Locking the Keys in the Car!

I did this with both of my babies in the car. We went next door and called the fire department and they came right away and went through the window so we did not have bust out the window. They were both screaming and hot and I felt horrible but these things happen so you just cuddle them and leave the door open before you go to the other side.

It happened to me once so don't feel bad. Luckily for me I knew exactly what to do ~ call Police. My sister had locked her puppy in car in convenience store parking lot & police or fire dept came right out so I knew they would do same for child. They came out real quick and managed to get car unlocked without having to break windows and worry about baby being cut by broken glass. It happens, so don't feel guilty. At least you didn't make it to work, work all day and then remember you left baby in car.

Don't stress too much about it. This happened to me. Went to drop my 2 dogs off at vet and my son was sleeping so I did not get him out. While I was taking In the dogs stuff they must have push the lock button. I was in the middle of nowwhere in Sanger. Had to call a locksmith. Luckily the air was running on high. Stay calm through these situations and it will make it better. Also, after that, I bought a hide a key and made a spare for my car.

Don't beat yourself up, it's not that big of a deal. We have all done things like this. Your daughter is fine that's what you need to concentrate on.

BUT, if I could make a suggestion. Next time something happens, take a deep breath and calm down. That way you will think more logically about how to handle the situation. You should have called the police or the local fire department. Most of the time they can get into your car without breaking a (I'm sure) very costly window repair. OR, if your husband had a set of keys, he could have brought them to you. As long as you could see your daughter and know that she was fine, that's what mattered.

The only advice I didn't see mentioned by anyone else is *On-Star*! If it is available to you, it is a fabulous to have in this situation! I had a similar experience...trying to cram everything in, my little ones were sleeping in their carseats in the back, and I had a friend bringing something to me to put in my car. I hopped out (with the car running), gave her a quick hug, and turned around to hop back in...only to find my door locked! After a second of panic, as I was looking in the window noting that my keys were in the ignition, I noticed the On*Star sticker on my window, and thought back to when I purchased the car...and the remote door unlock service. I called On*Star immediately and in seconds my doors were unlocked and I was on my way! At that time I realized that whatever I paid for the service, it was worth it!! It happened only once, but I was glad to have it!

It is not likely you will do this again...the horrible way you feel and the time and expense involved in replacing the window will all make an indelible mark on your brain! But please don't beat yourself up about it. Your response was perfect and your planning for future emergencies will help you overcome your feelings of guilt and helplessness. Hopefully your story will also help other moms avoid this traumatic mistake that almost every mom makes at some point!

Well, I did lock my sisters child in the car once, while I was driving another sisters car..it was a bit crazy, but the police came and it was not too long. I still feel bad about it, which is a good thing. Not bad like guilt ridden, just bad enough to remember it. I think sometimes we are blessed with a little extra guilt to insure that we dont make the same mistakes twice. You will never do it again I imagine. To this day..more than a year later, I think about where my keys are every time I get out of the car. I always leave one door open until I know the keys are in my hand. So, allow this to help you be a better mom, and know that there are many more hard lessons ahead. But also know, that this time it was not serious and it could have been much worse. While you may tear up for the next 20 years every time you remember that panic and fear, it is normal, and it wont be on your mind every second of the day..I promise:) ~A.~

Try not to let it get to you although, from experience, it's a gut renching feeling. I locked my daughter in the car when she was about a year old. I panicked and couldn't leave her because once she realized that it wasn't a game, she started screaming and touching the window for me. I still get that knot in my stomach. If it ever happens again, you can call 911 and the fire station will respond. It is a free service they offer where they use a slim jim to open your locks so your car isn't damaged. My daughter is 4 now and I still feel horrible although, it's subsided some over the years. I wish I could tell you that you'd forget about it but my mother did the same thing to me and she still feels the guilt. I'm 37... :) Hang in there, it happens all the time.

I am so glad I am not the only one!! There are so many of us!! I locked my daughter in my truck WITH IT RUNNING and the spare sitting on the dashboard (since of course I had put the key down to make sure she was buckled in securely!). I was CRYING and so distraught. I still had my house key in my pocket, so I ran in and grabbed the cordless phone and called my husband. He told me to call the fire department, they came with siren and lights flashing, me crying with my face pressed against the truck window, and baby girl sleeping peacefully snug in her seat.

