People
Simplicity has had a few recalls now over the last year or two. When I was pregnant with my son, who is now 4 months, there was the recall on some of the cribs. They showed the babies getting caught in the drop down side, because it would pop off the track for lack of a better word. Now they have a similar problem with the bassinets.
When I was looking at buying a crib people would tell me to check this one or that one out. I remember thinking and telling my mom at one point “No, that’s the company that just recalled some of the cribs. I am not buying anything from them.” Now after reading an article in The Washington Post I feel better for not buying any of their products. They say everything is corrected now. Though, at the time there were other cribs in one of our local stores that were doing the same thing. They were broken the same way and still on display but not recalled. I remember asking why they were on the floor like that and who would buy them? I was told that they were not included in the recall so, they couldn’t pull them from the floor just because they were broken. So, they aren’t recalled and they broke the same way, who would buy those products then I thought?
It started this big discussion in my house with how companies work and why one isn’t liable for something that was done if it gets bought out by another one. Or if I make an item in the regulations of the Consumer Product Safety Commission and they change the regulations after I put my product out on the market, and I have already spent millions of dollars. Now the rules and regulations have changed. Am I now required to take all the money I just spent and call it a loss, change my product to meet the new specs and start over? This is where it gets confusing because my husband and I feel differently on the matter.
So, we then went into the issue of why would someone take the risk with their child? What is the world coming to? How can a person forget about their kid (baby) and leave them in the car while they go to work for 8 hours? Then there is the story of the feral child that was found in Florida. There is always a story somewhere that is a heart breaker. As a parent that bothers me, that one person actually said that parents are just stressed and busy so it’s understandable. It’s understandable! Bullshit! The baby in the car, the feral child, and so many others I just don’t understand. How you just forget and how is it just a “tragic mistake?” Why is it only illegal to leave you kids in the car in a few states? I remember a few months back there was a news report on our local ABC that said it was only illegal in 10 or 12 states. Oklahoma is not one of the states that it’s illegal. How can it not be a federal law or some kind of across the board thing? I tried to look it up but all I got was laws being passed and things that have happened. I know I have been on base with both the kids and needed a bathroom many times. I usually end up calling my husband and go to his office. He meets me in the parking lot and I leave the car running with the ac if it’s hot with him talking to the kids. I then go in do what I need and the boys see him for a few minutes and they aren’t alone. The guys he works with always laugh at me because I will go to the other end of base just to have him watch the kids so, I don’t have to pull the boys out. They ask why I don’t just take them in the bathroom where I am. That’s hilarious I think. I ask them have you ever tried to go to the bathroom with a 3 year old and a new born. The stall is almost never big enough and god forbid you have a stroller because then there’s almost no hope unless you leave the door open. Then you have the 3 year old that touches everything, unlocks the door, opens the door, crawls under the door, and looks under the stalls at everyone else. Don’t forget the baby in the car seat that you have to put down on the floor and pray that it’s clean. So, for me yes I drive across the base to get a little help and my kids aren’t left alone in the car, someone is with them. I can honestly say I have never forgotten my kid in the car or house and left them. I am busy, stressed and still don’t forget to bring them with me. I have missed the turn for the daycare before but never left and forgotten them. How do you do that? I worked and most of the day talked about my kids or thought about them, and have a picture of them with me that I see when I work. So, again how does a person forget? My husband deployed, and we lived overseas and a lot went on during his deployment but never once did I forget about my kid and leave him somewhere. The worst thing we ever did was when the oldest was a month or two old we both left the house without him. I told my husband I was running next door for a minute before he went to work. He the baby was sleeping and I didn’t say hey the baby is sleeping. So, a few minutes after I left he came over and said he was going to work and wanted to make sure I had my keys. I freaked out and asked where the baby was. He thought I had the baby. We both ran back to the house to get him and I told my husband he was in the bassinet which was in our bedroom. He ran to the bedroom freaked out because the baby wasn’t there and I said he is here I meant the Pac n play that was in the living room. That was our one time huge mistake and we have never done it again. We always make it a point to say where the kids are now even if we are just taking the trash out. I forget about the baby sometimes in the house if he is being quiet in one of his things. That though is more mommies’s going to switch out the laundry and I’ll be right back to get you, then the oldest will ask for something to eat or drink so I make it. Then when I turn the corner to finish getting the laundry I realize I forgot I said I would be right back. He is still happy where he is and fine but I still feel like a bad mom. Then there’s the times the oldest asks me for something and I am nursing and I say as soon as I am done I will get it. Then when I am done I go back to the dishes or whatever I was doing before and he has to remind me. I feel bad enough for forgetting about what he wanted. So, I truly can’t understand how people can say “it’s a tragic mistake” “they simply forgot” “I did the best I could” that last one is one I hate with a passion. It’s like an instant get out of jail free card. So, because times were rough and hard it’s okay. Well there are tons of people that have it rougher and they don’t forget their kids or treat them like the woman in Florida with the feral child. There is no excuse that woman belongs in jail at the least and so does the one who left her baby in the car while she went to work. The company that bought Simplicity I think also needed to send out a recall sooner. That second death would have been prevented and I believe that second family should sue them. They knew and still sold the product. People seem to forget children are a precious gift that should be embraced, loved, the most important thing in your life at all times, and not just another decal on the back of your minivan.
Here is the link that shows what happens with the bassinets/sleepers http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/photo/2008/08/28/PH2008082803890.html
Here is the link for the article from The Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/28/AR2008082803349.html
Here is the link for the Child left in the car
http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080822/NEWS0107/808220336/1167/NEWS
Here is the link for the feral child found in Florida
http://www.tampabay.com/specials/2008/reports/danielle/
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