Kids left in car while mum shops in Lidl

[Talawrence]

This morning I arrived at Lidl just before 8am. Another car pulled up beside me. The parent parked up leaving 2 very small kids ( 3 & 1 yr old) in the car unattended . I took my time to get my own child out of the car and observed the kids left alone . After 7 mins I took a photo of the unattended children in the car and the front number plate. Just then the mother came out and was confrontational. She said she was running late for work . I told her that she should use common sense and I will be reporting her to the police . Shall I delete the photos or report this parent .

You just want to feel superior!! If I caught you taking photos of my children without my permission you would have hell to pay, you nosy busybody!

My mum used to leave six of us in the car when she drove to town. Funnily enough, we are all still alive. Just leave people alone and stop using them to feel better about yourself,

This sort of thing would never happen at Waitrose!

I may or may not have left kids in the car in Waitrose's car park

Nothing to see here, move along, move along!

I gave the same answer on both threads, actually, I don't have a problem with it in either case. But again, was one a very busy car park in the warmer south east, and the other a very quiet one in the north of Scotland. Who knows? Always grey areas

Yeah, I see that you did. OK, fair enough, although I think the reaction of the police in the first thread suggests that this is probably not the best idea because there is always a risk that someone will report you. It's not so much about weather and overheating (although that's a risk too), it's more about extremely young children being left unattended in a public place where the parent is completely out of eyesight. For me- wouldn't be comfortable with it and would never forgive myself if something did happen. Not saying everyone who does it is a negligent arsehole (I don't contrary to what you think, have black and white thinking), but I am glad that there are strangers who do care and who don't just ignore this and get on with their own shopping. They should not be lambasted for 'interfering' because sometimes interfering can save lives.

Two similar threads, but conflicting opinions on each one

Well I'm flabbergasted, it would not occur to me to estimate children's ages then take a pic then go into a supermarket at 8 am or thereabouts.
I was still in bed contemplating my day and wondering which hour dd would surface from her teenage induced coma. Then I went online and did my shop which obviously saved me the hassle of trundling down to the supermarket to do a mystery shop and whatever else.
Oh btw the delivery arrived post haste and the driver was rather dishy but unfortunately didn't have time for a coffee

YY AWasp, how did the OP know the children's ages, with her goady little eye

Even my opnion is conflicting CraftyPenguin. In the other thread it concerned a baby and was in the middle of the day. My worry there was overheating. This one the three year old is old enough to open the door and get out of the car if he/she gets too hot, but then the worry is that they'll be run over

No, the other thread concerned a child aged almost 1 so same age as the youngest here. On a hot sunny day, overheating can be a risk even at 8 am if parked in the sun. I would hope that concerns are for more than just overheating though, otherwise it would be fine to leave babies and toddlers unattended during the other seasons. I think the fact that the police take a dim view and will attend as an emergency suggests that it's probably best not to leave a baby in a car whatever the season (and the 3 yo can in no way be expected to 'watch' the baby).

It's actually a very very similar situation and it's baffling the difference in response.

7 minutes.... Get a grip woman

I left a 5 and 4 yr old outside Aldis Waitrose today.

how did the OP know the children's ages, with her goady little eye

Yeah, you're right, she probably did look at them when she saw all this unfolding and when she noticed they were left in the car. With her eye. How hard is it to estimate children's ages? Not very.

They were similar but not the same. On the other thread the op saw an unattended child in a car with no parent around, waited for ten minutes, then called the police. On this one the op saw the mother pull up and go into the shop (so knew who the parent was) took a picture (thereby totally saving the day and helping those children by immortalising them in pixels ) and then... the mum returned after 7 minutes.

So not the same at all. Just similar. Except in the first one the op was concerned and tried to do something to help and this one just felt a lot but superior and took a fucking photo.

I didn't see the other thread, but if the op of this one called the police at the time the children were in the car then people would probably tell her she did the right thing.

As it stands she wants to report it after the fact, the children are perfectly safe now, she has no immediate concerns for their welfare, so reporting now would be pointless.

OK, we will have to agree to disagree then. I think the OP is getting unfairly slated on here (including threats of violence if someone did that to their child etc). I would urge people generally to be cautious about leaving babies unattended to do your shopping as the police probably wouldn't share your laissez-faire views. I also think that to completely discourage intervention when you see something that worries you is wrong- parents do not always have their children's best interests at hear- many of them don't. We don't know that as passers by and therefore we need to err on the side of caution sometimes.

This sort this of issue frustrates me because the op rarely shows any level of empathy ....there's judgement with no concept of error

So OK I have two children under four....no I wouldn't and haven't left them and gone into a supermarket...for me that's too far and I can't see them but I have left them whilst getting petrol....but what I do know is I have two young children and work full time ....I'm exhausted

Whilst my maternal instinct and common sense would prevent me from leaving them in a car in very hot weather or on a busy road etc that's not the same as making a bad judgement call because you're shattered stressed and trying to get everything sorted

It's not the same as putting a child in danger these children were patently not in danger (ignoring the pearl clutches that claim a random out of control mini metro will randomly smash into the car ....BTW has anyone ever actually seen this happen? Doubt it)

I find it worse that at no point op showed any level of compassion or query why the mother had made that choice?

It smacks of arrogance that op has the right to judge and I'm going to guess they utter phrases like "well I just can't help but worry for all the children"....FYI please don't you are not a saint your worry is ridiculous and condescending

Yet again where is any level of support or care for other mothers....sigh

Witsender
I left a 5 and 4 yr old outside Aldis Waitrose today

Outrageous! You could have at least left them in a car!

Not unreasonable - keeping an eye on things, checking children are not distressed or coming to harm, waiting until the parent returns.

Unreasonable: after ascertaining children were only left for 7 mins and coming to no harm or distress, still considering involving the police.

Regardless of whether you think it was right or wrong the police would be interested. My SIL who is in the medical profession went into a restaurant while she 'waited for a table' with her 3 yr old parked outside asleep, except he woke and was very distressed. The police were called and she was arrested. It was only for her partner (who wasn't there) pleading her case, ie, that if It was taken further it would possibly result in worse circumstances for the family, that she wasn't charged with neglect.