God bless our firemen who opened the car for me (with no damage to my vehicle- better option than breaking a window- I had to do that once before, too) and never laughed out loud in my presence, but I certainly got a few grins from them as they worked.

Don't feel guilty any more, read these posts and laugh with us at ourselves for being so overly protective!!

A., I can not wait to read the Momma Experiences you get on this one. Believe me, you are NOT alone. Although I never locked my kids in the car, I had the kids that would not listen in the car. I would not even leave my keys in the car when I stopped to get gas and paid at the pump. I did not trust my kids not to get out of their carseat and take off with the car! I did train myself to do something that I do to this day - I take the keys out of the ignition and put them on the roof of the car when putting gas in the car, loading the car with groceries, unloading the car, etc. Many times I get into the car and don't have my keys. So, I just open the door and reach on the roof! It is so easy to forget you have keys in your hand when you are carrying thing to the car and just setting them on the seat - the keys get dropped too! It happens. I have a friend the put her keys on a spiral, bungie cord like thing and wore it as a bracelet when going to the car. And, as far as the guilt - that will only last until the next thing happens to feel guilty about!

omg!! i thought i was the only person to do this! someone parked way too close to me at walmart and when i went to push the cart out of the way the door shut and locked by itself. i had to flag someone down in the parking lot, get them to get a police officer inside and then had to use his phone to call my husband. luckily this was in the winter so i didn't have to worry about the heat. it was the most awful experience of my life. it took a long time to forgive myself and now it's just a funny story that im gratefull turned out ok. don't worry she wont remember and this in non way reflects your mothering capabilities. your a great mom! and you love ur baby, so don't worry.

Don't feel bad. I did the same thing in the middle of winter in CO at a gas station. I called the police department and they came to my rescue. I now have 4 kids and my moto has become no harm no foul.

I read your post and I want you to know, without a doubt, you are an amazing mom! Please don't question this for a second. I know we are always the hardest on ourselves. Try not to be. The truth is that you will have to forgive yourself in your own time. However, may I suggest that you do it immediately? It was an honest mistake. As soon as you realized it, you handled the situation quickly, your daughter wasn't hurt and is safe. To answer your other question, yes, it has happened to other moms, too. Now I keep my keys around my neck or clipped to my belt loop! Take care of yourself:)

I'm sorry to hear what happened. i think u handled pretty well. I htink 5 munites are not long at all. u don't need to worry about it. Plus there is nothing u can do. u r a good mom.

It happened to me once, but luckily my kids were not in the car. i had to call a key company and paid $75 to get it out. he can open the door without breaking anything within 1 minute. it just takes time to wait for him to get there.

Actually this happen to me once. I left the car running and ran into the office real quick with my son and dog in the car. When I cam back out the dog started get excited and the window and pushed the lock button. What happened next still amazes me to this day. I went around to where my sons car seat was. He was strapped in and everything he was about 2 or 3. I was trying to get him to get himself out of the carseat but it was too tight so I tried to get him to roll down the window with his foot. He took of his shoe and sock and reached with his little town and he wasn't able to roll down the window but he was able to reach the lock and he was able to slide it to the side and unlock the door. I was like the kid is a genius. As far as forgiving myself you have to understand that we are not perfect and things happen sometimes and we all make mistakes we are only human. I hope this story might help you alittle. Have a blessed day

When there is a child locked in the car...just call 911, they will come unlock your car and you won't have the cost of a new window. But your quick actions were great, I give you thumbs up for that.
Just a little advice, when you are loading up a car, try and remember to roll down a window before you get started taht will save you from this trouble again, I learned to do this the same way..locked my keys in the car while loading it to go out of town!!

A., Please forgive yourself! It wasn't intentional and I'm of the belief that pregnancy and having an infant does a number on our brain cells. I have laughed several times reading the other posts and just this morning while my darling 10 yr old and I were waiting for her carpool she reminded of the time I forgot to pick her up from school! So, unless you tell your precious baby about this mental lapse, at least you won't have her reminding you of it at random times for the rest of your lives. We all make mistakes, just learn from them and continue being a great mommy.

