Leaving children in cars

[wintersnow]

Ok, firtly I haven't actually done this, I have just been talking to DH about it.

I said if the children were asleep and I needed to pop into the newsagents and was parked outside teh shop I would consider leaving them in the car, I remember this happening all the time when I was a child. DH was outraged! He said someone doing that would risk getting their children taken away from them by social servies and it's not the same as it was in the 80's when we were children what do you think?

They didn't take Victoria Climbie off her aunts, but they'll confiscate children from their parents for a 2-min, risk-judged dash into the shop. Riiiiiiiight......

I've done it once in 2 years of parenting - was only ever feet from the car, in total full view and felt uneasy the entire time, but assuming other people doing it also judge the risk and deem it to be OK, then fine.

What takes seconds? Taking several children out of the car to go into a village shop for a pint of milk?

How about you decide for you and I'll decide for me?

Has anyone mentioned aliens yet?

There could be an electrical fault or the car could spontaneously combust (happens all the time apparently ) BUT equally well, there would be an armed robbery at the petrol station/bank and your DC could catch a bullet or get held hostage by the robbers, or someone doing a runner at the petrol station could run you both over on the forecourt, or or or...

Life's a series of calculated risks.

I think people who are reporting people to SS for leaving their DC in a car for 5 mins need to spend a day with social services and take a flick through their case load to get some perspective,

The woman I saw leaving her DC was feckless...the child as 18 months old. FAR too small to be left alone in a ca and out of view for up to 15 minutes.