Comments on: I was the creamy filling between the rock and the hard place http://www.milehighmamas.com/2009/06/10/i-was-the-creamy-filling-between-the-rock-and-the-hard-place/ Denver parenting, with altitude Thu, 09 Feb 2012 21:29:28 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Anna http://www.milehighmamas.com/2009/06/10/i-was-the-creamy-filling-between-the-rock-and-the-hard-place/#comment-6684 Anna Tue, 16 Jun 2009 04:38:49 +0000 http://www.milehighmamas.com/?p=3516#comment-6684 My cousin was 6 weeks old when his mother was placing him back into his infant seat after nursing him in the car. Her husband, my uncle, was at the same time pulling out of a parking lot into the street. They ALWAYS buckled up and ALWAYS wore seatbelts. They were in a bit of a hurry and right when she was leaning over to buckle him into his infant seat they were broadsided by a drunk driver going 60mph. The baby was thrown 30 ft from the car with breast milk still on his mouth. He died instantly. His name was Drew. The mother, my aunt also died later in the hospital because she was also unbuckled while she was putting him in the seat. That is the very reason that I will never have my kids unbuckled in the car. Ever. The baby may be fussy, the baby may cry, but you never know when a drunk driver, or someone texting while driving or something similar will happen. You cannot control things like that... you can control your driving but there are too many other drivers and therefore other variables on the road to control. You did the right thing by calling. Sometimes it does take a village to raise a child. I prefer to keep the government out of it as much as the next person, but if they just talk to the parents and issue them a ticket, which is likely the result of such an action, then hopefully they will think twice before they decide that having the baby out of the carseat for just a moment is a problem. My cousin was 6 weeks old when his mother was placing him back into his infant seat after nursing him in the car. Her husband, my uncle, was at the same time pulling out of a parking lot into the street. They ALWAYS buckled up and ALWAYS wore seatbelts. They were in a bit of a hurry and right when she was leaning over to buckle him into his infant seat they were broadsided by a drunk driver going 60mph. The baby was thrown 30 ft from the car with breast milk still on his mouth. He died instantly. His name was Drew. The mother, my aunt also died later in the hospital because she was also unbuckled while she was putting him in the seat.

That is the very reason that I will never have my kids unbuckled in the car. Ever. The baby may be fussy, the baby may cry, but you never know when a drunk driver, or someone texting while driving or something similar will happen. You cannot control things like that… you can control your driving but there are too many other drivers and therefore other variables on the road to control.

You did the right thing by calling. Sometimes it does take a village to raise a child. I prefer to keep the government out of it as much as the next person, but if they just talk to the parents and issue them a ticket, which is likely the result of such an action, then hopefully they will think twice before they decide that having the baby out of the carseat for just a moment is a problem.

]]> By: Cristen http://www.milehighmamas.com/2009/06/10/i-was-the-creamy-filling-between-the-rock-and-the-hard-place/#comment-6683 Cristen Sun, 14 Jun 2009 01:37:32 +0000 http://www.milehighmamas.com/?p=3516#comment-6683 You did the right thing. Nevermind the awkward questions for the parents, our job as adults in the world is to protect the children, ours and other people's children. That little kid is completely innocent to her parents' neglect and deserves to be safe and protected, by you, or the police, if her own parents won't do it. Completely insane to take kids out of car seats and I have to argue with my husband about this all the time. You did the right thing. Nevermind the awkward questions for the parents, our job as adults in the world is to protect the children, ours and other people’s children. That little kid is completely innocent to her parents’ neglect and deserves to be safe and protected, by you, or the police, if her own parents won’t do it.

Completely insane to take kids out of car seats and I have to argue with my husband about this all the time.

]]> By: Jenna Hallock http://www.milehighmamas.com/2009/06/10/i-was-the-creamy-filling-between-the-rock-and-the-hard-place/#comment-6682 Jenna Hallock Fri, 12 Jun 2009 22:07:16 +0000 http://www.milehighmamas.com/?p=3516#comment-6682 We were just talking to our kids TODAY about why there are laws. It's not to make life complicated or frustrating or NOT fun (although sometimes it feels like that). In fact laws are there to help and keep people safe. They keep our society from turning to absolute chaos. Unfortunately, I think that many of are so used to feeling like it's not our business, that we feel guilty when we do try to help our public servants by reporting lawlessness. When we are talking about life, there's no question it's better to be "safe than sorry." We were just talking to our kids TODAY about why there are laws. It’s not to make life complicated or frustrating or NOT fun (although sometimes it feels like that). In fact laws are there to help and keep people safe. They keep our society from turning to absolute chaos.

Unfortunately, I think that many of are so used to feeling like it’s not our business, that we feel guilty when we do try to help our public servants by reporting lawlessness.

When we are talking about life, there’s no question it’s better to be “safe than sorry.”

]]> By: Ann http://www.milehighmamas.com/2009/06/10/i-was-the-creamy-filling-between-the-rock-and-the-hard-place/#comment-6681 Ann Fri, 12 Jun 2009 11:33:09 +0000 http://www.milehighmamas.com/?p=3516#comment-6681 I just keep thinking about a poster I saw in a doctor's office. It had pictures of children, babies and toddlers, who died in car crashes because they weren't buckled in. And next to each picture was a quote from a parent telling why they unbuckled their kids, to calm them down or feed them or comfort them, only for a moment. But in that short moment while their kids were unbuckled, they crashed and their babies died. I just keep thinking about a poster I saw in a doctor’s office. It had pictures of children, babies and toddlers, who died in car crashes because they weren’t buckled in. And next to each picture was a quote from a parent telling why they unbuckled their kids, to calm them down or feed them or comfort them, only for a moment. But in that short moment while their kids were unbuckled, they crashed and their babies died.

