Children and Hot Cars Don"t Mix
During the summer, kids are out of school and have more time to play.
The temperatures are warmer, and parents need to be aware of a danger lurking right outside their home: their automobiles.
When left in a hot car for an extended period of time, babies and children can die.
Parents of small children may want to set up a system to remind themselves when a small child is with them, and should teach their older children not to play in parked cars.
Leaving Children in the Car Seat Although it may be difficult for some to fathom, harried parents sometimes forget that they have a child with them in the car, and forget to take them out.
The child may be sleeping, and the parent may not realize that he or she is there.
Parents on their way to work have forgotten that it was their day to drop off their child at day care, and have unknowingly left them in the car when they go to the office.
In some cases, the mistake is caught in time, but some small children are not so lucky.
To keep yourself from forgetting that your child is in the back seat, get in the habit of checking the back seat every time you leave the car, or find some way to remind yourself that you are not travelling alone.
If it is your day to take your child to day care, you may want to leave your briefcase (or other item that you need for work) on the floor beneath your child's feet.
You're not going to forget your briefcase; as you get your briefcase, you will see your child.
Playing in Parked Cars Parked cars can become a death trap for children on hot days.
Children have entered parked cars on hot days, couldn't open the door to get out, and have died from overheating.
Child safety locks in the back seat, which normally prevent a child from opening the car while it is driving down the road, could keep a child from escaping, even if they can normally open the door; they might not realize that the front doors do not have child safety locks on them.
To prevent this problem, children should be taught from an early age that parked cars are not toys.
Parents should make it clear that playing in the car is not acceptable.
Summer should be a time of fun, family, and warm weather activities, not a time of tragedy.
Making sure that your child doesn't get trapped in a hot car will prevent a lot of heartache.
The temperatures are warmer, and parents need to be aware of a danger lurking right outside their home: their automobiles.
When left in a hot car for an extended period of time, babies and children can die.
Parents of small children may want to set up a system to remind themselves when a small child is with them, and should teach their older children not to play in parked cars.
Leaving Children in the Car Seat Although it may be difficult for some to fathom, harried parents sometimes forget that they have a child with them in the car, and forget to take them out.
The child may be sleeping, and the parent may not realize that he or she is there.
Parents on their way to work have forgotten that it was their day to drop off their child at day care, and have unknowingly left them in the car when they go to the office.
In some cases, the mistake is caught in time, but some small children are not so lucky.
To keep yourself from forgetting that your child is in the back seat, get in the habit of checking the back seat every time you leave the car, or find some way to remind yourself that you are not travelling alone.
If it is your day to take your child to day care, you may want to leave your briefcase (or other item that you need for work) on the floor beneath your child's feet.
You're not going to forget your briefcase; as you get your briefcase, you will see your child.
Playing in Parked Cars Parked cars can become a death trap for children on hot days.
Children have entered parked cars on hot days, couldn't open the door to get out, and have died from overheating.
Child safety locks in the back seat, which normally prevent a child from opening the car while it is driving down the road, could keep a child from escaping, even if they can normally open the door; they might not realize that the front doors do not have child safety locks on them.
To prevent this problem, children should be taught from an early age that parked cars are not toys.
Parents should make it clear that playing in the car is not acceptable.
Summer should be a time of fun, family, and warm weather activities, not a time of tragedy.
Making sure that your child doesn't get trapped in a hot car will prevent a lot of heartache.