When I heard the story about this Facebook picture cops took of a Colorado mom driving around with a gas can buckled up in a car seat and her toddler sitting next to it unrestrained, I thought, Oh, here we go again.
Luckily, there is no real tragedy here. No lives lost, no babies in car accidents to mourn. Instead, there's just a whole lot of lost responsibility.
I know what it's like to be in a rush to get somewhere. So I'm thinking -- and hoping -- that maybe this mom was rushing to get to an appointment just up the road. Or maybe her tot was throwing a tantrum and she thought, Hell, we're just around the corner from home, leaving him unrestrained won't be the end of the world.
These excuses might fly if there wasn't a gas can buckled up in the toddler's car seat. That's just frustrating. And unfortunately, the toddler wasn't the only one without a buckle on the ride.
Mom was unbuckled too, and in the front seat, her 14-year-old daughter was sans seat belt as well. I want to tell this Colorado mom one thing: you have all the power. The car can't start unless you put the key in. The car can't go unless you put it in drive. Your kids can't leave the parking lot without seat belts -- unless you let them.
I feel bad that this mom's picture has been plastered all over Facebook and media sites -- I'm sure this isn't one of her finest motherly moments -- but I refuse to feel bad about the frustrations I feel for her lack of responsibility.
Rules, regulations, and restraints are important for a reason. They keep kids safe.
Do you ever let your kids skip the seat belt?
Image via o5com/Flickr
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Comments 33
I've never not put a seat belt on my girls, it's just one of those things you do b/c it's what you do to keep them safe. I have, however, put my youngest into her sisters booster seat instead of the baby seat. I was talking to a neighbor while I put her into the car and didn't even notice until I about 4 houses away from my house. I looked into the mirror to talk to her and she wasn't in her seat. I about had a heart attack, I thought I forgot her!!!! Then I realized what I did and she pitched a fit when I moved her to the proper seat LOL
No way. EVERYONE who gets into my car has to wear a seatbelt. Especially if you're young enough to be in a car seat. Not only do the police in my area look for people who are unbuckled, my driver's ed teacher used to tell us horrible graphic stories about what happens during an accident to people who don't wear their seatbelts. And show us pictures of mangled cars while he did it. His name for the front passenger seat was the "death seat." Seatbelts are not even a question in my mind.
She deserves the shame (and a cps visit).
OH HELL NO! My children will be in a car seat
I grew up with my family refusing to start the car untill everyone was "clicked in " as my grandmother calls it