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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To leave 3 year old DS in car asleep on his own?

20 replies

eggyface · 29/09/2016 16:24

Terraced houses. House has a bay window, then a front path the width of a dustbin, a low fence, pavement about 2 steps wide and by the kerb the car is parked. Toddler seat is on the side nearest the pavement.

For bad planning reasons, older DS (3) fell asleep in the car. I'm sat in the front bay window while one year old younger DS is asleep on the sofa with me. (Managed to get him out, failed with the other).

Car has window open a bit. House front window is a bit open too. I am some 10 feet away from car-sleeping DS. I haven't moved from the window and can see everything & everyone around. I could see if he moved & hear him if he cried.

Terrible dangerous parenting? Dont know if IABU. Sock it to me.

OP posts:
RavioliOnToast · 29/09/2016 16:25

If you can see the car and don't move then yanbu

RoganJosh · 29/09/2016 16:25

If you can see the car, which you can, then I can't see a problem.

MUjunkie · 29/09/2016 16:39

No it's fine, you can see him!

JellyBelli · 29/09/2016 16:41

I can remember being left in the garden in a pram. That was in London. In Scandanavian countries they still leave kids in the pushchair outside the shops.
Its fine. you can see him.

AnythingMcAnythingface · 29/09/2016 16:43

I don't see a problem. Sounds like you've found a solution to today's challenge quite well. Just don't drink anything in case you need to wee! Grin

wheresthel1ght · 29/09/2016 16:45

Sorry I am going to say yabu.

If it was on a driveway I would say it's ok, but the car could be hit by anyone driving down the road

My dads car was parked on the road outside his house when a DPD van had a mechanical failure and smashed into it. Car a complete write off and anyone that has been in it would have been badly hurt. Too big a risk.

RB68 · 29/09/2016 17:03

No its not - the likelihood of that happening is too low. At that rate you would never drive on a motorway with kids in the car where the risk of it actually happening is higher!!!

Let him have just enough sleep I suspect that is about 15 to 20 minutes and go and get him out. I could sleep walk mine in at that age if not able to lift and then they would snuggle on sofa with tv for a bit and fall asleep again

MiddleAgeMiddleEngland · 29/09/2016 17:18

There's no more risk of being hit in a parked car than in a moving car. If you thought there was, you'd never drive your DC anywhere.

He's fine where he is, just let him have his sleep.

Meeep · 29/09/2016 17:21

Do you really want your 3 year old sleeping at half four?!

maddiemookins16mum · 29/09/2016 17:24

He's fine, leave him, but in the words of Shaw Taylor (showing my age here), "keep 'em peeled" (google it 😉).

maddiemookins16mum · 29/09/2016 17:26

He probably is just having a 20 minute nap Meeep, think how much more pleasant dinner will be.

HereIAm20 · 29/09/2016 17:36

Can you not lift him? I was lucky in that I could have swung mine around my head once he was asleep and he'd have stayed asleep but I sppreciate not everyone has that luxury.

I would worry about another car crashing into the parked car - improbable but not impossible. It is the main reason you are told to move away from your car on the hard shoulder of motorways.

Justwanttoweeinpeace · 29/09/2016 17:40

Sounds okay, but can he not be lifted out and put to bed? Then you can wee if you need to without worrying.

isittimeforcoffee · 29/09/2016 17:40

He will be fine as long as you can see him. We have a driveway and I regularly leave the 3yo and 1yo in the car and sit by the window and enjoy a nice cup of tea in peace!

Original poster
eggyface · 29/09/2016 19:16

Cheers all! I shall show this to dh who thought I was BU!

Meeep I've been blessed with sons who were terrible sleepers but are making up for it now by going to bed well! Ds1 is in the process of losing his nap and goes 5 days fine, then on the 6th sleeps all afternoon woth no effect on bedtime. He is having stories now and will be asleep by 8. ds2 is snoring on me just about to go in cot.

I'll bear in mind the risks of accidents - agree it's less likely than motorway crash but I guess you tend not to drive unless there is a reason so you trade off risk and benefit. A kid sleeping in a car is just pure risk.

OP posts:
HeCantBeSerious · 29/09/2016 20:23

Do you really want your 3 year old sleeping at half four?!

Why wouldn't you?!

AmeliaJack · 29/09/2016 20:25

I had lots of friends who did this but I was never comfortable with it.

I always lifted them in and tried not to wake them.

thecatsclinkers · 29/09/2016 20:30

meeep my three year old still naps 2-430 or even 5 every day and goes to bed at 7/730 no problem....

NoCapes · 29/09/2016 20:31

I wouldn't be comfortable with this but I'm not really sure why?
Maybe the fact that he's not actually on your property?
I'm not sure, but I wouldn't do it

In fact but long ago me & my mum pulled up outside her house (which sounds a similar set up to OP's) and DS2 had just fell asleep, I commented that he would now wake up when I moved him and did a general 'Eurgh how annoying' and she suggested I leave him, that her friend leaves her grandchildren there when they visit if one had fallen asleep quite regularly
I don't know if she'd left any of my children before but I made it pretty clear I thought it was wrong so hopefully she won't do it again if she has

Threebedsemii · 29/09/2016 20:34

I do this all the time, although the car is on the drive (well the paved over front garden bit)

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