Please don't be too h*** o* yourself! I find myself doing stupid things often enough, but that doesn't make me stupid. You were not neglegent (sp?) it was just a mistake. We are all human, and we all make mistakes! All is well now, and most importantly, your baby is okay. Show yourself some grace and understanding, just like you would show someone that did the same thing.

My pediatrician warned me about this; apparently this is pretty common.

I don't mean to be snarky, but realizing this has always helped me ditch the guilt PDQ: it's actually rather prideful to believe yourself so wonderful as to be above committing errors such as yours. Forgive yourself! Remorse and guilt are close bedfellows, but should not have a lasting relationship in your heart. You're a great mom, you made a mistake. Obviously from the responses you see here, you're not alone. You're ok, your baby is ok; enjoy life (and try to get more sleep)! ;)
*HUGS!!!!*

OMG, forgive yourself right now! It was an accident. The important thing is that you were there to fix the situation, and that you didn't leave her in there on pupose while you went into the grocery store to do your shopping.

I did this one month ago with my 2 year old son. I had just gotten my daughter out of the car and she was 'helping' and closed the door while my son inside had the keys and locked himself in. It took my husband and me 15 minutes to get him to push the button on the door to unlock it so we could get him out. He just thought the whole thing was funny, and now so do we.

Sure !!! We all have done it ... more than once! And I'm a nearly 70 grandma who has done it to grandchildren, too! Worst I remember was the across the street young mom who locked toddler in the house and herself out! Frantic tries to get toddler to unlock and open the door ... called the fire department ... they came, too ... and pried open a window. Cars are the worst ... hate to break glass with a little one in there ... etc. I have called husband ... on and on. He is the thinking one ... always has an extra car key made and stashed inside for just such emergencies. And we always each have a key to each car and usually carry both of them with us. For a while, I had a car that had the OnStar service ... they could call my car and unlock it through the miracle of satellite technology ... and that is another possible solution for you. Also, some cars have an exterior lock system that unlocks by a combination of numbers ... no key required. Best idea is extra keys stashed, inside the house and somewhere outside as well. Auto shops have gadgets to hide keys on the car ... big problem there is that they sometime fall off and aren't there when you need them.

As for the guilt trip ... may be your first, but will not be the last! Fortunately, most are quickly corrected. Hug her first, then hug yourself ... and get to the next item on your agendas ... Diaper and food for her, a nap for you!

Blessings from Grandma GiGi

A., you can't beat yourself up over this but you can and DO need to keep that feeling of caution that you've now developed. That's what will keep it from happening again. Now, while you have this urgent feeling, is the time to form the habits that will keep it from ever occuring again. Now, I have one thing to say more...it is always possible to call 911 in a situation like this and I do also agree that busting out a window with the baby in there could be dangerous BUT unless you live a block or so from the station AND you know they have a truck in the house that will reach you REALLY fast, how do you know how long it would take them to arrive?? it's HOT here and more than 5 minutes sounds likea LONG time to me to have a 2 month old baby in the car. Which is why, i'm sure, that you took quick action. I know everyone just wanted to save you the expense of replacing your window by saying to call 911 but i personally think you need to be COMMENDED for NOT waiting that indeterminate amount of time that the police or fire truck would take JUST to save your window (i'm sure everyone else would ahve done the same---like I said, i'm not wanting to say all the people that said to call 911 would have waiting- just wanted to make sure you knew it was possible to call 911) anyway, your quick action and lack of concern for the cost of your window really saved your baby from a longer wait in a car that was no doubt very hot already. Good for you!!! Now take it easy on yourself, form good habits (possibly get one of those spare key thigns that are a strong magnet you put on the frame of her car---just in case) and continue to put your baby first in your heart.

WE have all done it or something similiar. Make a door key and put it in your wallet or hide it outside your house somewhere so you won't panic the next time. It is ok to make a kistake. God bless you, you are a wonderful mother and she doesn't know it unless you continue to panic over things like this. Then she will get anxious too. Stay calm and things usually work out just fine.

I have done something similar to this. I think that you have to realize first that you are not perfect and no one expects that of you. We all make mistakes in our lives...and if we can't forgive ourselves then how can we expect anyone else to???

Although you may strive to be the perfect Mom, the truth is, nobody is perfect. To alleviate your guilt, just take precautions not to let it happen again. Get an extra key made and place it in one of those key boxes that are magnetic and put it under your bumper or somewhere under you car that is magnetic. That way, whatever the situation, you will always be prepared.
Congratulations on your new baby and don't be too h*** o* yourself.

