Leaving the baby on the car whilst you collect your older DC from school - would you?

[MolotovBomb]

I was chatting to one of the other Mums whose son is in the same class as my DD1. We both have new babies: her DD is 7mo and mine is just 6mo.

We were talking about how getting the babies out of the car can wake them, which can be a pain. "Oh, that's why I leave 7mo in the car. I can't be doing with the hassle. I know I take a risk, but ..."

"Do you think she's safe?" Asked I (before really thinking)

"Well, I think she's safe" Said the other Mum.

The car park is round the corner from the class. You turn a corner and cannot see it. I'm usually in for 5-10 minutes collecting my DD.

AIBU to think there's no way on this earth I'd leave my sleeping baby alone in the car?

No.

I wouldn't leave my dog in the car unattended though.

At worst: Fire? Heat? Accident? Choking? Abduction?

At best: distraught baby, waking alone.

GoSakuramachi - actually, yes, I did go to my babies the instant they woke in the night.

I never, ever, left them to cry.

I tend to ask a funny question - 'would I leave a handbag with a million pounds in it on the back seat of my car while I was out of sight? NO' So why would I leave my baby (who's the most valuable person in my life there? Not for me.

You can be charged with abandonment if police see children alone in cars here (Australia). Even if it is just popping to pay for petrol etc.

Hence, I would never do it.

It's not always about what's inconvenient for you

No, it's about what is inconvenient for you! Obviously your child causes you inconvenience. Perhaps you should have thoughts about that when you had your youngest.!

Not being there when your favourite person in the world is crying?

What a load of bull.

Hardly a load of bull, i didn't leave my child to cry when he woke as soon as i heard him i would go and get him.

You can't hear them if they are in a closed car around the corner, you aren't going to go to them when they start unless they start as you are putting the key in the door.

Sorry but it really is not that hard.

And i know someone is going to say but i have this problem this one and this one so i have to, but i think you have to fit in with your children not expect them to fit in with you.

Actually irc you are much more likely to have a prang in a car when you are in a car park or manoeuvring at a slow speed than actually on the road, so not sure how the baby would be safer owed

At school pick up, no. I would never leave in a car out of sight. At a petrol station where I can see the car at all times whilst paying then yes.

alice 'I do have a friend who leaves her 8 month old sleeping in the house while she takes her son to nursery. The nursery is 6 houses down from hers, so she is back in the house within 7 minutes. I would do the same myself because it is during the baby's lunch sleep and I can't imagine much could happen in 7 minutes ... Safer or less safe than car?'
what if she got hit by a car between the house and nursery? How long would that baby be on it's own then?

alice your friend leaving their baby in the house whilst they take their child to nursery sorry, that's just laziness. Why an earth would anyone do that.

And people saying they don't get their babies out of the car as they are too heavy?! I do wonder how you cope with everyday life! .

Fortunately it appears the number of people who think it is ok to do this (when baby is totally out of sight) seem to be very few.

YANBU. What kind of mother would leave a baby in a car, unattended, out of sight. I would actually threaten to call social services - in fact i would do exactly that!!

I agree. One of the problems is that, if something goes wrong, nobody will know you've left your child unattended nearby.

What if you fell and banged your head, you were mugged, you had a seizure, etc? Nobody would know to go and look for your baby.

Even worse if your baby were in a car in those circumstances and the sun came out. The baby would die quite quickly.

You shouldn't leave a dog in the car so not sure why people thinks it's ok with a baby.

look what happened yesterday in Liverpool:
news

I've seen a story about that happening on a sunny day in America and the baby died in the hot car after the thieves abandoned it.

No, I would not leave baby in the house when I leave to down the road. but then again, I once had a gas leak.

No. Never. What if another car crashed into the car whilst you were gone? Probably never going to happen but it's what crosses my mind. Never left them in the car alone whilst I nip in anywhere. Never.