If you are a parent, I’m sure that you adore your child and would do pretty much anything to keep them safe. That means buying and installing accessories such as car seats and mirrors, and making sure that they have snacks and drinks when you’re traveling.
But you may be distracted some days–when things are not going well at the office, or you just had a big bad fight with your partner or spouse; or when you just woke up at the wrong side of the bed, or you have a chronic case of distraction!
The sad truth is, there are a LOT of parents who forget and leave their child in the car. If a child is left for no more than a minute or 2, they should be okay. But during the intense heat of summer and the cold of winter, they are exposed to terrible danger!
Here are several tips so you DON’T forget and leave your child in the car.
Come up with a routine for parking and leaving your car.
Routines and habits really help our forgetful brains to establish steps to follow for anything–whether it’s eating or brushing our teeth. Over time, these steps become routines and habits and we do them automatically without consciously thinking about them.
To help make sure that you do not leave your child in the car, establish a routine for parking and leaving the car. It may be as simple as:
- Step 1: Park
- Step 2: Turn off the car
- Step 3: Look at the passenger and rear seats.
- Step 4: Exit the car
Install a mirror to see your child before you leave your car.
A car seat mirror for your child can come in really handy. As you look at your rearview mirror, you will see your baby, who may be sitting or sleeping at the seat behind you.
These mirrors are not terribly expensive either, they cost only between $10-$20. You really don’t need to spend more than $20.
Write a reminder and post it on the steering wheel.
Keep some post-its and a pen in the car. After you tuck your child in the seat, write a reminder on one Post-It. It could be as simple as the word “BABY!” or write the whole sentence: “Don’t forget baby!” The steering wheel is just the perfect place to stick this because you will be looking down at it for sure.
Use Waze whenever you drive.
You may be familiar with the places that you usually go to and you may not need a GPS guide. But Waze is especially helpful if you have a child because it has a standard reminder at the end of each trip to remember your child. Waze is also a very useful app when you live in a city with traffic that keeps getting worse.
These are but simple tips that can help you remember your child before exiting your car. No matter what happens, though, you are responsible for your child and you need to make sure that they are safe in the home and even in the car.
