The Only Kind of Car Kids Should DriveRemember when your dad let you sit on his lap and steer the car as you drove down the highway? This was something that was pretty popular in my neck of the woods when we were little kids. Was it fun? You betcha. Was it totally stupid? Absolutely.
What appears to be a parenting throw-back to the 1970s has left a 2-year-old little girl dead in Southern California. This time it was the old "I'll let you back the car out of the driveway" move. As the 11-year-old backed the car out, and pulled back in, she ran over little Dahlia Rodriguez, who was described by neighbors as "beautiful and smart."
While I'm a big believer that we've become too overprotective in this modern parenting age, parenting the old-fashioned way just got a 2-year-old killed and left an 11-year-old permanently screwed up.
Letting kids run free down to the neighborhood creek is an acceptable risk. Not much could happen that a tetanus shot couldn't fix. Dropping your 11-year-old off at the mall, as long as there is a clear understanding of stranger danger, is another acceptable risk. But giving your child a weapon is never okay. And in the hands of a child, a 3,000-pound vehicle is totally a weapon.
While a 2-year-old shouldn't be hanging out in a driveway, I know my 2-year-old is so fast that unless I'm holding him from the time I leave the front door until he's buckled into his car seat -- he could run away and into the street. Toddlers are unpredictable and have zero awareness of the world around them. If mom or dad looked away for five seconds, that little girl could have run towards the car. Maybe towards an older child she felt attached to, even.
A neighbor described this horrible loss as "just one of those tragic accidents." But it's not. It's irresponsible parenting to the extreme. I hope the 11-year-old is able to forgive herself for the bad judgment that the adults around her showed on that day. Of course the lesson learned is not worth the life of that little beautiful, smart girl.
Do you let your kids "drive" your car like this?
Image via ella novak/Flickr
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Comments 42
Um, I couldn't even reach the pedals when I was 11.. let alone was handed the keys to a car. I realize that different kids handle stuff at different ages, but I don't think letting an 11 yr old behind the wheel anywhere is a good idea. Not to mention what's already been pointed out: where were the parents of the 2 yr old? It's not that hard to keep track of a 2 yr old unless you're actively ignoring them. Now the 11 yr old gets to go through life knowing that they ended someone else's; that's great parenting right there. Poor kid may decide that they'll never drive anything ever again. Sheesh.
Michael, nice job calling people who actually WATCH OUT FOR THEIR CHILDREN "retarded" . Your ignorance is appalling!!
and also Only people who don't have kids would make a comment about the parents ignoring the 2year old. I have four kids and my fiance has 6(includes my younger 2) and my 2year old only son as well as all his siblings from the time they started walking have run me ragged on a daily basis. Gotta lovem though. but its real easy for kids to slip out and take off running. Unless you keep your kids strapped to those straps(where you can pull the kid if they run)( my kids aren't dogs so I don't use that)
Was the child alone to drive the car in the drive way? ....
Shouldnt someone have been watching the 2yo who was in the yard?...
Plenty of 11yo (maybe younger) drive on their farms/ large family land...
This is a tragic story, but i see it as no different than parents that accidentally hit their own kids. Young kids should not be alone anywhere near where a vehicle can be! In this situation. Its not the 11yo. was driving.. its the other child should not have been there.
I guess I have a different view of this since I had 2 uncles that showed me how to drive at the age of 7. For one we did this in remote areas. Where there was no other people with in many miles. No risk of me running into any thing but a dirt mound. But safety was always there first concern when I learned to drive.