So, it has
been a while since I’ve blogged.
Who knew raising a toddler was even more hectic and crazy than caring
for an infant?!? There have been a
lot of compelling stories in the news that I’ve wanted to weigh in on, especially
those that collide at the intersection of racism and sexism, as with the
kidnapping of Nigerian school girls or the crazed, murderous attacks on innocent college students
because their attacker felt maligned by women's rejection of him. Such stories make me ponder how and
when I will have to have conversations with Little Sister about race and gender
because I would be an irresponsible mother if I did not prepare my child with
the knowledge that some will judge her harshly based solely on the fact that
she is a girl and/or because she is Black.
But as heady
as those topics are, none has moved me to put finger to keyboard more than the
recent death of a 22-month old toddler in the back of his father’s car. While the facts have yet to be fully
revealed on this case and we’re left to wonder whether this was the act of a
busy, distracted father or something much more nefarious, it does serve as
another tragic cautionary tale about the dangers of leaving a child (or even a
pet) in a hot car. While most of
us rejoice when the mercury rises because we’re able to get out and about to
enjoy the summer sun, inevitably tragedy strikes. The state of Georgia has recently launched its Look Again
campaign to remind us all that it’s never OK to leave a child alone in a
car, and especially not a hot car. As a new mom who came to this
motherhood gig well after the age of 40, I totally get how this can
happen. As parents we’re busy,
busy, busy trying to juggle the demands of family, friends, jobs, school,
etc…and sometimes we forget. That’s
why I read up on this topic while I was pregnant and changed one of my most
entrenched habits to help me not forget my most precious gift – I adopted one of
the most frequently cited tips on this topic and started putting my purse in
the backseat so that I would never forget to open my rear door. This simple, small step prevents me
from leaving my car without visually confirming that Little Sister was not
there before my rat race of a day begins. In addition, on the rare instances where Daddy-O assumes
daycare drop-off or pick-up duty, he checks in with me with a quick text to let
know that Little Sister is safe and sound at daycare or with him. I know this tragedy can also occur when
and adult leaves a child in the car for a “quick stop,” but this is a recipe
for disaster too. As this story illustrates, making the split-second decision to leave a child in the car can have lasting consequences, even if it doesn't result in immediate harm to the child.
So, as we
mark the first day of summer and many Georgians mourn the loss of a beautiful
little boy, let’s all remember to LOOK AGAIN.
