Ray Rays Pledge - Child Vehicular Heatstroke

[Unregistered]

Totally agree!

It's easy to come up with solutions that have someone else take responsibility. Their story includes only three sentences about what the Dad did wrong. The rest of the story was about their loving tender care of the child. There's zero insight to HOW he could forget his kid.

I would respect their campaign if they targeted parents and ask them to pledge to not do whatever the Dad did to take his mind off of his kid. That would take serious introspection and admission of failure. He needs to work with some behavioral specialist and figure out what brought him to this mindset.

Putting your energy into someone else being accountable is easy and on the surface seems simple.

I fear these campaigns are going to land grieving parents in front of law makers who can enact laws putting us in the chain of accountability. You think it's hard to get insured now? Once this becomes known to insurers it is going to be WAY harder and more expensive to get insured. A dead kid is going to be the highest pay out.

We keep dumping more and more into the responsibility of child care providers we are going to end up running a business we can't insure.

I agree wholeheartedly!

[jokalima]

I didn't see it like they were blaming the provider or putting the responsibility on them. I just saw it as reaching out so we could help them keep them safe. I didn't feel they were blaming the center. I have a 3 yo and I can't understand how something like that can happen, cause I keep him close at all times. But I don't know what other families are going through, the stress of their lives, I just don't know and can't judge them. Maybe I didn't understood the story well or the pledge, but I honestly didn't feel, while reading it, that I will become responsible for their children when they are out of my care.

[nannyde]

I didn't see it like they were blaming the provider or putting the responsibility on them. I just saw it as reaching out so we could help them keep them safe. I didn't feel they were blaming the center. I have a 3 yo and I can't understand how something like that can happen, cause I keep him close at all times. But I don't know what other families are going through, the stress of their lives, I just don't know and can't judge them. Maybe I didn't understood the story well or the pledge, but I honestly didn't feel, while reading it, that I will become responsible for their children when they are out of my care.

What solution did they offer other than someone else becoming involved?

[Michelle]

In addition to alerting the parent that a child is in the car
it can also alert someone that a potential attacker is in the car too by the c02 levels
this would be very helpful and profitable for anyone that makes this app
I would buy it for sure!

I can imagine the commercials right.. young woman leaving a gym, walking to a parking garage, looks at her phone and see's the c02 level too high in her car and calls police!
This would be awesome!

[Unregistered]

I fear these campaigns are going to land grieving parents in front of law makers who can enact laws putting us in the chain of accountability. You think it's hard to get insured now? Once this becomes known to insurers it is going to be WAY harder and more expensive to get insured. A dead kid is going to be the highest pay out.

We keep dumping more and more into the responsibility of child care providers we are going to end up running a business we can't insure.

Example: a baby died in a defective crib in a hotel, so they regulated cribs for daycare.
And, mind you, NOT for foster care, at least not in my state.

[Annalee]

It's easy to come up with solutions that have someone else take responsibility. Their story includes only three sentences about what the Dad did wrong. The rest of the story was about their loving tender care of the child. There's zero insight to HOW he could forget his kid.

I would respect their campaign if they targeted parents and ask them to pledge to not do whatever the Dad did to take his mind off of his kid. That would take serious introspection and admission of failure. He needs to work with some behavioral specialist and figure out what brought him to this mindset.

Putting your energy into someone else being accountable is easy and on the surface seems simple.

I fear these campaigns are going to land grieving parents in front of law makers who can enact laws putting us in the chain of accountability. You think it's hard to get insured now? Once this becomes known to insurers it is going to be WAY harder and more expensive to get insured. A dead kid is going to be the highest pay out.

We keep dumping more and more into the responsibility of child care providers we are going to end up running a business we can't insure.

The blame-game......always someone else's fault!!!!! You are exactly right......accountability/responsibility for the dad in question, not saying to be heartless with him, but, in reality, I just can't fathom leaving my own child in a car and forgetting them long enough for them to DIE!!!!!! BLOWS MY MIND!!!!!! :confused:

[nannyde]

We have to start prosecuting the parents. Child protective needs to be involved in any children they have and any born to them. If a child care provider made the same mistake with the same kid they would be charged and found guilty.

It's time.

[Josiegirl]

We have to start prosecuting the parents. Child protective needs to be involved in any children they have and any born to them. If a child care provider made the same mistake with the same kid they would be charged and found guilty.

It's time.

When I first read this, I thought wow, I agree with you wholeheartedly. And I still don't understand how it can happen as often as it does. But then I thought about it and I believe most of these are careless thoughtless selfish tragic accidents. And I also believe these parents and families will suffer enough for the rest of their lives.
There was a dad near here, 1st day of turkey hunting, accidentally killed his son who was hunting with him. While it's a completely different scenario, it was still a careless tragic act which cost his child his life. But that dad(and family) have been grief-stricken since it happened.
I don't know what the answer is to making parents stop and think about their child/ren first. I just don't know. But they've got to.

[craftymissbeth]

When I first read this, I thought wow, I agree with you wholeheartedly. And I still don't understand how it can happen as often as it does. But then I thought about it and I believe most of these are careless thoughtless selfish tragic accidents. And I also believe these parents and families will suffer enough for the rest of their lives.
There was a dad near here, 1st day of turkey hunting, accidentally killed his son who was hunting with him. While it's a completely different scenario, it was still a careless tragic act which cost his child his life. But that dad(and family) have been grief-stricken since it happened.
I don't know what the answer is to making parents stop and think about their child/ren first. I just don't know. But they've got to.

