Brenda Slaby, 'the most hated mom in America' issues a wake-up warning on Oprah

June 30, 8:20 PMAtlanta Northside Family & Parenting ExaminerJackie Kass

Previous Next

1 comment Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the Atlanta Northside Family & Parenting Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

Brenda Slaby and Cecilia

Brenda Slaby appeared last week on Oprah, and her story is still being discussed around water coolers across America. The 44-year-old mother and assistant principal is mourning the death Cecilia, her two-year-old child who died in her hot SUV. Mom Brenda is the one who left the baby in the car, and went about her business as a middle school principal on the first day of school. Cecilia died of heatstroke after being left in the vehicle for eight hours, with the temperature in the car reaching 140 degrees that day.

As explained to Oprah, “I had it in my head that I had to be Super Mom.” She went on to say that August 23, 2008 was not a normal, routine morning as she and her husband raced around under pressure. “This break in routine is how it happened,” she stated. After digging into a full day of work. Brenda was sitting in her office at the end of the day, when someone raced in and shouted, “Your baby’s in the car!” Realizing her fateful mistake, the anguished mom rushed to her car. “I knew she was gone as soon as I picked her up. My baby’s skin was peeling off of her,” she cried.

Brenda went on to explain to Oprah that she realized she was “The most hated mom in America,” and said, “Good mothers don’t do this.” Her anguish was evident when she repeated, “I want to die. I just want to die.” Remarkably the Dad also appeared on the show and said, “I could have done the same thing.” Brenda relayed, “I didn’t plan well enough and she’s the one who slipped through the cracks.”

Most moms often think, “I would never do that,” but after hearing Brenda’s recount of that fateful day, we now see how such a tragedy could possibly happen. Heartbroken mom Brenda issued a warning to “wake up and slow down,” to moms across America. Did we pay attention?

An expert offered the following tips for overwhelmed moms:

• Take thirty minutes to take stock of yourself everyday, even if it means waking up a half hour earlier.
• Multi-tasking is a myth. Do one thing at a time. Give something your full attention.
• When losing ground, ask for help from your husband.
• Sleep deprivation is a serious issue. You must learn to manage your life differently if you’re feeling overwhelmed.

Brenda Slaby was not charged in the death of her daughter. She lost her job and calls herself, “the most hated mom in America.” She now must deal with the heavy guilt of her actions and a lifetime of sorrow. Will moms across America listen to her warning and slow down before another young life is lost?

Related articles:

Mom arrested for leaving baby in car to play video game

Kids, cars, and heat: What every adult needs to know by Barbara Thompson

To receive future articles by Jackie Kass, scroll to the top of this article, and click on SUBSCRIBE. Your e-mail address will not be shared with anyone else. Do you have a story idea? I'd love to hear from you! E-mail your ideas to me at jackiekass@bellsouth.net.