]]> By: Born2Shop http://www.milehighmamas.com/2009/06/10/i-was-the-creamy-filling-between-the-rock-and-the-hard-place/#comment-6680 Born2Shop Fri, 12 Jun 2009 01:42:26 +0000 http://www.milehighmamas.com/?p=3516#comment-6680 Wow. I think Sarah's comment captures it all. Wow. I think Sarah’s comment captures it all.

]]> By: Sarah @ BecomingSarah.com http://www.milehighmamas.com/2009/06/10/i-was-the-creamy-filling-between-the-rock-and-the-hard-place/#comment-6679 Sarah @ BecomingSarah.com Thu, 11 Jun 2009 23:43:02 +0000 http://www.milehighmamas.com/?p=3516#comment-6679 You absolutely did the right thing. About four or five years ago, I witnessed a car accident that involved a woman whose two young children (about 11 months and 3 years) were not restrained. My most vivid memory of that day has nothing to do with the screech of the metal or the stench of burned rubber. Nothing to do with the sound of flames on a car fuel tank, or the panicked screaming from dozens of people running around to help and phoning in the police. No. My most vivid memory is fishing those kids out of the car while their mother begged someone to help her, begged someone to get her kids out. And realizing after I'd fished out one that the other was bleeding profusely from the head, from where she'd been dragged along asphalt. Neither kid died, but both suffered injuries that COULD HAVE been prevented. That WOULD HAVE been prevented had they been in carseats. You absolutely did the right thing.

About four or five years ago, I witnessed a car accident that involved a woman whose two young children (about 11 months and 3 years) were not restrained. My most vivid memory of that day has nothing to do with the screech of the metal or the stench of burned rubber. Nothing to do with the sound of flames on a car fuel tank, or the panicked screaming from dozens of people running around to help and phoning in the police.

No. My most vivid memory is fishing those kids out of the car while their mother begged someone to help her, begged someone to get her kids out. And realizing after I’d fished out one that the other was bleeding profusely from the head, from where she’d been dragged along asphalt. Neither kid died, but both suffered injuries that COULD HAVE been prevented. That WOULD HAVE been prevented had they been in carseats.

]]> By: Born2Shop http://www.milehighmamas.com/2009/06/10/i-was-the-creamy-filling-between-the-rock-and-the-hard-place/#comment-6678 Born2Shop Thu, 11 Jun 2009 02:48:18 +0000 http://www.milehighmamas.com/?p=3516#comment-6678 It's always hard in these types of situations to know what is right or not. Go with your gut feeling --- its usually right. It’s always hard in these types of situations to know what is right or not. Go with your gut feeling — its usually right.

]]> By: amy http://www.milehighmamas.com/2009/06/10/i-was-the-creamy-filling-between-the-rock-and-the-hard-place/#comment-6677 amy Wed, 10 Jun 2009 23:41:20 +0000 http://www.milehighmamas.com/?p=3516#comment-6677 I think because so much of parenting is a huge gray area that we like to seize on those things that seem black and white. I would not have called the police. I would have assumed that would only make things worse for the family -- would they have to appear in court? go to classes? be visited by child protective services? all because they left their carseat at home, or their baby got fussy? I judge other parents all the time, but hesitate to get the state involves in people's personal choices. I think because so much of parenting is a huge gray area that we like to seize on those things that seem black and white. I would not have called the police. I would have assumed that would only make things worse for the family — would they have to appear in court? go to classes? be visited by child protective services? all because they left their carseat at home, or their baby got fussy? I judge other parents all the time, but hesitate to get the state involves in people’s personal choices.

]]> By: Mama Bird http://www.milehighmamas.com/2009/06/10/i-was-the-creamy-filling-between-the-rock-and-the-hard-place/#comment-6676 Mama Bird Wed, 10 Jun 2009 23:09:39 +0000 http://www.milehighmamas.com/?p=3516#comment-6676 It was brave of you to follow through with your phone call. Too many of us decided not to intrude. You absolutely did the right thing. As to unstrapping a child to soothe them, I never have & never will, knowing anything can happen at any moment. If you need to soothe your child, please, pull over, don't continue driving with them in your lap. http://www.mamabirdsblog.com It was brave of you to follow through with your phone call. Too many of us decided not to intrude. You absolutely did the right thing.

As to unstrapping a child to soothe them, I never have & never will, knowing anything can happen at any moment. If you need to soothe your child, please, pull over, don’t continue driving with them in your lap.

http://www.mamabirdsblog.com

]]> By: Stephanie http://www.milehighmamas.com/2009/06/10/i-was-the-creamy-filling-between-the-rock-and-the-hard-place/#comment-6675 Stephanie Wed, 10 Jun 2009 19:49:31 +0000 http://www.milehighmamas.com/?p=3516#comment-6675 It's such a difficult situation and I think I would have to consider the state of mind I am in at the time, when faced with it... I don't know what I'd do! And I have to second the above commenter- have you seen the incredibly crazy things that can happen at a regular (non-crash) take off or landing on an airplane? That's a place that often parents hold babies on their laps but if you CAN have a car seat in a seat, that is (while expensive and inconvenient) the safest. Steph It’s such a difficult situation and I think I would have to consider the state of mind I am in at the time, when faced with it… I don’t know what I’d do! And I have to second the above commenter- have you seen the incredibly crazy things that can happen at a regular (non-crash) take off or landing on an airplane? That’s a place that often parents hold babies on their laps but if you CAN have a car seat in a seat, that is (while expensive and inconvenient) the safest.

Steph

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