To feel like crying over this?

[freakedoutlady]

First big shopping trip with 3 week old - and 11 and 9 year old.

Went to Halfords to get better car seat (turned out mine was fine). The shop wss full of fumes so left sleeping 3 year old i cat seat putside o shop front with 11 nearly 12 year old for about 3 mins tops. Paid for new seat, raced back outside shop, and waited for staff to bring seat out. Explained it was too fumey to them and got them to do paperwork

Please tell me that was an ok thing to do with my 11/13 year old and baby. Feel like a confused new mum! So stressed!

What was wrong with your old car seat?

Tbh I would have taken my baby in halfords. Wouldn't have thought twice

Of course it was fine. A great compliment to your parenting skills that your older children can be trusted.

You need to calm down - you'll have an apoplexy! What exactly are you freaking out about?

Honestly...if it was as hot where you are as it is near me (cheshire) then no, it wasn't the right thing to do. IT is hot. The cars are hotter and it takes a matter of minutes for babies to overheat in cars.
Having bought 2 car seats from Halfords recently and knowing that it took at least ten minutes for that in our local store, it would have been safer to take the baby in store.
Sorry, I just don't want to tell you what you want to hear when it could harm your baby, just to save your feelings.

Why was the store full of fumes? Surely it would need to evacuated if it were?

You sound a teeny bit neurotic. What are you suggesting you did wrong in the scenario you described?

Oh just reread and saw that you left them outside shop! Best option!

Why was the store full of fumes?

Maybe it's that new car smell you get when you walk in there being counted as fumes?

Personally I love that smell

I don't get it . Fumes in Halfords?

Isnt Halfords just a shop? Why would there me fumes?

What do you mean fumey?

Honestly...if it was as hot where you are as it is near me (cheshire) then no, it wasn't the right thing to do. IT is hot. The cars are hotter and it takes a matter of minutes for babies to overheat in cars
Baby was with 11 year old sibling, not strapped in car on its own. Unlikely to have overheated without sibling noticing.

It's fine, baby is with 2 siblings who can run in if there's a problem and get you, please don't worry

That I shouldn't have left my 3 week old. I do feel so worried about making the wrong call with stuff. Feel like a new mum again.

Don't think OP left the baby in the car Jimbob my reading is that she left the baby with her older 2 DC outside the shop.

Sounds fine to me.

Like Liz70 though, I'm also a bit puzzled about a fume filled Halfords.

in this weather I'm not sure if leave any of the kids in the car. but only you know your kids, if you know the older ones would remove the younger ones if they felt it too hot then that's fine.

tbh I think you're giving yourself an unnecessarily hard time about a non event. are you generally feeling quite anxious? might be worth speaking to a hv or gp

It's fine to leave the baby with your responsible other child, but why was Halfords full of fumes?

What do you mean, Halfords was "full of fumes"? Of course it wasn't. Sounds like you're a bit paranoid.

They had been spraying some stuff in the shop - repairing a bike I think.

Thanks so.much. So many of you saying it was the right call. Starting to feel better now xx

I don't understand about Halfords being full of fumes either.

Personally I wouldn't leave a 3 week old with an 11 year old in a parked car (and I don't believe it's possible that it was actually only 3 minutes tbh) but I know many probably would.

So it smelled a bit of bike paint? That's not being "full of fumes" - overreaction much?!

Personally I wouldn't leave a 3 week old with an 11 year old in a parked car

They weren't in the car, they were outside the shop.

Was on the shop front not a parked car.

I would have thought a car park would actually be more 'fumey'