Sometimes it feels like being a mom means fighting a battle you just can't win. Take the Pennsylvania mom whose baby was sitting inside her vehicle in their own driveway when she got carjacked! Living smack dab in the middle of the region that got hit with a heat wave, leaving your 1-year-old in the comfort of the air-conditioning should have been the safe bet.
These are the darned if you do, darned if you don't moments that make parenting so hard. The good news here is the jerk who took off with Jennifer Ramirez' car must have realized baby Nariya was in the backseat and gotten scared.
The carjacker abandoned the car and the baby a few miles away, and the mom who had been unloading groceries from the vehicle when the whole thing went down was reunited with her little girl in less than an hour. But here's betting she will never leave the car running with her daughter inside again.
It's a sad commentary on the state of our society when you can't leave your car running in your own driveway. But this is a perfect example of the parenting Catch 22 I'm talking about.
You sit there reading all these awful stories about kids dying because they were left in hot cars -- accidentally or on purpose. And then when a mom does the exact opposite, specifically putting her baby in the coolest spot in the heat wave because she's thinking that's the smart thing to do, it still ends up hurting her family.
I've been lucky: none of the Murphy's Law moments of parenting so far have hit me like this poor mom. But that doesn't mean I haven't fallen victim to them too. We all have.
Think about that time you were "right there" when the toddling baby fell and bumped her head. You thought "being there" was enough, right? I could go on and on with this list. I am not a big "leave the car running with kids in it" person because of all the risks and the horror stories. But in your own driveway? I've done it. Now, probably not.
Have you left your child in the air conditioning in your own driveway? What has been your biggest darned if you do/darned if you don't moment?
Image via travelsofamonkey/Flickr
Ashley Is a Widow Who Stays Strong...
This Hot Dad Wants to Vacuum Your Rug
This Hot Dad Wants to Do Your Ironing
KStew Refuses to Shower
Comments 75
At that age, my son would have gone into the house first, put into his crib or swing or whatever, and then I'd have gone back out to get the groceries.
But I'm glad the baby was found safe.
this is exactly why i say its unsafe to ever leave a child alone in a car by him/herself. I have never let one of my kids in the car for even a min. I always took them in the house and layed them in the crib and go get what i needed from the car
It really doesn't matter if it's cool or hot in the car, just don't leave your children in them alone. There are nuts watching your every move waiting for the moment. I understand when you are alone you have to make the best of the situation of watching your children and doing other things but watching them are more important.
This was/is one of my biggest fears. I usually go grocery shopping with someone or I drop my daughter off at my Moms. I'm too paranoid to do this.
I feel horrible for this woman. I can't imagine what she is going through and my prayers are with her..
In Colorado it is illegal to leave your car running in the driveway. The ticket is about 100 bucks.
I'm glad the baby is okay, but still, even in this day and age one should always be aware of the potential for crime, even in low crime areas. That being said, she was trying to do the best for the baby by keeping her in the coolest spot, so I don't fault her for it. It just was a bad timing kind of deal I think.
i get lucky because i only do any kinda running around in the summer or going anywhere without my kids because we are very unlucky to have a car without ac, my kids stay at home with their father. now if i have to take them anywhere and i did have AC i would bring them in the house and set up my gates to keep them safe because i am scared that i will walk away from the car and something like this would happen.in no way does this mean she is a bad mom she did what SHE thought would be best and as parents that's all we can do. i feel bad she had to go through this and i am sure she is hurting. at least the baby was not in the heat like the other babies we have heard about.
I always bring my son directly into the house. He is the most important person in my car! Everything else is just stuff and can be replaced, he obviously can not. She should bring her child into the house first and foremost-this wouldn't even be a story if she did.
I read some of the comments about having children running around the house unsupervised but I'm sure if you own a car you can get a highchair or a stroller out while doing other things. I''m with my children all the time because my husband work long hours. I don't have a car but with two young children I know it's hard when they finally go to sleep and you have to wake them up. But I rather have a crying baby than no baby. I'm not judging her we all do things as best as we can but we no longer should live with the idea that we can leave cars with children in the car unattended. It's not living in fear it's just not safe.