Ah, summer—the delightful time of barbecues, camping adventures, swimming, biking, and the occasional mishap of leaving your little one in a hot car.
I have four kids, and I pride myself on being a responsible mom. Sure, I might make the odd questionable parenting choice, like serving chicken nuggets and calling ketchup a vegetable or letting them indulge in a tad too much Minecraft. But aside from those minor slip-ups, I wouldn’t label myself as a negligent mom—not even on my most self-critical days.
Until a couple of summers ago, I would have rolled my eyes (and believe me, I would have given some serious side-eye) at the thought that I could ever forget my child in the car. I mean, if you’re that oblivious, should you even have kids, right? But then, that June came along, and it was hotter than the surface of the sun, with humidity that clung to the Midwest like an unwelcome sweater. My mom had just moved to our area, and it felt amazing to have her close by again. We planned a barbecue to celebrate her first weekend as a local. My husband was busy grilling while our four kids frolicked in the yard. As the scent of charcoal began to waft through the air, I suddenly had a craving for sweet corn to complement our feast.
“Mom and I are heading to the store,” I announced. “We’ll be quick!”
“Why not take the baby?” my husband suggested. “I’m a bit overwhelmed trying to keep an eye on everyone while cooking.”
I secured my calm 1-year-old in his car seat and off we went. The grocery store was nearby, and my mom and I filled the car with laughter and chatter, buoyed by the music and the delicious meal we were about to enjoy. We parked, still giggling, and I glanced at my phone while Mom searched for lip balm. I locked the car with the key fob and we headed inside.
We made a beeline for the produce section, eager to grab corn, but to our dismay, the shelves were practically barren—only a few sad-looking ears remained.
“This is Iowa!” I exclaimed. “We’re famous for sweet corn. How can they not have any? Let’s go to a different store.”
So, we left, unlocked the car, climbed in, and I started driving with the radio blasting and the air conditioning on full blast, thinking about our next destination. Then, suddenly, I heard my mom gasp. That sharp intake of breath hit me like a lightning bolt as the horrifying realization dawned on both of us: we had forgotten the baby in the car.
It took me a while to muster the courage to write those words. Even now, years later, recalling that moment tightens my chest with panic. It’s hard to admit I made such a potentially devastating mistake, especially regarding my child’s safety. But I did, and so did my mom. It was frighteningly easy.
We were caught up in conversation and in an unfamiliar situation. I wasn’t used to having just one child with me. My baby was silent in the backseat, and we left him in the car, windows up, in the sweltering summer heat. The temperature outside was at least 90 degrees.
Miraculously, there was no good corn at the store that day. We were literally there for just a couple of minutes—enough time to glance at the nearly empty corn bin and head back out. But what if we had decided to grab ice cream? Or watermelon, napkins, barbecue sauce, or chips? What if we had ended up stuck in a long checkout line behind a coupon enthusiast? It’s terrifying to think about.
A car can heat up to an alarming 125 degrees in just a few minutes, even with a cracked window, and a child’s body temperature can rise three to five times faster than an adult’s. Almost 40 children die each year in the U.S. from being left in hot cars, and my baby could have easily been part of that tragic statistic. The thought that I could have been responsible for his death—me, the person who loves him more than anything—makes me sick.
I’m sharing this not as a confession of my parenting failures, but as a reminder that even good moms make mistakes. It’s a warning that this can happen to anyone—believe me. If you think it’s impossible for you, I once thought the same, before it actually happened to me. The lesson? Never say “I would never.” You don’t have to be negligent or incompetent; just being human is enough.
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In summary, it’s crucial to acknowledge that we all make mistakes, and it can happen to the best of us. Always stay vigilant, even in seemingly harmless situations.