It was just last week I was running late for work and driving down in the peak hour traffic. I had just hit the main road, suddenly I received a phone call from work, if I can pick up a client from the airport. I was really angry, it was already so hot and the peak hour traffic and another 10 km drive. Somehow I reached the airport and started looking for the car park. Another 10 minutes wasted looking for the parking. As soon as I opened the door I could hear the planes landing and taking off and than I heard some little kid screaming “Alloplane”. I turned around and it was my own one and half year old in the child seat whom I was supposed to drop at the day care center. I had completely forgotten about his existence in the car in the whole sequence. If he hadn’t said a word in that given moment, I would have left him in the car with windows closed in 35 degree heat with maximum of 48 degree on that day. Children left locked in cars can suffer from strangulation or choking from seat belt. In hot weather it can cause heatstroke, dehydration or hyper-thermia to your kids. On a typical summer day the temperature inside a car can rise by 30-40 degrees in just 15 minutes and leaving the window open does does not help much. You can call it a miracle or my stupidity but how often does it happen and how many kids die or become really sick and become statistics. Every year all around the world hundreds of kids die with this same scenario. As parents we don’t want to become part of these statistics and be haunted for rest of our lives. Here are some tips to make sure you don’t forget your precious one in the car:


Always put something very important you’ll need for rest of the day near the child on the back seat like cell phone, handbag, briefcase, office files etc.

Keep a large teddy bear in the child’s car seat when it’s not occupied. When the child is placed in the seat, put the teddy bear on the front passenger seat. It’s a visual reminder that anytime the teddy bear is in the passenger seat, the child is in the back.

Make arrangements with your day care provider to call you if your child does not show up when expected.

Tie or attach a bright colour tag or ribbon with your keys to remind you to check your back seat every time you get out of the car.