MAILBAG: The Simple Routine That Could Save Your Child’s Life This Summer

With several heartbreaking stories in recent years of young children left in hot cars — and with this week shaping up to be the hottest of the year so far — I feel compelled to share a personal routine that my wife and I use to help ensure that such a tragedy never occurs in our family, chas v’shalom.

It’s simple, but it’s made a world of difference in giving us peace of mind.

We’ve established a system: Whichever parent is driving the child must call or text the other as soon as the child is safely dropped off. It could be just a quick “She’s in daycare” or “I just dropped him at the babysitter.” If, for whatever reason, the parent who stayed home or went to work doesn’t receive that message, it becomes their responsibility to check in immediately: “Did you drop her off yet?” “Is the baby out of the car?”

In this way, it’s not just one person responsible for remembering. It’s two sets of eyes, two minds, and two hearts actively engaged in safeguarding our children. It creates a net of awareness that makes it much harder for even a moment of forgetfulness to have devastating consequences.

Of course, no system is perfect. We’re all human. That’s why I also recommend a simple device that adds a physical layer of safety: the CleverElly car plug-in. It’s a small gadget that fits into your car’s USB port and chimes every time you turn off the engine, with a reminder to check the back seat. It’s inexpensive, easy to install, and potentially life-saving.

We can’t undo tragedies. But we can prevent them. Let’s make sure we’re doing everything in our power to protect the precious neshamos Hashem has entrusted to us.

Signed,

A Lakewood Local

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