I do my best not to pass judgment on anyone, especially other parents because I know how physically and emotionally taxing it can be at times. That being said, I am human, and when I see things like this story of a mother who left her sleeping infant inside the car while she shopped, I find myself saying, "What the heck was she thinking?" I'm the kind of person who won't even leave my dog tied up outside while I'm in a store or a restaurant.
Don't get me wrong. I've been tempted to do the same. I just need a loaf of bread, after all. It'll only take two minutes. I'll be in and out. But then there's that little nagging voice in the back of my head that says, "What if the car blows up? What if you forget to put it in park and it rolls away? What if someone steals it? What if someone smashes the window and kidnaps your baby?" These are the improbable but not impossible scenarios that keep me from doing it. Because, just, WHAT IF?
So what do you think. Am I overreacting? Was it really that big a deal?