What age can I leave my children in the car while I shop?

[Tinseltower]

Today I left my 9 and 7 year old i. The car alone for about 15 mins. Windows down, in the shade and mild day. Is this really irresponsible? Car wasn’t hot at all on my return, yet some people think I’m stupid for doing this.

What age would you leave your children alone for a short amount of time?

I was leaving mine at that age. DD went through a spitting and destructive stage in busy shops so it was safer to leave them in the car together with their mobiles and a console to play on. Never for very long (just 15 mins) or on a hot day though and always right by the front of the shop.

Never, especially not so young.

I'd be concerned if I saw children left alone in a car. You may have genuinely concerned people alerting store security or police. Plus yes things that could go wrong.

Adults who are responsible for themselves only.

Did you mean early 2000s?

Why are you asking that?

Personally, I was a teen by the early 90s.
When I was the OP's DC's ages, it was the early 80s.

Does this seem impossible for some reason?

I've left my 11 and 4 year old together a couple of times. But they can't get into the front of the van to mess with handbreak and I leave a phone.

Oh, I get it! Snake on the phone!!!

I was coming back to say snake on your mums phone . How were you a teen in the early 90's yet playing snake on your mums phone? I was a young kid in the early 90's and snake on phones was a thing when I was a teen so you must have been an adult.

I'd say once they're old enough to be left in the car it makes more sense to leave them at home.
I started leaving mine at about your eldest's age, but just for a couple of minutes to start with, e.g. to pop to the post box. By the start of secondary they should manage an hour or so. Just build it gradually and that will give you the measure of how trustworthy they are. You also need to consider their capacity to cope with emergencies.

Car I wouldn't do, and I always think there's more risk with two together than one. More likely to egg each other on, or think they can blame whatever bright idea on the other one.

My parents left me and brother when I was about 13 I think - not for a long time, pop in to get milk sort of thing.

Why aren't you taking them shopping?? It's not fun but most parents manage it.

Why not leave them at home if it is only 15minutes?

If your mum was the first person in the world to have snake on their phone, that would be the late 90s.

I'm assuming we all know how old we are, and how long ago the 90s were, so if you know you were 7 in the early 90s, then a memory of playing snake would be from when you were over 10.

So the info of "I was this old when I was left in the car" is being misremembered.

I'm probably wrong to think that we all know how long ago the 90s were. :o

Did you know it's been 22 years since the "3 lions on a shirt" song?

I would leave older children, like 10 plus, depending on their being trustworthy, windows open of course, car unlocked. My dad used to leave me at 11 in the car, and nip to the papershop, it was all fine. Sometimes when dh pops somewhere on the way back, I will sit in the car and wait, I don't want to be traipsing round Wicks looking for an item with him.

Mine are similar ages and I would leave them to nip in for milk and bread. Not for a full shop.

"What age can I leave my children in the car while I shop?"

Why? What is the point? Just take them in

22 years? Surely not (does calculations and realises it's true).

At 9 and 7 definitely not. Chances of abduction would be almost zero but I would be worried about what they would get up to, if they needed the loo or if I had an accident and wasn't able to tell anyone they were in the car.

My 12 year old I might do if we both had our phones.

I was left in the car for about 15-20 minutes at a time from the age of about 7, I would say. This was in the early nineties. I just used to sit and read, or listen to the radio, or play "snake" on my mum's phone!

You must mean the early 2000's

Why are you asking that?

Personally, I was a teen by the early 90s.
When I was the OP's DC's ages, it was the early 80s.

Does this seem impossible for some reason?

The snake on the phone in the early 90's was indeed impossible.

Dd's 11+12 yes.
Ds 9 no chance in hell.
Use pay at pump if I have ds 3.
Ds 3 has shown great interest in driving already - last week he said :
Go on dm give me the keys, I won't be long and I will bring it back. .
Referring to plans for joyriding in my new car!!..

nottinghillgrey - sleepingdragons noticed that it was the snake that was impossible in their next post.

7 too young, 9 year old borderline so only ok with an older sibling in my opinion

And only if older sibling had a phone to be able to contact me
To be honest though I would probably just take them with me if it was shopping

I leave my 8 and 6 year olds all the time while I pop in to the shops and a I have been doing it for quite some time.

I wouldn't leave them if I was going to be gone for a long time. I leave the windows open and they are both happy reading books while I run in to grab whatever essential we're missing.

It is cometely normal where I live to do this - people aren't overly anxious about it. I wonder if the people who tend to reply on threads like these are the more cautious types.

Never as mine always turns the bloody traffic announcements on and it takes me a week to remember how to turn them off!

No.

Not just because I think that’s too young but also because of other people or possible scenarios.