Mother leaving baby in car whilst picking older child up.

[Shootingstar1115]

I know this has probably been discussed loads but there is a mother who’s child goes to pre school with my DD who regularly leaves her baby in the car whilst picking up. The car park isn’t in front of the pre-school. It’s kinda to the side (and not an official car park more of a residential area people park in, not secure or anything). You can’t really see the car from where you queue to pick up.

They finish just after 3. She leaves her baby in the car from around 2.50-2.55 until around 3.05-3.10 so it’s not a quick in out.

I personally wouldn’t do this. The baby isn’t always asleep whilst she does this (not that leaving a baby asleep alone makes t any better) but she has parked next to me a few times and when I get out my car I realised baby left in there and is often wide awake. He must be about 9 months old.

I must add, that the mother lives in close proximity to the pre-school about 1/4 of a mile away so she could easily walk over (which she does sometimes).

Is this really bad? Or am I being an over protective parent by never leaving my children??

The village we live in is pretty quiet and had very low crime rates but still surely it’s not a good idea?? Not many people around either.

It's actually illegal to do so in Australia and am guessing they must think there's a valid reason for this, especially in the summer. Have none of you seen the ads warning not to leave dogs in cars and get think it's ok to leave a human baby?!

I'm another that wouldn't personally do it. Not just in case something sinister randomly happens against all odds, but what if the baby gets upset and is all alone? What about in the warmer weather? It just makes me feel uncomfortable

Oh, is this in Australia in the summertime? Then it would be pretty fucking stupid and dangerous to leave a baby in the car! In the uk in spring..? Not as stupid or dangerous. I still wouldn’t do it, but I know people do.

I wouldn't do it myself, but there is no point comparing Australia with the UK for something like this because the climate is so different. In my part of the UK, a really good sunny day would still usually be less than 20 degrees. The chances of suffocating within 15 minutes here must be miniscule compared with Australia.

I wouldn't personally I don't think but equally can't see a problem with it. For once MN is sensible...

whatever

Why are people assuming it’s Australia?

If you're really concerned report to social or police at the time it's happening pretty sure leaving a baby alone and not visible to parent could be classed & neglect also pretty sure it's breaking the law. There laws around leaving children and ages. It's not like paying for fuel quickly and you can see the car

@Sunhill4

Said:

It's actually illegal to do so in Australia and am guessing they must think there's a valid reason for this, especially in the summer

I don’t know why...? Maybe because she knows the op from another thread and knows she’s in Australia? Or maybe she was just saying “well if it’s illegal in Australia it must be the same in the uk”. It might be 🤷‍♀️.

I've done it before in winter. Younger one year asleep, i didnt want to wake her and drag her screaming into rain/snow. Locked car and went in to pick up other child from after school club. Takes 10-15 minutes to go across school and I ran back cos I was so worried (more about kidnapping rather than her waking)

I don't think this is ok, but that's my opinion - it's not about the baby/child being kidnapped, but that my baby or child's safety always comes before my convenience - I would not be able to live with myself if anything happened - mainly thinking a car crash into the car - where no-body would even be expecting the child to be in their - I don't even leave my children in the car, if it's not pay at pump, when paying for petrol. I know several parents do this - and I don't get it, I also wouldn't accept babysitting from them, and one of the parents I know that does this also smacks her children - I know because my son told me she did in front of him on a play date. They are called dependants for a reason, this is your job to look after them.

Gov Uk:
child on their own

The law doesn’t say an age when you can leave a child on their own, but it’s an offence to leave a child alone if it places them at risk.

Use your judgement on how mature your child is before you decide to leave them alone, eg at home or in a car.
The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) says:

children under 12 are rarely mature enough to be left alone for a long period of time

children under 16 shouldn’t be left alone overnight

babies, toddlers and very young children should never be left alone

Parents can be prosecuted if they leave a child unsupervised ‘in a manner likely to cause unnecessary suffering or injury to health’.

What is the road like? little slow moving road I wouldn't do it but wouldn't be horrified, busier road/one that people speed along I'd mention it to the pre-school.

I found a baby in a car... because the car was hit by another car and caught my attention. So no, I would not do this after that day. It was awful

I wouldn’t do it myself personally too many risks involved baby sick/choking/car accident/break in/overheating, all small risks to be fair but possible none the less. I’d make the nursery aware so they can speak to her if you feel the baby could be in danger. I’d rather faff around taking baby out of car seat etc than chance it.

I don’t see it as being different to going to a petrol station, filling up and going into the shop to buy a few things and queue up to pay. So whilst I wouldn’t leave my baby in the car to collect an older child from preschool, I wouldn’t have the same issue about leaving my baby to go into the petrol station.

I wouldn’t do it personally but I know parents do when picking up from where I work....

When my daughter was in the infants a lady did just this. As I was always late, and had to pass her car I often found I was telling her 'did you know little Archie is crying loudly in your car?' Sometimes she did go and check but other times she would say along the lines of 'Oh iIm sure he'll have gone back to sleep in a moment he was so tired earlier'
Not surprisingly I wasn't the most popular parent in the playground, but it had to be said.