Leaving your child in a hot car to die, accidentally or not, should at minimum be child negligence and involuntary manslaughter. I understand that parents make mistakes all the time, but a mistake that causes your child to die should be punishable by law. This may seem coldhearted, but they can grieve just fine in prison.

ETA: Your example of the dad shooting his child was an accident... but forgetting your child in a car is negligent, imo.

[MyAngels]

It's easy to come up with solutions that have someone else take responsibility. Their story includes only three sentences about what the Dad did wrong. The rest of the story was about their loving tender care of the child. There's zero insight to HOW he could forget his kid.

I would respect their campaign if they targeted parents and ask them to pledge to not do whatever the Dad did to take his mind off of his kid. That would take serious introspection and admission of failure. He needs to work with some behavioral specialist and figure out what brought him to this mindset.

Putting your energy into someone else being accountable is easy and on the surface seems simple.

I fear these campaigns are going to land grieving parents in front of law makers who can enact laws putting us in the chain of accountability. You think it's hard to get insured now? Once this becomes known to insurers it is going to be WAY harder and more expensive to get insured. A dead kid is going to be the highest pay out.

We keep dumping more and more into the responsibility of child care providers we are going to end up running a business we can't insure.

Plus, there are devices on the market that are supposed to be able to help prevent this. PARENTS just need to be responsible enough to purchase one if they can't be RESPONSIBLE enough to remember their child in the car seat.

[hope]

We have to start prosecuting the parents. Child protective needs to be involved in any children they have and any born to them. If a child care provider made the same mistake with the same kid they would be charged and found guilty.

It's time.

You are so right! If a provider or bus driver or aunt/uncle left their child in the car to die I would imagine the parents would be asking for them to be prosecuted. They would want them to be held responsible for the death of their child. I don't think they would accept the "I forgot" excuse.

[nannyde]

You are so right! If a provider or bus driver or aunt/uncle left their child in the car to die I would imagine the parents would be asking for them to be prosecuted. They would want them to be held responsible for the death of their child. I don't think they would accept the "I forgot" excuse.

They have suffered enough is only for parents. I think we need to hold them accountable because every parent would know they will loose their kid and their freedom. That may be much better to keep parents thinking about their kid than a pledge.

With cell phones you can set an alarm to go off every day to remind you that your kid has to be at daycare. Parents, grandparents, aunties, uncles, and friends can set up a double check texting with each other. There are ways to do this where the parents develop a safety net. Having child care do it is ok if it is voluntary. I would imagine insurance companies won't go for any agreement in the daycare policies. If they do and one kid dies they WILL get sued.

If you agree either verbally or in writing that you will do this and don't do it and a kid dies you WILL be sued.

[MOM OF 4]

while i think this is a nice idea, i have issues with this type of thing.

The website states: (blue phrases)

contrary to public perception, the majority of child hot car deaths happen as a result of a responsible, loving parent unintentionally forgetting his/her precious cargo in the backseat

i have issues with the words "responsible" and "unintentional"

they are contradictory in that context. I get that parents are busy and preoccupied and stressed and are often multi-tasking but seriously....stop!! And put your child first.

Someone's most precious cargo should not be "forgotten" and if that is seriously the situation, then a campaign about parenting priorities should be done instead.

Put the cell phone down, make extra time for a starbucks run after your child is at daycare.

child vehicular heatstroke was practically unheard of prior to placing kids in the backseat

i do not believe this to be true at all. I think the reason child vehicular heatstroke was unheard of is because there weren't so many distractions causing a parent to forget about their babies..... Cell phones, dvd players, gps devices, frazzled, over worked parents living on very little sleep, trying to do way too much at the expense of their child.

Blaming the "backseat" is ridiculous and just another ploy to pass the buck about personal responsibilities.


I apologize to anyone my comments offend but this subject hits close to home and is a sore spot with me.
It is also a subject that i am tired of hearing about. Atleast in regards to how the parents bear no responsibility in this and efforts to promote eliminating this problem by getting child care providers and others to do more.

It is a tragedy pure and simple but not one that isn't preventable and as a child care provider i am angry that this is being passed off onto us as another thing we should be responsible for.

I think people would be better off educating parents on how to not forget their child. Educate parents about how coffee runs, cell phones, facebook and every other distraction out there can not come before your parental responsibilities to your child.

Not trying to start a debate and apologies to the op as i don't mean to lead the thread away from your point. I am done and walking away.
I just needed to get that out there and say it.

i agree 1000000000000000%

[jokalima]

What solution did they offer other than someone else becoming involved?

Right. But I still don't see it as putting the responsability on us just reaching out for help and support.

[Meeko]

Right. But I still don't see it as putting the responsability on us just reaching out for help and support.

It's wanting others to share the responsibility. But a child is ultimately the parents responsibility. A daycare should not be a part of family life or responsible for any part of family life at any time the child is not in care.

The last thing I want is a grief-stricken mother screaming "This is all your fault...why didn't you call me" at me.

If you sign something like this......it's exactly what will happen. It's SO painful for a parent to admit that THEY caused the death of their child. It's much easier to shift the blame and ease the guilt if it is at all possible. This makes it possible.