Chime in on this

I heard about an Ohio mom who left her 2 yr old in the family SUV all day while she went in to her job as a vice principal of a school.  The DA has decided he will not press charges against her since he belives this was an accident, and the circumstances don’t qualify it for prosecution.

The facts, as I know them, are this:

Mom stopped at the bakery to pick up doughnuts for her co-workers since it was too early to drop her daughter off at daycare.  She arrived at the school where she works to drop of the treats.  She backed the SUV up to the door, unloaded the doughnuts, walking past her sleeping toddler a half dozen times.  She then parked the car and went into work.  More than 8 hours later, co-workers called 911.  Neeless to say the child died.

During the interview, between sobs, mom said “I was trying to do everything for everyone, and I failed my daughter.”  She also said that the change in routine, and the fact that the child simply fell asleep caused her to forget the child was there.  This, however, was not the first time this mother left this child in the car.  As receint as 2 weeks ago, she left the child sleeping in the car. 

I know where my feelings are on this issue.  What about you?  What do you think about this?  Personally, I don’t agree with pressing charges against parents who leave their children unintentionally in the car.  But how is it determined that a child was forgotten unintentionally?  Isn’t a parent who ‘forgets’ their child putting their own needs before the needs of their children?  Part of me wonders how in the world anyone can forget that a child is in the car? Maybe I just don’t know what it’s like to be a parent with a hectic schedule….but what about the kids???

iPod

So I just checked out the new iPod.  It’s pretty cool.  Personally, I like the size of it over the original Nano.  I have a shuffle, and I like it but have to admit that I don’t like not being able to choose what I want to listen to without scrolling through the songs.  Admitidly, I don’t know much about whats out there, but not being one to rush into new purchases just because, I did fall into the media trap on this one.  So I’m thinking this would be a cool toy to have.  I’m not sure of the price tag though.  It seems to me that way too much money is spent on stuff like this.  Maybe I’m just cheap.  I’m sure the price won’t go down before the holiday season, but maybe by spring it will.