Husband left child in the car

This

Well in a very nice respectable area of Dublin before COVID we had an incident where a person got in a car with engine running and drove off! Baby in back seat, I have never saw so many Garda cars in my life.

Thankfully twenty minutes later baby was safely recovered and it had been an unobservant car thief. So no it isn't overkill., I would bring the child with me and race the bins.

Did he leave the car running because it was hot in the car and needed the air con? That's the only reason I would do this with the car on. I often strap my kids in the car before packing to the stuff so I can do it without tripping over them or they fight or something but only with car running if it's roasting.

It’s illegal on a public road.

Still anti social even on a private drive. .

Have you not got much else going on in your life to worry about? Lucky!

Totally over the top reaction OP.

10-20 seconds? Yes YABU

He should have turned the engine off. But a 4yo should be able to sit in a car for a few minutes without playing with anything.

Also thinking logically... its very hard for a 4yo to drive a car. Even with a manual handbrake, they take a bit of practice to disengage. They can't reach the pedals .

Massive overreaction. At most, I'd ask him to turn the engine off just to be 100% safe, but that's because I don't trust children not because I think someone will steal the car.

I'm actually with you on this one OP. I have left my kids in the car for a split second before, but ALWAYS turn the car off and take my keys with me. You can't trust anyone.

I don't think you're being overly anxious either. You're being realistic, and when it comes to your child, you have to always think of their safety.

I sympathise with the anxiety @Cozza92 although if it makes you feel any better, my anxiety is that if I shut the car door I might have a heart attack between shutting the car door after strapping DC in and opening the driver door and that DC would then be trapped in there. I know it's absolutely ridiculous but that is why I would do what your DH did and leave the door unlocked.

(I have zero reason to believe I might suddenly drop dead of a heart attack, by the way. So purely pointless anxiety.)

Completely over the top.

By risky I mean, the kid potentially running away whilst you're distracted by the bins. Depends on the kid I suppose, mine was/is a runner!

How are you working on your anxiety and childhood trauma?

Yabu and stop criticizing your husband.

It's leaving the key in the ignition that was so wrong. A few years ago someone local to me was taking shopping in to the house with child in the car seat and while she was in the house her car was stolen with child still in it. It took seconds.
Thankfully the thief left the car and legged it when they saw the baby in the back.
You don't have to be on high alert all the time, but simple precautions are always wise.

YABU

I have done same as DH.

Yes idling really annoys me. It is so bloody easy just not to idle. Isnt it illegal now too? Because it is such a pointless and unnecessary way to damage the environment?

How precious. Poor man.

I don't drive but not sure that's even relevant in this case. I think ynbu. Anything can happen. Why take the risk of either a kidnapping or the kid driving the car? However small the risk may be. Would people doing this leave their kid with an unknown dog even just for 20 seconds or so?

Engine off and keys with you for me. Or child with you whilst you take the bins but that could potentially be more risky!

I would never leave the engine running with a child in the car. I would leave a child in the car with the engine off and no key in the ignition but only if the child was strapped into a child seat with a harness they couldn't undo.

As a child I was once left in the car in a car park, I took the handbrake off and the car rolled off, out of the car park and across a road and hit a wall. It was only on a very slight incline which steepened through the car park.

Why did he leave the engine running? That would be my issue with this