First of all, you are not alone. Forgive yourself, craziness and life happens. Tons of people have done it. Thankfully I have a keyless entry pad on my car or I'm sure I would have done it. Just FYI for you and anyone else, Pop-A-Lock will get there immediately and open your door for free if there is a child locked inside. Remember, although it is scary and probably embarrasing later, it's alright. Again, tons of people have done it.

Bless your heart. This happened to me with our first puppy! I was so panicked, it never dawned on me to break out a window. Fortunately we were at the vet's office and my husband was very close by. They kept the car cooled off by running water over it. My vet almost gave me a valium to calm me down. Trust me, the thought crossed my mind of "what if that had been my baby?!?!?!" Fortunately for you, you had the wherewithal to break out the window and your sweet baby is just fine. Fortunately for me, I experienced this long before first baby was born so I ALWAYS know where keys are as we are loading up now. And if by chance it does happen, I'll break out a window, too! Give yourself a break, there are so many things going on that we get distracted with the little things like keys. I'm glad everything is okay. BTW, pup was just fine and is almost 14 years old. :-)

Hi A., we've all done things similar. When my daughter was 2 weeks old, I went for my gynecologist follow up appt. While at the drs office, I took her out of the carrier but did not strap her back in as I figured I would do that when we got back in the car. Well, when we got home (an hour away), I realized I had never strapped her back in (she had a blanket over her so I never even noticed it until then). To this day (she is 2 1/2), I am mortified that I drove an hour in my car with my newborn not strapped in!

If you were Jesus Christ and perfect, you wouldn't have done this anyway. Now you must follow Jesus' example of unconditional forgiveness and forgive yourself. We all know you love your child. You know you love your child. Breathe, dear...BREATHE...Sit down and maybe have a good cry and let it go...move on!!! Jesus knows it was an accident-I know it was an accident and you know it was an accident. BREATHE AND FORGIVE.

One time I accidentally left my 5 year old at home. Got to the place I was going and only had two kids instead of three. I had told him to load up but he went to get something in the back yard and didn't do as he was told. I didn't do a head count, just pulled out assuming all the kids were in the van.
He is 10 and I still hear about that one from him. Like I did it on purpose.
We all do these silly things, you are not alone.
L.

Oh yes I have done that and many others have as well. My son who is know 18 years old was only about 3 months old when we were at a convenient store and I got out of the car to go to his side to get him out when I pulled the handle the door was locked and on top of that I left the keys in the ignition car running. I just cried and several people tried to help, but I called a lock smith and they opened the door. He slept throughout the whole ordeal. As moms we do the absolute best we can for our babies, and in that process we make mistakes. Don't be h*** o* yourself. You did not do this on purpose and in the end all is well. You are a good mom.

I've done it and it took a while for me to get over it since it was at my husband's family reunion in South Dakota on the hottest days of the summer it seemed. My 1 yr old daughter had finished her nap and I was bringing her to meet my husband at the dance.
We had a rental car that had the annoying feature of automatically locking the doors after a few minutes. Luckily the air conditioning was on and I had my cell phone (& had coverage there thankfully- this was 5years ago)so I called 911. It took the Sheriff about 20 minutes to get there and that was 20 long minutes of playing peekabo with my daughter- felt like hours- my nerves were shot. If she started crying, I would've been a real mess before this big family reunion dance, but everything was great after the Sheriff got her out of the car but unfortunately word got out that, "a baby was locked in a car" at the reunion so then EVERYBODY found out and looked at me like I was a bad mother. :-(.
The habit I got into after (& still do actually) is have one of the front doors (usually the driver's door) a little ajar when loading in the kids.
I like some of the other suggestions here...Take care there- no need to beat yourself up anymore than sounds like you already have- it happens!

Be gentle with yourself! We all make mistakes. It's hard to let things go, especially when your baby is so young. You did the best you could and when you realized what happened you moved quickly. Your baby was not in danger, you were right on top of things. You're still human, you just have a baby now to add to the excitement! Maybe in the future you roll a window down in the car while you are getting everything situated. I've never done this but I am always paranoid that it will happen so I leave a door or two open while we are loading up. Take care of yourself and don't beat yourself up about this!!

