to have done what I did today?

[superbagpuss]

OK I'm ready for a flaming as I feel guilty about this

normally I always check the petrol in my car so I have enough

however dh drove my car and he always drives the mpg down ( a personal bugbear of mine) and so I find myself with DC in their PJ in the car with barely enough petrol to get home

so I stop at a petrol station, but there are no pay at pumps so I have to go in the shop and leave DC in the car

they are 4 and were very tired and sleepy, and had been good up to that point

of course there was a queue so I was away from the car for 5 mins, had to leave the car unlocked so the alarm didn't go off but could see the car at all times

all was OK but I hated doing it, DC where very well behaved

if I did the wrong thing what should I have done?

and yes I should have checked petrol level when dh was in the car earlier in the day - that's not a helpful thought

Only on MN do people allegedly take children, of any age, out of the car when paying for petrol. I have NEVER seen this happen IRL Why would when you are less than 20 foot away from the car?

i have never ever taken my kids into a garage to pay for petrol! wouldn't have even crossed my mind till i read about it on here but i still don't. Just don't think its necessary.

What else could you have done? I would have locked the car tbh and sod the alarm. I don't lock it when the dog is in there but he's massive and very barky so people tend to steer clear.

Ha ha is this for real??

I would do the same. You could see them all the time. As long as you had an eye on them all the time, what could happen?

I always leave them in the car. Am bemused by those that don't.

IMO, a petrol forecourt is a far more dangerous place for young DC than a locked car for 5 minutes whilst in the sight of a parent at all times.

I have never taken my Dc into a petrol station.

What a hassle, not to mention the fact that it think my toddler would be at much higher risk of being run over while I get the baby out than abducted.

I leave my kids in the car, internal alarm deactivated, doors locked, where I can't see them for oooooo about 4mins.

Its only on MN that people don't do this!

Ummmm I think pretty much everyone leaves kids in car while paying for petrol.
Don't think I've ever seen anyone take kids out the car to go pay.

They were fine

Chill.

I have never removed the children from the car whilst paying for petrol, ever. But I daresay that's wrong because someone in another car could text someone, making a spark from their phone and the whole place could go up.

Has anyone ever done any research into children getting harmed whilst their parents pay for fuel? Of course you wouldn't take them in.

Deary me!

I have never taken my children into a petrol station. I can see them at all times. I cant even lock the car with them inside because the alarm goes off if they move a cm.

Don't beat yourself up. You are fine, they are fine I presume. :)

thanks everyone

I don't know how to turn of the internal alarm, never needed to do so until now

I could see them the whole time but was worried in case something would happen to them but then I was worried about the car running out of petrol on a dark road

I can be a worrier like that

I didn't think under 16's were allowed on the fourcourt anyway?

Cannot see the problem.

I do this. Actually I used to carry baby DS into the shop but saw a thread on here and thought yeah what the hell am I doing!

But I daresay that's wrong because someone in another car could text someone, making a spark from their phone and the whole place could go up.

Sparking phones? WTF? Is yours coal powered or something? Bloody urban myths. If that were remotely true it would be The Law to empty your car of all manner of stray people from your mother, husband, friend and great aunt Hilda. And how would people get back in the car? Would there be some sort of 1 minute texting amnesty whilst people did a mad dash from the pay kiosk?

mrsdevere thank you, that gave me the laugh I needed

no, I don't allow my 4 years olds to smoke