that toddlers should bot be left in the car during school run

[foxyloxy78]

Just that. Seems like loads of parents are doing this bow. Leaving smaller toddler siblings in the car whilst they collect the older DC.

[Campfiresmoke]

My neighbours car caught fire when it was parked on their drive. It was complete ablaze in a few seconds. For me it's an absolute no to leave a child in a car.

[SheRaaarghPrincessOfPower]

If I saw toddlers being regularly left in cars for 15 mins at a time I'd call the police! This isn't safe.

Totally different thing if you're a few feet away from them at a petrol station or similar and you can see them through the window.

[ImFuckingSpartacus]

What if someone crashed into the car, or a toddler dropped the handbrake, or a toddler or baby was abducted?

What if some crashed into them while walking between school and car, what if they ran out in front of a car, what if someone abducted them while walking?
What if they got hit by lightening?

It's up to the parents to risk assess and decide, not the busy bodies looking on.

[Yukbuck]

lux I think the op is referring more to the safety aspect of someone stealing the child rater than winter/summer debate!
Op, I kind of agree with you in that I would never leave mine to do school run, you never know what could happen to them. Someone could steal them, a fit? I think if the child had a fit or something and had to go to hospital, social services wouldn't be happy about this!

[user1484750550]

How long are we talking? A minute while you pay for petrol? (and you can see the car that's only 30 feet away the whole time?)

Or 10 minutes while you pop into your local Tesco for half a dozen items? Or while you pick up another child? (And whilst the car is not in view.......)

If it's the latter, contact social services and see what their opinion is on leaving a baby alone in the car for 10 minutes while you 'get a few bits from Tesco.' or pop to another child's class while the car and baby are alone for 10 minutes... If you think all this is OK, then tell them you do it. I dare you.

[SheRaaarghPrincessOfPower]

Well, in an thunderstorm I admit it's probably safer to leave them in the car, Spartacus

[Wolfiefan]

Not a chance in hell. In 15 minutes my toddler would be out the car seat, let the handbrake off and maybe start a car fire too! (Ok maybe not the last one but I wouldn't guarantee it!)

[SaucyJack]

I don't really think it's a choice between picking the risk of a freak fire or a lightning strike.

Fact is- it's just not nice to walk off a leave very young children on their own. What happens if they need a wee, or get scared by a barking dog?

If it was in their safety interests to leave them in a parked car then that'd be one thing. But doing it because you can't be arsed to walk 50m through a playground with your own kid? Pfft. Get some standards.

[SparklyUnicornPoo]

It's not something I would risk.

As a child I was sat in my Dads car at the top of a steep hill while he ran into the house to grab something, he was gone a minute or two and mum was in the garden so could see us the whole time. the brake stopped working, possibly because my brother was climbing between the seats, and the car started rolling down the hill. We were fine, Dads van was parked about a cars length in front of us and we rolled into the back of it and stopped, but it scared the hell out of me, as had Dads van not been there we could have rolled into the busy junction at the bottom of the hill and i had no idea where the break was/how to stop, Mum came running the second she saw the car starting to move but i don't know that she could have got to the car and got in and stopped it before we reached the junction.

[ImFuckingSpartacus]

If you think all this is OK, then tell them you do it. I dare you

I don't think they'd appreciate you wasting your time, tbh. They are busy people, in the main.
My sister is a social worker, she knows I do it. She does it too.

[PolarBearGoingSomewhere]

I wouldn't. Never got as far as considering safety tbh as mine would be very very upset by it so I wouldn't.

I have of course left them for a moment while I pay for petrol (although I nearly always pay at pump, so it's probably been less than 5 times in total) but it would never, ever be a part of our routine.

[toomuchtvandsocialmedia]

And has anything happened to any of these poor, neglected, at risk children?

A friend left her toddler in the car - he managed to get out of his car seat and released the car handbrake. The car rolled into a building causing quite a bit of damage to the building and the car. Fortunately, her DS was ok.

[ThomasRichard]

I do it every morning when dropping the kids to school/nursery on the way to work. It's parked on the road directly outside the school gate for 2 minutes max as I run DC1 in. It's a very quiet road, the car is locked, DC2 is fine. What is going to happen in those 2 minutes? They're in greater danger when I leave them to their own devices while I go to the loo!

I was picked up on it once by a member of staff and wasn't best pleased. It's my job to do a risk-benefit assessment on what I do with my DC, not theirs.

[OddBoots]

"It's my job to do a risk-benefit assessment on what I do with my DC, not theirs."

Not true, it is their job too, they cannot just turn a blind eye to something they think is a safeguarding concern, however much you'd like them to.

[Rainydayspending]

I've had my car stolen from outside school (yes a surprise in all that busy). So a definite hell no from me. All those people. None of them give a shiny shit what is going on other than getting their kids and sodding off. Noone would raise the alarm if anything untoward happened (hit by a vehicle struggling to get through a busy school road?)

[munmyxl]

I would - Some people are so judging on how other people chose to parent, why does it even bother you

[ImFuckingSpartacus]

Not true, it is their job too, they cannot just turn a blind eye to something they think is a safeguarding concern, however much you'd like them to

It is not their job, literally. "Safeguarding" is just another word for judgement and interfering most of the time. It's used like some magical password that lets you think its up to you to decide what parents can decide for their children.

[SheRaaarghPrincessOfPower]

2 mins is one thing. 15 mins is quite different, that's a long time to leave a small child on their own.

[WaitrosePigeon]

It's not something I would risk.

[startwig1982]

I leave dd (2) in the car for 2 mins when I drop ds off at breakfast club. But I turn the alarm off and lock the car, so she's safe. I wouldn't do it at pick up as it's too long to leave her.

[Icantstopeatinglol]

Each to their own but I just wouldn't risk it for the sake of taking the kids out the car for two minutes.

[AlecTrevelyan006]

www.gov.uk/law-on-leaving-your-child-home-alone

[ImFuckingSpartacus]

How is that helpful?

[SheRaaarghPrincessOfPower]

Well, it says that 'babies, toddlers and very young children should never be left alone'.

Obviously that link refers to leaving children at home, but you could say the same thing about leaving them in cars.

Why would you, anyway. Just take them with you