Woman Shares Trick To Remind Herself Of Baby In Back Seat—And Not Everyone Supports It
Sadly, many parents have unknowingly forgotten their babies in a sweltering car. Truth is, so many of us have a tendency to go into "autopilot." This occurs when we do something that we are so used to doing, it almost becomes mindless.
Summer is here, and the weather is about to get a lot hotter. Even though summer brings so many great activities, it also poses a threat for people (and kids) to suffer from heatstroke. This grandmother shared the trick she uses so she will NEVER accidentally forget her grandson in the car.
Babies In Hot Cars
We all know this routine so well: stepping out of the car, walking toward the grocery store. Some of us know the internal panicky feeling when you realize in the parking lot that you forgot your baby or toddler in their booster sear in the car.
Yet, sometimes, people realize far too late. If left in a hot car, young children's core temperatures can reach a deadly 104°F after around two hours.
Kristy Wilson's Idea
In a short Tik Tok video, Wilson starts off with a clip of her feet. One has a shoe on it, and the other foot is bare.
Why is she doing this? She explains in the next clip.
"I Have An Infant In The Back Seat"
Wilson then flips the camera to show us that she has her grandson in the back of the car. She, like many parents, is aware of the danger of leaving a baby in the car for too long.
Yet, how does the shoe fully play into this?
She'd Rather Deal With The Hot Pavement
Wilson explains that when she steps out of the car, she deals with the feeling of hot pavement on her foot.
This is a small sacrifice to pay because she'd rather live with the comfort of knowing she will never forget the baby in the back.
She Stores Her Shoe In The Back Beside The Baby
Wilson reveals that she stores her shoe in the back seat of the car, right next to the baby's car seat.
She puts the shoe on, and the camera pans to her grandson.
Lots Of People Praised Her
The video received around 11,000 comments, and most of them were praising the grandma for taking an extra precaution.
There's nothing wrong with her just taking some extra time to protect her grandson.
Some Did The Opposite
Some people instead thought that her reminder was ridiculous and that no one should ever forget the baby in the first place.
Yet, since 1998 (according to NoHeatStroke.org), almost 900 children have died in hot cars, and more than half of them were left behind unknowingly by the person who was taking care of them.
It's Not Limited Just To Shoes
Like this commenter, a few others also mentioned that they do a similar thing just to be on the safe side.
Perhaps this could be done with a purse, a wallet, car keys (if your car is a push to start). Or even another important possession that you don't leave the car without.
Smiling For Safety
The video ends with a short clip of her grandson smiling. It is clear that they're both thankful that he will never be forgotten in the back of the car.
Isn't he such a little cutie?
Watch Her Video Below
When we do something that we're very used to doing, we can forget things, and yes, that includes children.
Most people whose children, unfortunately, die in the car have forgotten them on accident. Some are just looking after the kid (like this grandma was), but some are their parents. Danger does not discriminate, and it's better safe than sorry!
An Easier Way To Handle Injuries
Trying to get a toddler to put a bag of ice on their head after they bump it on something can be challenging because they complain about the cold and the condensation.
Instead, take a bag of marshmallows, compress the extra air out, put it in the freezer, and use it as an icepack—it feels like a cold cushion and it's much more comfortable.
I'm Going To Use This For Myself Too!
If you have to take a fabric bandaid off of your child, rub a bunch of Vaseline over it and wait about 10 minutes.
Afterward, the bandaid should peel off smoothly and painlessly.
Use A Makeup Brush To Apply Sunscreen
One mom shared that she finds it much easier to apply sunscreen to her toddler's face using a makeup brush one might use for foundation.
It's gentle, the kid complains less, and makes it easy to ensure you're not missing any spots.
From A Chore To A Game
One mom says that, when she wants her kids to complete a task quickly, like cleaning up their toys, she sets a timer for them. The task becomes a game to see if they can get it done before the buzzer goes off.
No More Picking Up Cheerios Off The Floor
One mom recommended that parents of toddlers get this thing, called a Gyro Bowl.
The bowl is suspended in a rotating mechanism so it's pretty much impossible to spill whatever snacks you put inside it.
They'll Never Know The Difference
When you only have the heels of the bread left, make a sandwich with the "crust" sides on the inside of the sandwich so the outside of the sandwich looks like regular middle slices of bread—your children won't even notice.
(But if they do notice? Distract them with something else.)
The Golden Rule Applies For Everyone
If you want your kids to "treat others the way they want to be treated" and use that as a household value, you have to also treat your children with that same level of respect and kindness at all times.
This shouldn't even count as a hack though, it should be standard practice.
Make Teething Easier For Yourself
To help soothe a baby who is teething, give them a mango seed that still has a bit of the actual fruit on it.
They'll happily and comfortably chew on it for hours!
Keeps The Kids From Falling And Crying
If your baby is learning to walk and still very clumsy, you can help them out by taking a little puff fabric paint and drawing a few dots onto the bottom of their socks.
It adds a little extra grip on the floor for them.
No More Getting Peed On
To the moms of baby boys: to keep him from peeing while you're in the middle of changing his diaper, put a wet wipe on his belly a few minutes before you actually plan to change him.
The cold sensation on his skin will prompt him to pee before you get to changing him.
Sharing Is Not Actually Caring
This mom was given a delicious flan from a friend, but she does this on other occasions too.
Whenever she has some delicious food she doesn't want to share with her kids, she makes faces as if it's disgusting while eating it so her kids do not ask for any. Works every time.
A Spill Solution For When You're Out Of The House
One mom on TikTok swears by these Jelly Caps, a lid that can be added to any drink bottle that's easy for children to drink from and essentially spill-proof.
It's perfect for when you're on the go.
They'll Eat When They're Hungry
One mom stands by the rule that she never makes her kids finish their plate of food during a meal.
If they're hungry later, they can always finish them instead of eating snacks, but she feels that this helps them develop natural hunger cues and also makes them less fussy about dinner time.
I Wish I Knew This, Like, Yesterday
If your kids leave the cap off of a marker and it gets dry, an easy fix is to just fill the cap with water and put it back onto the marker.
After letting it sit for a couple of minutes, it should work perfectly fine!
Don't Make Your Kids Do Tasks On Your Schedule
This mom gives her children the freedom to choose when they do tasks, like homework or cleaning their room. They know they have to get the things done by a certain time, but she won't make them do a specific task at a specific time.
It allows them to do things they want on a schedule that makes them comfortable, meaning they don't really mind doing chores.
A Fun Beach Hack For Parents Everywhere
To make cleanup after a beach day a lot easier, this mom keeps a container of body powder in her car.
If you rub it on your kids' legs, the sand will fall right off of their skin so the car stays clean. Baby powder also works for this hack.
Bedtime Suddenly Became A Lot Easier
With the green light from her doctor, one mom will sneak a low-level melatonin gummy pill into a pack of fruit snacks so that her son is less fussy when going to sleep.
They'll sleep soundly and so will you.
It's A Fun White Lie To Make Life A Little Easier
Getting your kids to take medicine can be a nightmare, but this one mom says that an easy solution is just to add some sprinkles to the spoonful and call it "unicorn potion" or something else your kid would find exciting.
They take it without hesitation.
Have A "Go-To" Dinner That You Know Your Kids Love
One mom says that, when her kids are being fussy that day or she's in a rush and needs a dinner that her kids won't get picky about, she does breakfast for dinner.
It's easy to make and pretty nutritious.
Finally, Get The Best Of Both Worlds
As a mom, you definitely don't end up doing enough things to take care of yourself,
so kill two birds with one stone using this relaxing hack that also is a fun experience for your kid.