To leave toddler in car for school run

[Charmed18]

Someone left their toddler in the car to do the school run this morning. They look about 2 ish.
The road is opposite the school but the car was parked about five minutes away from entrance (I was walking past on my way home).
The drop off point for the older child is about 2 mins away from gate so they would prob be gone for 10 minutes by the time they dropped other child off and got back to car.

I didn't feel comfortable about it. Am I overreacting?

[Duckyneedsaclean]

No child should be left alone for even a second in a car

Bit unrealistic, no?

[bumsexatthebingo]

YANBU. I would report it to either ss or the school if you know who it is.

[Callwaiting]

Social services?! For a sleeping toddler in a car outside a school?!

[ExtraHotLatteToGo]

When we were at a school with its own carpark I'd do this, we all did. Now it would mean leaving them on a side street I wouldn't. But I wouldn't judge someone else doing it. I'd certainly not be calling anyone about it.

[mirime]

"1001 things can happen in mere seconds when a small child is left alone and it should never be attempted"

LilySnape have you never left a child alone for a second? To put the kettle on, say? Reload the washing machine? Do you ever sleep?

[Birdsgottafly]

""social services?! For a sleeping toddler in a car outside a school?!""

Yes and if you inform the School then they will report it to SS.

A two year old shouldn't be left unattended for five minutes. Being upstairs asleep etc (which no doubt will now get listed) isn't the same.

It's neglectful, because of the limited movement, which makes choking a real concern. As well as overheating.

The point is that there's no reason to do it, the Care of your preschooler doesn't get trumped by anything else and it's dangerous to start to suggest that it does.

[Callwaiting]

I disagree with pp.
I think the school could have a word with parents about it. Calling SS starts a ball rolling which implies all sorts for the family- there's no evidence that this family needs SS input and this could be an isolated occurance due to circumstances. One incidence of a sleeping child in a car could easily be rectified with a sensible conversation from the school.

[Callwaiting]

Parent may need educating or reminding of dangers. Not vilified or subject to a wider investigation on their parenting.

[Lakiey]

It's nothing to do with you, just focus on your own children. Also, this has been done so many times you could've searched an old thread and got your answer. Reporting the case will do more harm than good.

[123lekl]

At least one of the 'I'd never leave a child alone' posters has no kids!
How judgy

[Summer23]

A toddler should not be left in a car where the parent can't see them. Obviously the circumstances are unclear but I would mention to the school if I saw this happening. Contacting SS is a bit extreme, but I certainly wouldn't ignore this.

[LouBlue1507]

This thread has given me a few laughs! What is it with some MN and their hysteria?

• A speeding car might crash into your parked car or someone might try and take your child? Really? How often has this happened and how likely is it to happen? You're more likely to be run over on the walk to the school!
  
• Child might overheat! In the 5 mins it takes to drop a child off at the gates at 9am?? No, not likely.
  
• 'Never leave a toddler unattended' So what do you do when you sleep at night? You do realise a child could choke whilst your sound alseep and you wouldn't hear or a bad man could break into your house and take your child? (Tbh I think that's happened more often than a child being taken from a locked car!).
  
• Tell the school... The school have no authority over the parental choices someone makes. The most they can do is contact SS which would be a huge waste of time! They are over stretched as it is!
  

This is not NEGLECT, please don't throw that word about so willy nilly!

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the risk of how the car may spontaneously self combust! 😂

[HighwayDragon1]

I'd call 101 and report it, but that's just me.

[bumsexatthebingo]

The car was a 7 minute walk away! I would mainly be concerned that the child would wake and be distressed and crying for over 10 minutes wondering where their carer was. Or that they would unclip from their seat and start messing with the handbrake etc.
I'm not particularly overprotective but what the op has described is poor parenting at best! I don't think reporting to ss is overkill at all. They're not going to swoop in and remove the child if all else if fine. I would wonder what else they think is ok care though if they think it's ok to leave a 2 year old on their own in a car 7 minutes up the road!

[CalleighDoodle]

Where has five minutes come from? Op said 10 minutes. Thats a huge amount of time for a toddler to be in a car alone.

[Duckyneedsaclean]

By the way, 5 minutes walk is what, a third of a mile up the road? Are you sure you're not overstating that, op?

[bumsexatthebingo]

You can't park directly outside schools - zig zag lines. We park further than 5 minutes walk away.

[littlepeas]

Absolutely no way should anyone do this. I have 3 dc in consecutive school years and when dc1 was in reception I had a multitude of issues to contend with concerning the other two (inconvenient dual naps, tantrums about walking/buggy/walking/buggy/walking/carry me while you're pushing the buggy…..you get the gist) - I always got them out of the car for the school run. I'm not being smug - I often left them in the car to pop into the local shop for a minute (parked right outside) - but the school run takes time, a teacher may need to speak to you, you may be accosted by the chair of the PTA…..it isn't worth it under any circumstances. I'm not sure I would have reported it to anyone, but I would have been shocked.

[marie200]

I reckon ur over exaggerating the time. You say the car was parked on the road opposite but about 5 mins away, must be a quite a long road, you can walk quite far in 5 mins, but then you say the kid gets dropped off 2 mins from the gate? Doesn't really make sense that she would be gone for 10 mins. Keep ur nose out, upsetting stressed out mums in the morning isn't something I'd want to do!

[marie200]

And to say you can't park directly outside schools is daft, I can park right outside my child's school, they're all different! 😜

[Believeitornot]

Is it seriously that hard to take a toddler with you out of the car?! Honestly I do think people are a bit lazy.

[Dontlikethedailyfail21]

My neighbours car caught fire due to a fault when it was parked on their drive. It went up incredibly quickly. A child left inside would have been burnt to death by the time they got there.
Never leave a young child on their own in a car.

[bumsexatthebingo]

I've never known a primary school where you can legally park right at the gate - for obvious safety reasons. doesn't stop people mounting the pavement and parking there but they're not suppose to

[Dontlikethedailyfail21]

You can't park directly outside schools - zig zag lines. We park further than 5 minutes walk away.

Marie sadly at my school selfish parents park on the yellow zig zags. They don't care if other people's kids get run over so long as theirs are ok.

[bumsexatthebingo]

And if the car was 5 mins away (which the op had said she walked) and the class 2 minutes from the gate that's nearly 15 minutes there and back without the teacher stopping you for a chat.