There are a lot of things in this world that leave me speechless. Lately, the issue of leaving children in sweltering cars for hours at a time, all alone, tops my list. Just this week, I’ve heard of several cases where parents have left children of all ages in hot cars, some innocent, defenseless babies. During the month of June alone, six kids across the country died because someone left them in a stifling hot car. The latest case was in Connecticut where a 15-month-old died . They’re saying the dad forgot to drop him off at daycare and instead went to work only to return to this car to find his son still in the car seat.

I don’t know about you, but as a parent, I’m always aware that my kids are in the car. From the time they were babies, I would always hear some kind of noise from the backseat. Now that they are getting older, that noise is of course getting louder. When they are too quiet, I tend to turn around and check on them even more to make sure they are okay. That is why I can’t wrap my head around the idea that someone would forget their child was in the car, never mind actually leave their car with their child still inside. No matter how frazzled or pre-occupied you may be, I think you should always remember your kids are in the car. In my opinion there is no excuse for forgetting about them.

I can’t even imagine the torturous time these children must have in the car gasping for air as their fragile bodies overheat to the point of no return. The crying, the kicking, the screaming…the thoughts running through their little heads, wondering when or if their mommy or daddy is coming back. What a horrible death.  It truly makes me sick.

The not so funny thing in all of this is that in some cases, the parents are fully aware their kids are in the car. They simply leave them in there because it’s too much of a hassle to take them in and out. They think it’s so much better to just leave them in the car. What are you thinking? If your child is sleeping when you get to a store, you may just have to change your plans and try again later. You don’t leave them in the car sleeping while you run in to just get a couple of things!

Children are precious. They need to be taken care of, not neglected. When I hear of kids dying in hot cars because their parents “forgot”, I am reminded of the countless people out there who would do anything to have a child, or the ones who have lost a child for one reason or another and would do anything to have just one more second with them. There are so many people who take their children and being a parent for granted. Being a parent means being on your game 110% of the time. It’s not a part-time job or one you do when it’s convenient for you.  So please, can we start taking better care of our kids, and especially not leave them in hot cars?