Petrol filling and kids in car

I have twins, plus 2 more, and it's often so very obvious that people just do not get it 😂 I'm sure the people waiting behind me in the queue would just love sitting waiting and watching the utter faff and time it takes to get 4 kids aged 6 and under out of a car, into the shop to pay, then all back into car seats etc. By the time it takes to get even half of them out the car I could have went and paid and been back again 😂

I stay in the car and send the oldest kid in with my card to pay. Solves the issue and he's the one who's most likely to survive a zombie apocalypse.

No. Not for a couple of minutes to pay.

Tell me you don’t have multiple births without telling me you don’t have multiple births.

I either take in with me OR make a separate journey for petrol at a time when I am definitely child free. Would never, ever leave them in a car by themselves at a petrol station.

in the 35 years of being a parent, and the 1000s of times I have filled up with petrol over the years, with absolutely zero incidents ever occurring, this was one of the weirdest things I ever realised when I joined MN - that people would think they should take their kids into pay for petrol.

Absolute nuts.

Never have, never would take kids into pay.

It’s more dangerous to have kids running around the forecourt. As long as the kids are in sight at all times it’s safe as you are in and out, I would normally pay at pump though. I wouldn’t leave them where I could not see them though.

Only because with there being no non pay-at-pump options anywhere I've bought petrol in the last 5 years or so I haven't really thought about it!

Oh and there are no pay at pump petrol pumps at all in my town. I’d have to go to the next town along to do that, I had no idea it was so mainstream now that people have never seen a place without pay at pump!!!

Me neither. I’ve been driving 20 years, all over this country and abroad. I am always baffled by the amount of people who say they take their kids in. I’ve never seen any child ever in a petrol station or on a petrol forecourt. And once I ran out of petrol (during the petrol crisis a few years back) in a queue into the petrol station. And I got my daughter out and walked into the petrol station to buy petrol and I got told off for having a child on the forecourt because it’s dangerous 😂🙈 it was mortifying!!

I leave them in the car. No way was I taking a 4 yo 1 yo and newborn across a forecourt. Or now a 5 yo 3 yo and 1 yo. No thank you!!!

Never, ever took mine in. Both late teens now.

But then, I was a child in the 80s. We used to get left in the car while mum went in the supermarket.

I’ve always left my kids in the car. Car is locked, windows open if warm, you can usually see them from the windows anyway

Exactly. Just copy and paste now.

I always took my 3 out.
Would never leave them in the car.
Afraid of fire, or of somebody crashing into my car

Why would you put in a wrap to go and pay?

I think it depends on the ages. My toddler would freak and get upset even for a few mins but my 6yo weird be fine especially if he could still see me, and obviously would lock the car. But not really necessary with most having pay at pump nowadays. I remember being left while my mum paid as a child and I was fine

Most petrol stations I use have signs saying no under 16s on the forecourt. I am as anxious as they come but leave mine in the car (primary age). When they were babies I would try to fill up without them or use pay at pump.

Pay at pump. Or fill up when the kids aren’t it the car. Seriously why is this even an issue?

On top of all of this - all of you more likely to be killed in a crash on the way to the petrol station.

I always left mine in the car, now there are more pay at the pump so I use that.

I have always just paid at pump if I have my son with me

At the garage near me I once had to fill up with baby in car. Then I put her in her wrap to go in and pay. The manager said I didn't need to do that - they help disabled people, parents, people who just can't manage to lift the hose.
You can wave at the shop assistant until they come over and take your payment. They are cool with that - they will fill the tank up too if you need them too.

I either filled mine up with I was alone (or DH did it) or I’d head for a pay at the pump place. I wouldn’t have wanted to leave them in the car OR have to get them all out!

i fill up the car when I am on my own. Admittedly this is not always possible and when I have had to make the choice I left them in the car, but queued up on the pump next to the shop.

I always leave mine in the car but normally go alone to get petrol.

If I’m waiting to use the pump after you and you unload all your kids from the car, herd them across the forecourt into the cashier to pay and then reverse the process including a fight to get the youngest into their booster seat, expect to hear a sotto voce “For Fucks Sake” from the car behind you…