Parent parking question

[m0therofdragons]

Last week I took my dc and their friends to the local supermarket after school to pick their pizza for tea. I had my three dc (dd1 11yo and dtds 7) plus friends aged 11 and another 7yo. When we arrived there were lots of parent spaces that go along either side of a walkway.

I haven't used parent spaces for years as my 3 can do their own straps etc but on this occasion I decided that the number of dc meant I could justify using one (plus there were at least 15 others available). It meant I felt the dc would be safer and give me more control over the excited 7yos. The signs don't have an age limit on them.

I'm curious what others think. Are my dc too old for me to use the space? What's your cut off?

Yes they are way too old for you to use one of these spaces , they can get themselves out cars so you don’t need the spaces anymore.

I think you're fine to use them.

My limit was when they didn’t need a buggy anymore.

To be honest had I Seen you with children that age I would have raised an eyebrow and very slightly shaken myhead😂 but I am a judgmental cow.

Unless any of the DC had additional needs, I wouldn’t have used a parent space.

Is this another only on Mumsnet thing? I've always seen parents with 6,7,8 year olds using them around here and no one has ever batted an eyelid! It wouldn't have even crossed my mind before this thread.

My two are teenagers now and I only ever used the spaces when they were pre schoolers. Back in the early 2000's I don't remember anyone being too bothered about them though, if one was free I would use it, if not find I would find a good space somewhere else in the car park.

I still use them and my daughter is almost 9, she is unable to buckle her own seat belt due to dyspraxia and finds getting in and out of the car difficult if the door isn't wide open. With the help of many NHS services you wouldn't really notice she is that much different to any other child.

It is a judgement call at the time. As you said you had 3 7 yr olds with you (one of whom wsn't yours) and there were around 15 spaces, then I'd have no problem.

If it were the last or only space, I would.

Meh, parent and child. You had children. It's fine.

They are for under 12s Yanbu. I don’t get all the parent space parking rage! I know two people that argue with someone if they see them parking in a parent bay with no children. It’s annoying but life’s too short to argue with a stranger about something like a parking space.

I was curious what mnet would say.

I'd say three excited 7yos and two 11yos (who are sensible but still need parenting so I was spread thin) is more hazardous than one toddler but I know many would argue. The signs didn't have any ages but now it's been mentioned I think the other local supermarket does and also says 12 because I thought that was a bit unnecessary when I often send my 11yo to pick up a loaf of bread by herself

I wouldn't use them for kids that age.i think they're appropriate for kids who would need to sit in a trolley or walk holding your hand.

My local Tesco has a sign saying they are only for children who are using a buggy. But I dont think yanbu would have been safer to unload that amount of children straight onto path

There's a sign in my local Tesco saying that they're for under 4's.

If there were loads of free spaces, I wouldn't care but it is slightly annoying when someone races you for the last space and then their kid who's obviously about 12 comes bounding out of the car. To be fair, most of the spaces around here are used by people without a kid who don't want their white Mercedes or work van scratching, so I'd probably be more surprised that you actually had children with you

I get fed up when I see them used by a driver and another adult who stays in the car with the children!

These spaces are courtesy spaces, nobody has a ‘right’ to them, get really fed up of the militant entitled mummy attitude. If you feel you need to use it for your DC then use it.