Welcome to the first of many things you will do with your kids that you look back on and think "WHAT IN THE WORLD WAS I THINKING!" No one is a perfect mother, and there will be other things done that you will be mad at yourself for doing. My daughter is 5, and the best things in the world she says to me is "Mom, you are the best mommy in the world!" I know I am certainly not, but she thinks so. Don't beat yourself up over it!

One of my boys went head first out of the shopping cart onto the hard tile at Walmart one time, at about 12 mo. After the trauma was over I called a buddy of mine for reassurance and he said it had happened to him a long time ago. It took me a few days.
:)

Yes, twice. Had to have firemen break into the car once, it was January once so they took their time. The next time they just broke the window.

Hi! Don't feel bad, it's not the end of the world! When my daughter was 3 we were living in North Dakota. We went grocery shopping, and the cashier gave my daighter a lollipop. We went out to the car and put DD in because it was -30F, really bitter. My husband started the car, then got out to help me load up. When we went to get in, of course the doors were locked! We were freezing, I was frantic, my husband felt stupid and guilty, and DD was sitting there sucking on the lollipop looking at us like we were crazy! We called the police and they came and broke into the car for us. She was in there safe and sound, nice and warm, and we were frozen! We took that as our punishment!!

No forgiveness needed. You did everything right and your baby is unharmed.

Couple tricks I do now after a couple lock outs:

1. I bought a twisty bungy like plastic wrist loop - don't know what to call it - found it at the dollar store. I attached my keys to it and wear it on my wrist so there is not setting them down in the seat by accident.
There so much stuff for kids! Keys stay with you!

2. Kia's are great cars - if you insert your keys into the ignition, you can't lock yourself out.

3. Keyless entry works well too but much more costly. Too much for me.

You did fine. Hope your auto insurance helps you pay for the window.

C.

Your baby is safe and you should not beat yourself up - It was an accident. I locked one of mine inside the car at Walmarts years ago - to save yourself a window if this ever happens again, the police or fire department will come to your aid and get a child out free of charge and you won't have to break your window. I understand not wanting to wait if it were exptremly hot outside though. All parents make mistakes and have accidents... Enjoy that prescious little one...

ok, so i did this once and then i learned that i NEVER put my keys anywhere buy my hand or pocket. always leave a door open until you have your driver door open...it almost happened to me again but i had my door open.
i still kick myself in the butt and this was around the time my son was 1 yr old. we were at walmart of all places and he was holding my keys and locked the door i guess all the doors were shut and locked. it was like 100+ degrees and he was crying so hard and trying to reach me. talk about upsetting. my phone was in the diaper bag in the car and i had to run across the parking lot to borrow a phone. my sister in law was with me so she stayed at the car. talk about mortifying. the person i borrowed the phone from had an infant and they were looking at me like i was some type of unfit mother. my husband came and opened the car and he was furious that i let that happen. i would not worry about what happen as long as you learn your lesson. besides, thank God that she isn't old enough to cry for you and think that you're leaving her like my son.

Hi A.,
I have a few stories that would make you feel better. Things just happen, especially when you are in a hurry and have a lot to do. We currently live in Europe and I walk to my sons Kindergarten a lot. I kept one stroller there, so he could nap in the afternoons. Well one day I picked him up with my 5 month old daughter in her stroller. I had to take both strollers home. I was pushing one in front of me and the other one I pulled behind me. It was quite difficult.
My son was in the front stroller and lost his blanket, so I let go of both strollers, without securing the brakes to pick up the blanket ! BIG No No ! I turn around and see my daughter rolling from the sidewalk out onto the street into rush hour traffic ! Of course I ran right after her and nothing happened, but she was in the middle of the street !!!!!! My heart stopped and I cried the whole way home. I also had nightmares for a few days and couldn't believe what I had done !!!!!
2nd story
I was trying to attend the christmas party of my husband with both kids. I prepared all day for that and we were suppose to take the bus to his work. Well, I had the kids dressed cute etc and was loading up the double stroller outside. Here it gets really dark in the winter and I couldn't see a thing. I put my son in the front, my daughter in the back and the diaper bag on the handle of the stroller. Somehow the seat of my daughter was not secured and I couldn't see it in the dark, so it tilted over and she hit her head on the front seat and busted her lip pretty bad. We all went inside again, I cried and called my husband and tried to calm down my little girl. She had a hard time breastfeeding for a few hours because of her lip. HOW can that happen ????
Things just happen and I think it is normal. No matter how careful you are, or no matter how good organized you are.
I try to watch out for all sorts of things, but you can't avoid everything ! Good luck and I am sure you are a good mom, otherwise you wouldn't worry !!

