to leave the baby in the car while I pay for petrol?

[GnocchiNineDoors]

Light on...needed petrol sharpish. The only pay at pump (which is what I usually use) was miles away and it was rush hour.

Dd was asleep in her carseat.

I parked in the patrol bay right outside the shop (when you walk out of the shop you have to walk around the car in bay one to get passed) and locked her in. There was no queue and i could keep my eyes on her the whole time.

Im now not sure if I did the right thing

[gingerchick]

I do it and have done with both my daughters and would do now if dd2 was asleep definitely not unreasonable

[HRH2shoesofMn]

you did the right thing,
people worry way too much

[knittynoodle]

YANBU. I left DS in the car when he was tiny but locked it up and made sure I could see him. If I had to leave him for too long I'd take the car seat.

Now hes a toddler though I take him with me because I got out of the car once when I was 3(climbed out of the window) and Mum returned to find me weeping in the arms of a helpful stranger. She always takes ages, my Mum.

[ShowOfHands]

Why wouldn't you leave the baby in the car?

[RationalBrain]

Oh lord, I'm afraid you'll find this has been done many times, and you might get some rather emotional responses, together with threats of police action.

But anyway, I and any sane person would do the same thing. Life is about balancing risks, it's never risk free.

[DeWe]

I use the pay at pump ones. Much quicker too.

[peachypips]

Did right thing IMO. More dangerous to drag them over forecourt...

[theonlynonblonde]

of course it was ok. baby was asleep, locked in car and you could see her. what's the problem - i've always done this and have never given it a 2nd thought.

[wishiwasonholiday]

I leave my ds but only if he's asleep as he can get out if his seat and may let the handbrake off or something.

[Mumsyblouse]

Very sensible not to take tiny baby out in pushchair in forecourt of a garage. Never understand why people want to take in babies or toddlers through a very unsafe environment. YOu did the sensible thing, parked where you could keep an eye, and quickly got on with your business.

I used to live in a house where the garage was hidden from view of the front door, there wasn't a way to carry a baby, a toddler and all the shopping in without leaving one of them at some point. I used to go with run to house with baby, put baby in cot, quickly run back for toddler, put behind doorgate, run back and forth with shopping as quick as possible. Or, if all asleep, leave them in the car, do the shopping quickly, then take them out. You can't be next to one child for every single second a day, even if you want to.

[PissyDust]

Sleeping babies are fine as are toddlers and older children.

[JollyGoodFun]

I don't do it, but It's about what YOU feel comfortable about, not me.

[HRHerrena]

I usually do if the Pay at Pump facility isn't available.

I do keep glancing nervously at car when in the shop though

[backwardpossom]

I leave my ds but only if he's asleep as he can get out if his seat and may let the handbrake off or something.

Leave your car in gear, then. But it takes a lot to release a handbrake, so I'd be surprised.

YANBU. It's much safer to leave them in the car. DS on a petrol station forecourt doesn't bear thinking about.

[hiveofbees]

You did the right thing. More dangerous to have a child out on the forcourt IMO.

[TandB]

Why on earth would you drag a sleeping baby out of a car, across a petrol-smelly forecourt and into a bright, probably noisy shop?

Of course you did the right thing!

[MammaTJ]

I have no idea why you are even asking this lovey!! Seriously, so the right thing to do, now gain confidence in you parenting!! xxx

[wigglesrock]

I do it, I have 3dds including a 1 year old and getting them all out of the car, into the shop etc is not imo the safest option. I also leave them in the car if I nip into the garage for milk etc.

[WhosPickleisThatOnion]

I havent done this but have often wondered if other people did as I used to lug the car seat in!

[Buntingbunny]

Never taken DDs out of the car at petrol stations unless they want to choose sweets or use the toilet.

Always locked them in too so they can't wander after me.
Far far more likely to get run over on the forecourt than any other harm.

[Lovetats]

When my kids were little, I always took them into the petrol station shop to pay purely because there was a case of a couple of little ones who were burned to death when their car caught fire and I was super-paranoid. I've always had this thing that if I've heard about something awful and preventable, then I feel like I have to take it as a warning. If the worst happened, then it would be my fault as I knew the danger and ignored it - bit mental, I know.


Ok, a lot mental.

If I hadn't had seen that particular news story, I'd have left the kids in the car and not thought twice about it.

[Buntingbunny]

Petrol station forecourts are generally flat, even if DC gets the hand break of car isn't going anywhere.

[Doilooklikeatourist]

Leave the baby in the car .
YABU if you spend 5 minutes hooking the baby and the car seat out of the car , stopping to pick up the dummy , checking the blanket is over it's knees , locking the car , staggering over to the kiosk , dropping the keys , etc , by which time baby is screaming head off therefore annoying everyone in the queue and taking much longer than you need to and holding everyone else up for far too long .