to think that some mothers are just shit

[tommypickles]

The other day at sainsburys I was walking back to my car with the shopping and my kids.

The car parked next to me had 2 small boys in the back in their car seats.

Boy 1 must have been about 1 and crying his eyes out.

Boy 2 was about 3 or 4 with his hands covering his ears because of brothers screams!

My son who is 4 said to me "oh that baby is crying whats wrong?"

I said "well they're on their own darling, I think he probably wants his mummy"

So I stood there for a couple of minutes, dumb stuck to be honest, wondering what to do and how people could do this sort of thing.

The mum then showed up with at least 2 bags of shopping in each hand, calling to the boy (through the open window which any weirdo could have snatched them), "oh it's ok mummy's here".

Well, I gave her the look and loudly (so she could hear) discussed with my children how you should not leave children alone in the car.

Now I know how some people will try to look at this from both sides, but trust me she was not just returning her trolley or anything like that. And she must have been in the shop some time to fill at least 4 bags with shopping.

Now, she wasn't the sort of person you would assume, she was well into her 30's, nice new 4x4....very middle class.

I did take her registration number because at one point I wondered if I should call the police, do you think I should still report her?

[DippyDino]

I woiuldn't bother.

Hopefully she will be sufficiently shamed.

Dogs get treated better than that! Poor wee boys.

[GentlyDoingIt]

My goodness, do people with nice new 4x4s make mistakes then?

Ugh.

[Lilyloo]

Now, she wasn't the sort of person you would assume, she was well into her 30's, nice new 4x4....very middle class

what sort of person do we 'assume' does this then

[gagamama]

So instead of going into the shop to ask them to put a tannoy announcement out that two young children had been left alone in a car on the hottest day of the year and/or phoning the police, you just "stood there for a couple of minutes" and took down the number plate... and then had a passive-aggressive 'loud conversation' with your children instead of confronting the mother?!
Those children could have been dead in as little as 15 minutes - regardless of whether the mother was "shit" or not, YOU had a duty to act.

[Fanjita]

LOL at GentlyDoingIt

[Lilyloo]

Less time judging , more time acting imo

and also how did you know she was 'very middle class' ??????

[OrmIrian]

What? No scruffy old car, no fag hanging out of her mouth, no Essex facelift Just goes to show. Really 'shit' mothers come in all shapes and sizes.

[tiredemma]

in a 4x4? really?

I thought it was only peasants who neglected their kids

[FairLadyRantALot]

was it one of the hot days, or was it not that hot where you were...just trying to work out seriousness

[BettyTurnip]

One minute she's got at least two bags of shopping, next minute it's at least four bags of shopping.

Make your mind up woman.

"Now, she wasn't the sort of person you would assume, she was well into her 30's, nice new 4x4....very middle class."

Of course, one assumes only scummy chavs would do this.
Do you read the Daily Mail by any chance?

[Madmentalbint]

In Sainsbury's as well. Tut. I'd expect this sort of thing in Asda.

[BettyTurnip]

Oops, my mistake. I'm a scummy chav who can't read properly

[TheLibrarianIsNotAMonkey]

Oh get off your high horses, honestly as if none of you have any prejudice.

Very tedious and OP I would have gone into the shop and reported two children locked in a car in a heatwave.

[Morloth]

I think if you see children in cars by themselves for anything longer than it takes to return a trolley you should call the police.

Not stand around involving your kid in your stupidity.

[chegirl]

Well this would never happen in Morrisons.

[BettyTurnip]

It's very tedious when people constantly make these assumptions and sweeping generalisations.

As others have said, less antagonistic waffling on the internet about it and more action seems in order in this case.

[Tortington]

I have to disagree in the strongest terms.

4x4s are the choice of vulger rich working class types.

the MC's usually drive shitheaps or eco cars

[ruddynorah]

you should have just gone back to the shop and asked them to tannoy the owner of the car.

ffs.

[MildredRoper]

OP - I think if this is worrying you then you should report it.

[tommypickles]

OK so I know alot of you would say those things and though twice before putting in the "sort of person you'd think" comment. But no didn't mean anything in particular by it, apart from she wasn't one of those mothers who shouts/screams/swears at their children in public, regardless of age, class whatever.

You all pick so many bloody holes, why can't you just read the story for what it is, a mother badly treating her children?

Also it wasn't on one of our HOT days it was last week, and not even really very warm.

So am I supposed to run into the store/call police the second I see a child on their own.........that's just ridiculous. Every mother would then be reported whilst they were returning trolleys etc.

gagamama- I stood there just long enough to gauge what was happening, It takes at least 30 or 40 seconds to realise that the mother isn't lurking somewhere nearby.

Princess- how do you know that I don't think that mothers in their 50's who drive BMW's are "more likely candidates for neglect"

So anyone else who is just going to try and guess what I'm saying needn't bother replying, the qusetion I wanted answering is there in the OP for those of you who will actually read it properly.

[OrmIrian]

librarian - we are not on high horses at all! We were just gently poking the OPs high horse with a twig.

[ruddynorah]

no not every time you see a child alone necessarily, but if you saw a child crying then yes probably!

you were outraged but you did nothing other than mutter at your own child.

[tommypickles]

And yes Betty turnip I agree you can't read it properly.........I said 2 bags in each hand, so that makes......um well 4, woman

Exactly my point! Goes to show you how most of you are just reading what you want to read, avoiding the real subject and just disecting the whole thing.

[QuintessentialShadow]

A teacher at my nieces international school left her two young children in the car in the baking hot car park and went grocery shopping.

When she got back, the police was there. A caring shopper had not thought twice and called the police.

She was suspended from her teaching job, the kids were removed from her care temporarily, and social services made a prompt unnanounced visit.

This was in Spain, where things like this is taken very seriously.

She fled the country with her kids and went back home.