It’s raining and you’re running late for a PTA meeting, your best friend calls to remind you that you signed up to bring the cookies and you’ve just picked the kids up from day care. The grocery store is on the way to the school and you know it’s not the best thing to do but with this weather, you begin to weigh the options of leaving the kids in the car with the vehicle running and doors locked or getting them out and taking them in with you. Just stop.
The fact that it’s even an option with children that still go to day care means that it’s not OK. Even in bad weather, a vehicle idling in a parking lot is an invitation to a car thief and children inside won’t stop a thief. Those few minutes you saved by dashing into the store could take your children away from you.
Every day parents make decisions that affect their children. Choosing to leave their children in a vehicle whether by choice or because they were distracted and forgot to check the back seat is a decision that can have dire consequences with lifelong regrets. Take the time to check your surroundings and leave the car with every person you put in the car with you. Your children depend on you.