First, stop beating yourself up. We all make mistakes and there was no harm done - except to the window! I'm a mother of 2 and grandmother of 4. One of my biggest fears is exactly what happened to you, especially when I'm traveling with the little ones or even just running errands around town. The way I avoid that situation is with a lanyard I wear around my neck that holds all my keys. The lanyard has a breakaway that allows me to disconnect the keys when I need to use them. When I take the keys out of the ignition I immediately snap them back onto the lanyard. This is especially helpful on trips where you need to stop for gas or get out of the car for any reason. It's just a suggestion, but it's saved me on more than one occasion!

I know you have received a ton of responses and I usually dont respond when so many others have. But I had to to yours.

I did this with both of my babies girls when they were that young. It happens and my husband still teases me to this day and the youngest is 4.

Same thing happened to me about 3 weeks ago. I was visiting a friend with a newborn and did the auto start on my car after getting in. When I hit the auto start it locked all the doors. I put my 2 year old in and I couldn't get in. The air was on and Britney cd was playing so she was good. I PANICKED! I've never locked my keys in the car. My girfriend thought about calling a locksmith but I just felt so bad and wanted to get her out. So, she called (per my suggestion) the Carrollton Fire Dept. She was still on the phone and I could hear the sirens. Got her out safe and sound. Don't beat yourself up. Being a mommy is a hard job so just be thankful that it turned out well. :-)

P.S. Funny - they had fire saftey day at one of her classes this summer and the same cute fireman was there showing the kids around the truck. He remembered us and we all had a good semi-laugh!

I have not personally done it but my mom did it with my oldest when he was a baby. She was at the daycare when she did it. They had to call 911 and had the fire department and the police department out she was very embarrassed but that kind of thing happens all the time. At least you did not do it intentionally!

I have a 2 year old and I can not say I have ever done this. All I know is I would have been freaking out. I can not tell you how long you should it will take for you to foorgive yourself. I do know that Prayer and asking for her forgiveness can help. I am so sorry I could not be of more help. I just wanted you to know I would feel the way you do. I wish you a Blessed day and I hope it gets easier for you. G. C.

Your daughter is fine and so are you. Forgive yourself. And YES, this happened to me twice with my baby girl (about 4 years ago). Both times I called 911 and the fire dept. opened the doors no problem. Once it was my fault (leaving the keys on the seat next to the car seat) the other the car locked itself. Luckily for me it wasn't the HEAT of the summer either time so it was fine to wait 5-10 minutes for the fire dept.

Forgive and learn.

Blessings,

S.

You are not a horrible mother by and means. I did the same thing and God and my son still love me. Trust yourself and you will be fine. I. To save your windows next time call the non emergency number for the police and they will be more than happy to help you get the baby out free of charge. I wish you many years of joy.

A. - I did that once in a parking lot when I was putting my then 7-8 month old dtr in the car and she was playing with the keys and the minute I closed the door she pressed the lock button and I was outside and she was inside with everything. I had to call 911 so they could come and open it for me.....meanwhile she was just screaming the whole time. I felt so bad and guilty for a while but then I realized she was safe the whole time -just scared - but the minute I held her she was fine. So please forgive yourself soon - you didn't mean to do it and you got her out as soon as you could. She's safe and she won't remember it ever happened and that is a good thing. And you will always remember to keep your keys with you - at least I do since then.....A.

