to be shocked at a friend for leaving her six month old baby......

[helbel3]

in the car whilst she did the school run. We are not talking parking outside the school gate and taking them to the playground. The school has no car park, you have to park five mins away, not joking, take children then get back to the car.

The minimum this can be done is 15 mins, 5mins there, 5mins in school, 5 mins back.

I asked her where the baby was and she said the baby was in the car asleep.

To say i was shocked is an understatement.

So shocked didnt say anything, would you have said something???

I personally wouldn't leave my baby in a car even in a car park.

How old is the baby? If it is in an carrable car seat there is no excuse. If the baby was in a forward facing car seat in may be a bit of trouble to wake baby, insert into buggy but I think I would.

Personally I wouldn't leave a baby alone in the car in that situation either. I would be so sacred they would wake up terrified and be screaming until I got back not to mention the car being hit,car being stolen with baby in, child being abducted etc

People do it though -I was at a retail park the other day and parked next to a huge posh minibus type vehicle, went off to return something to a shop, came back about 15mins later and as I was putting DS in his car seat noticed that there was a toddler asleep in the minibus. He must have been there when we arrived too but I hadn't noticed. The window was left open as it was a hot day. No sign of an adult.

not sure I would have said something but certainly wouldn't do that myself.

I've seen a few people do this. One was a dad when DD was at nursery, and he would leave his 2mnth old dd in car and had a similar waiting time. This was in the summer, when you wouldn't leave a dog in the car let alone a baby. One of the mums was friendly with his wife, told her and it suddenly stopped happening! Maybe you should let her know how you feel about it.

I have seen people doing this too and it amazes me that anyone would do it at all.

I would never do it but don't ever say anything as there will always be someone ready to jump down your throat about how we "mollycoddle" our babies.

no I wouldnt have said anything

I have done it myself

Perhaps she had someone in the car with the baby?

Perhaps she took a friends kids whilst the friend sttod & watched her baby?

Also, why does she have to stay 5 mins in the school? I walk dd to the gate & turn & walk off, barely there 5 seconds, never mind 5 minutes.

with enid on this

See it all the time at nursery,baby alone in busy car park with lorries coming and going and mums/dads gabbing for 20 mins while baby screams his/her head off.

Wouldn't take a chance,have heard about kids being driven off when someone steals the car. Beggars belief that anyone would take the chance.

What about paying for petrol?

Would you drag all the kids across the busy forecourt also?

I wouldn't be shocked, but only because I've seen it happen a lot. In my dd's previous school you had to park in residential streets nearby-ish and people often left babies and toddlers in the car while they went to school. Often the toddlers would be awake, locked in the car, but generally messing around - I just wouldn't do it.

I would never do this and am as as you. Don't think I would have said anything though.

Is it actually legal to leave a baby unattended? Don't see that leaving a baby or child in a car is any different from leaving them in the house alone.

Anything could happen in 15mins - how would you ever forgive yourself?

I often leave DS 2.5 asleep in the car on the driveway but i leave my front door open and check on him every 5 mins. I've done this since he was about 6 months but wouldn't be comfortable if he was out of earshot! I have left him in the car outside our village post office but only if the space next to the shop window is free and then the car is locked and window cracked. I would probably have been a bit shocked by your friend but i know it happens if i were to say anything it would probably be along the lines of "how would you ever forgive yourself if something happened"!

lol BonyM - great minds....!

I confess I've done it - but car in school grounds, arrived v late for nursery pick up so you're talking 5 mins - plus couldn't carry car seat at that stage.

I have also left one of mine asleep as a young baby in their cot and done school pick up (diff school) again your talking 7 mins with baby monitor - yes live that close to the school. TBH when people have said stuff and I've pointed out where we live there are people with bigger gardens then I am away from the school. Can't remember why I did whether dc was ill I was ill and couldn't face the whole getting up grumpy baby.

I am going to be slated now, but at least I'm honest! I've even left them outside shops in double pushchair when I couldn't get thru the door - I am going to be stoned I think.

Agree with BonyM. I never could leave my baby in the car for that long I don't even leave my 3 and 5 year olds in the car so certainly wouldn't leave my baby.

CarGirl - 5mins in school grounds is completely different from 15mins on a public road outside the school.

there are two schools of thought here. one is yours
the other. well, she left the baby in a safe protected environment to continue with his nap, whilst collecting her other children without getting seriously stressed out, andstressing the others.
i wouild and have done so. and it was the right thing to do at the time. people will judge me ofcourse, but we all do what we need to do to be better parents.

since maddeleine dissapeared, i have seen some seriously stressed out mummies because they wont let their children out of their sight for a second. i dont think they are doing there families any favours by working themselves up into this state.

i wouldnt do it...but also dont think id say anything.

getting petrol is different, but i dont drive dh does and he only gets petrol when hes on his own or im in the car. at least if you do leave them they are within site the whole time and you arent gone for very long!

i leave my 6 month old asleep in bed and 2yo happily playing in the living room to nip out and have a sneaky fag........but she can look out the doors and see me and tels me if ds starts crying.......

With 3 DC's and school drop offs and nursery drop offs, and nusery pick ups, etc, etc, I have been very tempted to do this, but it just isn't safe, is it?

I would not have done this, and still wouldn't even though DD is now older.

I would have probably looked somewhat suprised but not said anything.

In light of recent events abroad I guess a lot of parents are reviewing this dilemma of 'leave or take' their children for very short outings. Personally I wouldn't leave my dd alone in a car for various reasons and yes that does include getting her out at petrol stations for us to pay. I'll obviously have to revise this as she gets older.

5 mins in school because we dont drop off at gate, we have to take children into school oversee them put their book bags, snacks etc away then take them to the playground where the teachers are on duty until it is time to go in.

I didnt say anything but I can see most of you are shocked as well

havign said i wont leave my dcs asleep in the buggy downstairs (we live in a 1st floor flat but have a buggy space under the stairs) in case someone gets in (it does have entry phone etc) or they wake up in a strange place and freak!!!! id rather take the chance of lifting them and waking them!

i left ds in the car whilst going to pay for petrol....he was asleep and i didn't want to wake him, drag across busy forecourt etc etc etc. as it turned out, there was a dithery person in front of me, and i was hopping to pay for my petrol and go, but was watching the car the whole time (which was locked and alarmed) and when i got back he was still happily asleep. i was in a mither though!!

i'm not sure i'd leave him for 15 mins withouth adult supervision, but then he is a bit younger than 6 months, and i don't know how i'd cope with older children. ask me again in 5 or 6 years time!!!