their children in the car. You might be wondering, how on earth does this happen? After all, how could something like a child in a back seat just slip your mind? There are several reasons, including stress, lack of visual cues, exhaustion, and someone being on ‘auto-pilot.’ Another reason is that before 1990, young children could sit in the front seat, which would give you an automatic cue when leaving your car. This is a risk trade-off as children are statistically safer in the back with a proper car seat. For more information on child passenger safety, visit the CDC website.
Baby in the Back Seat: Woman Share Tip
That’s why this one grandmother decided to share her trick to remind herself there’s a baby in the backseat, and she hopes it will help others.
In her video on TikTok, user @pinkjeepgirltx shows us that she drives with one shoe. You might think she has an unconventional way of driving, and it’s true. But, is there a reason behind this? According to her, she would rather ‘deal with the hot pavement than leave my grandson in the back’ and gave a tip to the world. In other words, you should leave your shoe in the backseat with your baby. She says you should do this because you will be reminded to grab both your shoe and your child.
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Yes? Or, No?
You can see from the comments how people felt about the whole thing. Many parents sided with her, yet others voiced their opposing thoughts as well. If you have children, you might feel strongly one way or the other about this, and we would love to hear your thoughts! Here is what some people are saying about the video, do you agree or disagree with them?
We’d love to hear what you think! Have you ever experienced something like this? Or are you appalled at the idea?
Keep Reading: You’re Allowed to Have a Baby After 35
Sources:
- “You’d Never Forget Your Child in the Car, Right?” Parents. June 2014
- “Woman Shares Trick To Remind Herself Of Baby In Back Seat—And Not Everyone Supports It.” Dad Patrol.
- “How Kids Get Heatstroke in Cars.” Kids and Cars.