Deep breathing...;) It happens, being a mother adds a gazillion things in your head and we already multi tack to the extreme. I cannot tell you how or how not to feel and nothing will take the guilt away but she is safe and you didn't forget her. I have 3 boys and often think if my head were not attached to my body I would have lost it long ago but I discovered I am not perfect and I make mistakes. You can always call 911 or scream for someone too. I was packing up our car once and it was windy and slammed the door, it jammed and no matter what strength I put behind it, I couldn't get in and I had a 4 month old and 2 yr old inside. I was getting dinner ready and had boiling water on the stove top. I had to break in to my own home! Everything was fine but I now turn the deadbolt so it catches if the door ever shuts behind me again. A., you sound like a super great mom but being a mom is often crazy and things happen. My once together life is now full of panic, disasters, chaos but my kids have all made it and so have I. Don't be upset with yourself for too long, you didn't forget her, it was an accident. If your partner or spouse did this, how would you tell then to feel? It is a funny thing, being a mom and amazing how one little bundle changes our whole life. Good luck and congrats on your baby. Oh...IF you think or are afraid it will ever happen again, and like many of us want to cool the car off or warm it up before we put the babies/kids in then look into a REMOTE START, you can start the car w/o the keys. I love mine.

A.,
Please don't beat yourself up over this. You responded in the right way, and got your little one out quickly. You sound like a wonderful mom. Many dangers and accidents will happen in life, and you proved to your little one that you would be there to protect her. Have a blessed day, and continue to enjoy your little ones. S.

A.,
I did the same thing in Sam's parking lot. I could NOT believe I did it, but it happened. You need to forgive yourself now, your baby is fine and that is all that matters. You are probably, like me and most new moms.....sleep deprived!! Give yourself a break :)

As mothers, I don't know that we ever really forgive ourselves. When my daughter was about 2, we were at a river. Everyone was skipping rocks and I joined in. I didn't release the rock at the right time and it went slamming into my daughter's forehead. It cut her head. It ended up not needing stitches and the bleeding stopped. She was fine after a few minutes but I can't say the same for me. It's been 7 years and I can still get teared up thinking about it! Of course, it's turned into a bit of a joke for our family and my daughter loves to hear how mommy cried more than she did. It's ok. Your baby wasn't hurt and you won't be making that mistake again anytime soon.

I actually did this on vacation just three weeks ago! We stopped to eat lunch and afterwards I took my two year old out to the mini-van (rented for vacation). I strapped him in and placed my purse (with cell phone) and keys in the front and went around to the other side to get in the car--LOCKED!! Yes, each door was locked. My husband went into the restaurant (his cell phone was in the car, also) and had someone call 911. A policeman came and tried to get the doors unlocked. He was ready to break the window, but my husband didn't want him to on the rental. The policeman called another policeman to help. I got nervous and started crying because I heard him say, "Turn your light and sirens on and tell the ambulance to get ready!" The second policeman got the door open within seconds. My son was probably only in there about 7 minutes but long enough for my older son and I to get upset. Afterwards my son kept saying, "No more crying. You stop crying." So no, you are not alone. It was an accident.

It all ended well and she had no idea what was going on. Don't beat yourself up about it! Also, put a hide-a-key on your car. I have done the same thing and i can just grab my hide-a-key and stay calm and all is well, I also keep an extra key in other places like in the house, with family, etc.

Hi A.,
Yeah, I did that. I locked my daughter in her car seat in the car while parked at the babysitter's house. I had to call my husband, who came and got it unlocked. I was IMMEDIATELY panicky upon doing this!
Of course I beat myself up about it for a couple of days. My daughter was too young to have become upset, so that helped also. I knew she wasn't traumatized. She didn't even notice that I was crying.
Please be kind to yourself - it was, after all, an accident.
Leanne

Don't beat yourself up.....we ALL have those moments at times.

We laugh now with my niece and nephew BUT....in rural AL, my SIL is a teacher. She left the 3 and 1/12 in the running car for literally seconds while locked in their carseats (and she was outside within sight). My active nephew, managed to get out of the carseat and into the drivers seat. My SIL looked over and they were rolling backward....right into the school sign.

She felt HORRIBLE because she just did not consider that he would or could get out of his seat. To this day....everyone knows who "owns" the school sign because they had to rebiuld and pay for it.

Forgive yourself and call 911 if it happens again. A brick in the window with a baby sounds dangerous.

A.,

Don't beat yourself up. I had car that would lock ITSELF accidentally. You didn't LEAVE her in the car, you were getting with her.

T.

This has happened to me twice. It happened with my oldest when he was a baby. both times happened in the summer. I always put the air conditioner on before I put my children in the car, so I was lucky that it was on both times. All i did was call the fire department and they came in no time and got him out. I felt horrible for the rest of the day. I realized that they were accidents that happen, but you still never forgive yourself. It never happened with my two other children, because I learned to be more aware of what I was doing.

