Originally Posted by Blackcat31:
I am not at all arguing that it isn't tragic and horrible that this type of thing happens at all.
My point is that it IS PREVENTABLE! In everything we do there is a risk involved. There is always that small percentage where nothing we could have done would have prevented a situation from happening but in MOST (not all but most) cases it is pure overload on the parent's part..... too much on their minds, work issues, having to add extra duties to their daily routines etc.... basically just too much on their mind at that particular time to keep their child in the forefront of their thoughts.
The second a parent walks out the door with that child THEY bear a responsibility to that child. To keep the child safe from any dangers outside their home. It's the parents responsibility to keep their child's well being/needs and their physical presence on their radar until they hand that child off to the next responsible adult.
They need to put their work issues aside, their marital stress, the issues from the day to day grind of life and FOCUS on the child while they are the one in charge. If it has to be conscious effort, then conscious effort needs to be put forth.
If our brains can be programmed to forget things then they can be trained to do the opposite.
How many times have you heard a child care provider say every time they go somewhere, they count kids or they are constantly surveying the room for kids or dangers etc..?
Because we have become programmed to do this. It has become a conscious (and sometimes unconscious) behavior. We taught ourselves to be conscious of the number of kids, exits, dangers present etc...
Do I think parents don't suffer when this type of thing happens? Of course they do.... I'm not even going to argue that point....
But I still feel that when YOU (general you) take on the responsibility of being a parent that human life is YOUR responsibility. period. It's YOUR job to put that child ahead of all else and protect them from harm. Including harm from your forgetfulness or your lack of thought.
Your example of going skiing and being forgotten is not even remotely the same. You were old enough to ski.
Your parents weren't in baby mode. The consequences (for them and for you and your brother) are vastly different in that example. Your parents forgetting didn't put your lives at risk.
Nope. I don't call or text.
In certain circumstances I might and more than likely have called but not on a regular basis. I don't parent parents.
If I did, it automatically make me part of the equation and I don't want that liability. I know everyone keeps saying it's not in their policies to call so they wouldn't be responsible but if you call one day (even if you don't have to) you are automatically to blame the one day you don't.
We're already responsible for doing so much that really what's left for the parents to do anymore?
I think we agree on most of this issue. I DO think it is a parents responsibility. I DO think they are to blame for this happening. I guess I also realize that some parents are capable of forgetting given a certain set of circumstances. I also think that a death can be prevented by calculating human error and figuring out a solution to prevent deaths. That is my bottom line.
I don't think car manufacturers will make a sensor because the liability is too high if the sensor fails. Having said that the liability is pretty high if an airbag doesn't deploy during an accident so what is the difference? Car manufacturers are sued every year for wrongful deaths. Just recently Honda CRV was recalled due to a pin coming loose when the airbag was deployed puncturing a man in the chest.
Good discussion at any rate
