First: check your car seats. Even for big kids. Booster seats aren’t just for toddlers. Some kids need them until they’re 10 or 11.
Second: put your phone down. Yes, even at a red light. That text can wait. That Instagram story can wait. Your kid’s life cannot.
Third: talk to your kids about car safety. Not in a lecture-y way. More like, “Hey, let’s play a game—who can buckle the fastest?” Make it fun. But make it stick.
The Real Talk (Because Coffee Doesn’t Fix Everything)
So, this 12-year-old kid? They’re still fighting. Still alive. And that’s a miracle in itself. But recovery will be long. Painful. And expensive.
If you’re the praying type, maybe send one up. If you’re not, maybe just send a good thought. A little cosmic “hey, kid, you got this.”
And when you get in your car tomorrow? Drive like your own kid’s life depends on it. Because, well… it just might.