You will forgive yourself at some point...It may take awhile but as parents you find yourself doing some of the dumbest things...When I had baby number 2 I remember he was finaly old enough to take to a big family gathering...He was almost 2 mo. old.. I packed up the strollers..car seats..bottles .. playpens..you name it I had it..I put my oldest in the car ( who was 1 at the time) I had the baby sitting on the cub waitting his turn...So all is in the car ...Hubby was in.. the stuff we needed..the kids...well I thought the kids were... I got into the car..Hubby was driving...and we pulled out of the parking spot...drove about 100ft and then realized I'd forgot to put the baby in!!! He was still on the curb....How do you forget your child...Now I can laugh and count it as mom jitters but at the time I couldn't beleive I did that..He's 15 now..and all though we didn't have those moments anymore( I count beore I pull out!!!)...Its just a part of being a parent..
So don't beat yourself up to much..sometimes your so worried about making sure you'll have everything that your mind always you to forget the big stuff!! LOL
R.

I haven't done this- but have a fear of it happening... you handled it well! There will be lots more times you'll have to forgive yourself for being human. I accidently cut my poor infants finger slightly while cutting her nails and I cried for a long time and felt guilty for months! You have to let yourself be a human- we are all just trying to do our best out there. I keep my keys in my hand at all times to help prevent that, but you never know- accidents happen.

Yes hun...I am guilty too. I was leaving the hospital and was parked in the parking garage. I put my 2 yr old son in the back and buckled him in and I dropped the keys over the seat. When I went to get in it was locked, I paniced for a minute...then God sent me a security officer. He was patroling the garage. I jumped out in front of his car lol. He had a slim jim. I thanked the lord and never drop my keys in the front seat anymore.

I have done this twice. The first time, I had both my boys in the car. Luckily, my older boy was 4, so I was able to talk him out of his booster seat and into the front to unlock the door. The second time, we had just dropped my older boy off at preschool. My younger son was 1, so he'd fiddle with my keys on our way out to the car. I always tossed my keys into the front seat to buckle him in. I guess while he was messing with the keys, he had hit the lock button, so there he was buckled in nicely with my keys and cell phone in the front of the car at the preschool. There was a guy in the car parked behind me and he let me use his cell phone. I tried my husband, but he didn't answer. Not sure what he could have done since he worked 30 minutes away. Anyway, after trying him, the man's wife had come out and she said to dial 911. So I did. In less than 5 minutes, the fire department was there and had opened my door. They were very nice and let him go up and see inside the fire truck. I can't tell you how many people in that parking lot came by to see what happened and almost all of them said they'd done that before. Don't beat yourself up about it. We're all human and we make mistakes. Luckily your daughter is ok! Just remember next time, should there be a next time, 911 is your best bet if your child is in the car since they are there to rescue your child and being locked in a car can be dangerous. Just know you're not alone!!!

I've never done it but my mom has done the same thing in our driveway. She called onstar and they couldn't get the doors unlocked so she had to call the fire department. It will be a funny story when she gets older. She'll never remember it.

Accidents are what they are... and they happen... you have to forgive yourself! A few weeks ago we were at the Harbor -in Rockwall- and after the kids had played in the water feature, my 5 year old asked me to "wrap him up" in the towel. I did as he asked,tucking the end in at his neck, and then realized after we started walking, that I wrapped his arms in (like a mummy) and thought "I need to get his arms out in case he stumbles" then my attention was taken else where by my 8 yo and the next thing I knew he (the 5 yo) had fallen, landing on his face of course, and busted out his front tooth (root and all)!!! I felt really really really bad! I have connections with the tooth fairy.. she left $20 - it would have been more had she had it on her! Just remember, we aren't perfect and you did do everything right once you realized what had happened! Take care!

I have never locked my babies in the car but I have always had the fear of it. I put them in on the passenger side. Just to be extra careful, I always roll the passenger side window down just in case I goof up.

you are a good mom! you are just sleep deprived and dealing with new things everyday. I have heard of at least 4 other moms that did that exact same thing when their baby was about 2 months old, so go ahead and forgive yourself :)