With summer rolling around, the news items about infant deaths in cars increase. Sadly, this really is a preventable tragedy. But parents get busy and distracted. They are rushing around getting things done. While parents would say that they would never leave their infant in the car, the inevitable does happen. By implementing a few of these tricks, you can help yourself remember when your infant is in the car seat. Employing these tactics is no guarantee and you should develop the habit of checking two or three times every single time you are in the car.
Car Seat Buddy
Grab your infant’s biggest stuffed animal and use it as a car seat buddy. When your infant is in the car, the stuffed animal rides next to you in the front seat. When your infant is not traveling with you, the stuffed animal gets stashed in the backseat. Forget the shotgun protests by other siblings. Save the front seat for the stuffed animal. This is a very visual reminder of where your infant is located.
Signs
Posting a sign is also a good tactic to employ in the car. Make it and attach it to the radio dial or on the top of the dash. After you strap your infant in, post the sign. After they have been dropped off at daycare, make sure to remove it. This extra step will give you the incentive to think twice about your infant. Again, this is a visual reminder of something very important.
Phone alarms
A phone alarm is handy if you are already on a set schedule. Set the alarm to the approximate time you are dropping your infant off at daycare or the babysitter’s house. Type a reminder such as “look in the backseat”. While it doesn’t work quite as well for trips to the grocery store, you can still set it for the approximate travel time for errands. This is both a visual and sound cue to always check the backseat.
Sensors
There are a few sensors to help with the problem. Some sensors detect when your child is buckled in and send a signal to a device on car keys. Others detect the heat of your child or your child’s movement or a heart beat. There are some of these sensors available on the market. Most of them clip directly on the car seat itself. Take the time to investigate these as an extra safety precaution to that visual check.
Leaving your infant in a hot car is a tragedy that can be avoided. You can never assume that your significant other or the babysitter has the infant even if you are super busy. Practice always looking in the backseat even if your infant isn’t with you. These methods are only aids to help you remember what is in the car.