To not want to leave sleeping baby in the car at the park

[Chocolatefudgebrownieicecream]

First post.
We have a 5mth and 2 yr old. We go to a park which has a car park right next to the play park area. Yesterday DH dropped the toddler and me at the park, took the shopping home and returned. When he returned he left the baby sleeping in the car. It was in the shade with the window down a crack. We were about 10-30meters from the car and could see it at all points. Nice area, open space around the car park so you would be able to see anyone approaching. DH thinks I was being daft to go and sit in the car. I felt really uncomfortable with him being there alone though. WIBU? Would you leave your baby alone in the car in these circumstances?

I do this, windows open, not a boiling hot day. Whilst I appreciate there are dangers to leaving children in cars I think sensible precautions, regular checking, in sight, and the fact that we don't tend to have problematic temperatures. I'm sure other parents judge but tbh I don't really give a toss.

There was a bbc article where the HSE stated that there hadn't been a case of child death due to being left in a hot car which is surely the concern?

www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-28214266

In the UK I mean obviously it happens frequently in other countries.

Absolutely not. Babies shouldn't actually be left to sleep in car seats for long periods anyway, the position compresses the lungs. The idea that the child may scream or stop breathing would stop me for doing this.

Also, in the 70's when there were no car seats or seat belts in the back, my mum left me asleep aged 2. I woke up, saw she wasn't there, opened the window and climbed out. A stranger picked me up from the street and took me into a shop. Obviously I'm lucky it was a nice stranger.... Why risk it.

Car seats unclip anyway, why would you not just unclip the seat?

I really don't see the problem with this. The car was constantly in sight and very nearby
The risk was minute.

I would with the boot flipped opened which would a) ventilate b) advertise that the car had not been left c) provide easy access (reduce the risk of lock in or similar d) give better audibility of crying.

I've left the baby sleeping in the car in our drive for up to about 10 minutes and sat out with him.

With the door open I might even make a cup of tea.

Becasue I know if he has dropped off in the car that's it for the day and he won't nap again, and he will be over tired not eat and scream and fall over a lot by tea time.

I think I would sit in the car at a park though, and obviously never on a hot day.

The advice is a break after 2 hours in a car seat as far as I'm aware.

As to the car fire thing, I have actually seen this happen, just in the street, unexpectedly. Fire brigade took it seriously, they brought hoses and everything, they didn't laugh in our faces at the very idea. It was summer, but not hot.

I wouldn't have wanted to have to go back in for my baby, that's for sure. There are a lot of highly combustible materials in a car, don't see why some people find it an amusingly extraordinary idea that they can catch light, or that you might not choose leave your baby unattended in one.

i would never do this no way

I think you've set the parenting bar pretty low if "unlikely to die of heatstroke" is a rationale in your parenting decisions!

It was pretty cool across most of the UK yesterday. I know cars can get hot inside if they're not moving, but all things considered I would have been OK with this.

BringMeSunshine:
"Yes and god, every day you hear it in the news don't you,yet another baby suffocated by a cat. FFS."

Bloody hilarious! I also snorted a bit at the comment about how cars can 'spontaneously catch fire and go up very quickly'. Yeah they can but the chances of that AND there being a baby sleeping in the car unattended at the time must be nearing silly probabilities.

Baby carseats get much hotter than our seats in the car as they are enclosed. DS's back is always really warm when I take him out of his, even with the air con on. Also what if baby was struggling to breathe or got into other difficulties and couldn't be heard. A big no from me .

Don't see the problem with this at all.

If you're playing with/keeping an eye on your other child you are not watching the car which is up to 90 feet away if I've read your OP right (I work in old money!).

I don't think it's acceptable.

It does happen. We went to bed one night and awoke at 3am with our car ablaze. It was gutting.

Dh goes with older one.

You recline your seat and have a nice doze with baby.

Why the fuck wouldn't you stay?

I would happily do this if it wasn't a hot day. If it was warm I'd worry the baby would overheat.

The likelihood of the car catching fire with a baby in it is nil if you just take your baby with you. Having seen it happen, it sticks in my mind as one of the things that could happen.

There are lots of reasons I wouldn't do this though, the main one being it's my baby and not a bag of shopping.

Why would anybody risk it? Surely it's better the baby or child misses their nap rather than ends up dead. We may not be as hot as some countries but it can still happen.

Wha comedie said. At 5 months most car seats come out if car relatively easily anyway. It's just as easy to carry it out and throw a muslin over if you are worried about beig disturbed.

The baby isn't going to die.

As a previous poster said the ONLY thing that matters is what the mother feels comfortable with.

If her natural protective instinct is to keep her baby with her then of course that's what she should do.

I would never leave my baby parked up in a car 10-30 metres away - I just wouldn't feel comfortable with it - and no amount of people telling me I can't assess risk is going to change that. I want my baby with me at all times and there is nothing wrong with that.

Nobody is passing negative comments about the people who choose to leave their babies so I think it's quite wrong to be ridiculing the people who choose not to.

Really writer? I can see plenty of loaded comments the other way around.

Like I said up thread, I wouldn't do this but I wouldn't think oh I'm not doing this because my baby is going to die, or I'm not doing this because he is not a bag of shopping.

It would just be out of my comfort zone, though I do leave him sleep a little longer on the drive, go to petrol stations to pay, and run older DC into nursery.

I think most posters are too over-cautious. I do wonder why as a generation this over-cautious nature has become some a problem.
I hope the balance will be re-dressed in the next generation.
I fear not.