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.

[SheRaaarghPrincessOfPower]

Sorry, my mistake, it actuslly says 'at home or in the car' on the link.

[IamFriedSpam]

It's one of those things that I feel I should never do but I'm not really sure why. I probably wouldn't do it but I'd reserve judgement - (OK someone might crash into the car but it would be no safer for me to be sitting there with DC if that happened. I also think it's quite unlikely someone would steal my car from the school car park!)

[foxyloxy78]

Not a school car park though. This is a public street outside the school. Each to their own, but does not sound sensible thing to do. God forbid something bad happens. Just think it's safer to take them with you for the drop off.

[ImFuckingSpartacus]

Except it might not be safer at all. This blanket statement rather than individual risk assessment is not safe at all, it assumes too much.

I know a woman who has baby twins, a toddler, and 2 older (but still young) children. Is it really safer for her to get them all out and juggle them all across a road or whatever? Or is it safer to leave them in the car? There are risks to both, but one may be much higher than another.
I don't know, but the point is neither do you, and a blanket "just take them with you, you lazy caaah" is hardly helpful. I'm going to assume that their mother is best placed to decide rather than judgemental internet randoms.

[OddBoots]

My children are almost grown now but when they were little there was a mum in a similar situation, I was one of a few other mums who would either get her school child for her or stay with the car/babies while she went into school. Leaving them out of sight was just not thought to be an option.

[SheRaaarghPrincessOfPower]

You're getting very defensive there Spartacus.

You decide what you like. Personally yes, I think it's really lazy to leave your baby/toddler in the car for 15 mins at a time (going back to OP here), instead of just taking them with you.

"
I know a woman who has baby twins, a toddler, and 2 older (but still young) children. Is it really safer for her to get them all out and juggle them all across a road or whatever? Or is it safer to leave them in the car?"

You take your children with you. Especially if it would otherwise mean leaving babies with other young children!

[BouleBaker]

Of course you take your children with you rather than leave them alone in a public place for 15 minutes. In the car doesn't make them somehow immune to danger. What kind of lazy arse wouldn't take them along?

[TheMysteriousJackelope]

The pre-school my DC went to were emphatic that we were not to leave small children in our cars unattended. They had cases of children getting out of their seat straps, opening the car doors and wandering around the parking lot looking for their parents, all while cars were reversing out of parking spaces.

Drivers are looking for a place to park, or space to back out, and for adult pedestrians holding children by the hand. They aren't looking for two foot tall unaccompanied children toddling around six inches behind their rear bumper.

It is an accident waiting to happen, unless someone is doing as an earlier poster down, where a parent is watching several cars to ensure children don't attempt to leave.

[hibbledobble]

I find this interesting. I'm surprised so many parents are in favour of leaving children unsupervised.

When dc2 fell asleep on the way to collect dc1 I put dc1 in afterschool club and waited until dc2 woke up.

[Woody67]

I would leave my toddler in the car if I could see it, but I wouldn't leave them on their own in a street nearby which meant leaving them unattended and unsupervised for 15 minutes. Actually, I don't see this as any different from what the McCanns did. If anything happened to the child, you'd be vilified and would never forgive yourself.