A while ago, I was driving home from church. I happened to notice that a friend was driving home right behind me. We both live less than four blocks from the church. (I know, I know, you’re about to say, “But, Jordan, don’t you care about the environment?” Well, thanks to the latest Duraflame commercial, no. And it’s very cold and snowy here. We walk when it’s nice.)
I glanced in the rear view mirror at one point on the short drive and noticed that my friend had her three-year-old sitting on her lap, behind the driver’s seat.
I don’t think she’s the kind to do this sort of the often. I don’t know how on earth I would ever broach the subject with her, but should I say anything?
10 replies on “Should I say anything?”
Boy that’s a toughie. If you want to stay friends with her I’d say don’t say anything. If you want to possibly save her child’s life, then say something. She still might not listen but could you live with it on your conscience if she got in an accident with her kid on her lap like that and you had never tried?
I’d for sure say something. What if she does this again and something happened, you’d wish you had said something. It’s so irresponsible what she’s doing.
Hmm that’s a hard one, but if it is bothering you than I think that you should ask her about it, not confrontational but say something letting her know that you saw her. I have been tempted to do the same thing, having grown up with a red neck father but I just can’t take the chance. “What if” always wins the argument.
Have you chosen the topic for February’s writting project?
@Karen—No; I think I might hold off till the beginning of March before the next GWP. You do still have a week to enter Scribbit’s Write-Away contest, on the theme of “Love” if you’re looking for something good to write about.
Or did you want to suggest a theme?
I don’t think you should say anything. It’s not you being irresponsible and it’s not your child. If she’s stupid enough to do it again then she doesn’t know anything about safety. You should start calling her Brittany Spears! It’s like people here who break their after nine rule. No one wants to follow it but you have to. I hate when people break it. I don’t know if you did, I was like 8 when you got your license so I really don’t remember if you even had that rule. I hate it when people break the rule. It’s unfair because I don’t, but I know that that’s not something I will get punished for, they will.
@Jasmine—They did have that rule; I followed it. Maybe once or twice I broke it (exigent circumstances, I’m sure 😉 .)
I’d say, “Was that you I saw driving behind me after church the other day? I thought I saw you. Kind of funny, but, when I glanced back at you in my rear view mirror, it looked like you had your three-year-old on your lap!” Then see how she responds.
Say something.
No one did when they saw my best friend do that with my daughter until I caught her….it was not my brightest of forgiveness moments.
Even if you couch it in “did you hear that awful story about the child crushed between a Mommy and her steering wheel in the Kroger parking lot?!”
I don’t know how to say something nicely and not offend her but if later something were to happen to her child in an accident you would never be able to forgive yourself for not saying anything.
They say most accidents occur within a mile from your home.
That being said, how you bring it up to her needs to be within the context of your friendship. But I would definitely say something. They are called accidents for a reason-something could happen (child could hit a gear, etc) and the aftermath is nothing a parent would ever want to live through.
Some things to print out for her:
http://www.safety4kids.com/safety/water_and_sun_safety.html
http://www.stayinginshape.com/3osfcorp/libv/k11.shtml
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/93/6/960
http://www.thetandd.com/articles/2007/07/29/news/doc46ac05dbe10a2191264108.txt