You Forgot You Had a Child? By Mrs. Dorothy Barron

You Forgot you had a Child? By Mrs. Dorothy Barron

You forgot you had a child; believe it or not, it happens to many of us at some point in time and more often than some may think or believe. You forget to pick the child up from school, rehearsal or a friend’s house at the appointed or scheduled time. When you realize you have a child waiting, you call, make alternative arrangements and/or pick up the child. For most, this brief lapse does not result in serious consequences.

I, too, have had one or two of those lapses, but the biggest and most serious one occurred about seven to eight months after our first child was born. It was a beautiful sun-filled Spring day; it was not too cool or hot. I decided to get out and go shopping. I had gotten my husband off to work; our little one was tucked away fast asleep and possibly the only way I can explain walking out the door without him.

I got dressed, grabbed the keys, opened the door, stepped through and turned to shut and lock the door when suddenly I thought, the BABY! From the time I decided to go shopping to the moment I begin to pull the door closed after me, I had simply forgotten my little one. I simply stepped back inside, shaken; shopping was definitely going to have to occur another day. I was extremely thankful that I had not actually left or was out and about in the stores. I most likely would have wrecked everything in sight in a state of panic to get home. Can you imagine being actually in a store clothed in store merchandise when the realization strikes that your infant is at home, alone?

Had something drastically happened to our child, can you imagine public censor and the outcry of my having forgotten I had a child? Who would have believed it or me? We know that sometimes willful and intentional neglect of and harm to children occur by some adults. Sometimes, horrible mistakes and accidents happen and when such does occur, how do you punish a Parent(s) that has already condemned him/herself and will spend a great portion, if not the rest of his/her life agonizing, blaming and punishing self? Most Parents try to do the best they can with what means they have. If you have a child, you are cognizant that it is not humanly possible to watch the child twenty-four hours a day, each and every day.

For a Parent(s) who has lost a child (through death or the child is missing) or those who have found themselves imprisoned as a result of some horrible mistake or accident that led to the death of your child, my condolences. It may help to write your story, also sharing and recalling the wonderful memories of and experiences with your child. Such will give you a purpose, hopefully and eventually some measure of peace and such may even benefit others.

Mrs. Dorothy Barron, Author & Founder

Parents Taking Charge in Education http://mrsdbarron.blogspot.com

E-mail: barron.Dorothy@yahoo.com