To leave my baby in the car by herself to sleep

[margaritaproblems]

It feels like I am but I don't know 🤷‍♀️
We live in a very quiet cul de sac. Baby is 6 months old and was asleep when we got back so we have let her finish her sleep alone in the car.

Context
We also have a bouncy 4 yo that keeps disturbing her naps so she will nap better away from her.

The car is on the driveway, in full view.

I have left the drivers door wide open so I can hear her if she cries, I have my front windows and door wide open too. I am sat with dd inside, but tv is off while she is colouring in so I can hear.

Although baby is in the car she is only actually about 10ft away from where I am sat.

I can't actually see baby, but I can hear if she cries, and I can't actually see her having all of her nap inside if she was inside anyway as she naps in her pram bassinet so it's not that different, but it feels so alien,
I think because we have only lived here around a year and I could never have done this where we lived before, but if iabu then I won't do it again.

I've done this. As long as you have the door open and can see the car/hear the baby then I'd say it's fine.

Sounds perfect! Nice for your 4yo to get that attention without you worrying about waking the baby. I've often left DS in the car to finish a nap making sure I can hear him. Obviously wouldn't do it on a hot sunny day but if your weather is anything like ours today then that's not a worry!

This must be a wind up

I've done this. Very similar layout I usually leave the boot open not a door. My thinking is that if I was to collapse whilst baby slept a kind person might shut a car door without looking in the back, but couldn't close the boot without seeing baby.

This is madness and exactly how kidnappings happen. If you are not going to be watching the car the entire time from indoors then I would definitely not risk it again.

Ignore the weird PP.

6 month old is surely still in the smallest car seat.. why can't you just carry it inside? They can stay in the baby car seats until much older than people think - honestly.

Your situation sounded ok until you said you can't see her (I wouldn't do it though) so on the basis that you can't see her I think you need to bring her in and suck it up that life with 2 sometimes means juggling more.

I would, but then I used to leave my son to sleep in his pram under the willow tree in our garden because the branches in the breeze soothed him. As you said you wouldn't be able to physically see her if she was asleep in another room in the house either and you have taken steps to ensure you can hear her when she wakes.

I don't trust total strangers as much as you do.

cola why would you call people weird just because they have a different point of view to you? It isn't very nice.

I use to leave mine in the car if I could sit in the car with them or had them always in my eye line.

@JollyRocker I am watching the whole time. I'm sat about 6 foot from the car so around 10ft from baby. And I'm watching the whole time. dh is around today so I'm literally just sat watching the car. We live at the end of a cul de sac (only 9 houses) and most have cctv up including us so people don't generally come wandering. It's our 4th baby and I've never left one in the car 🤷‍♀️

My mum's handbag got stolen off our drive while it was in an unlocked car. If you wouldn't leave your handbag don't leave the baby - that's my rule! I wouldn't.

I have done it many times in a similar situation. Pop out lots. On a cool day have set up a video link (FaceTime between Skype and iPad)

To the PP who said why not bring the car seat in - quite apart from having the ability to do so, only one of my three slept through such a move...

Even with a door open a car will heat right up on a sunny day. There is also a chance that someone might take the baby or an animal might get into the car. It just seems like a stupid risk to take when you could just bring the car seat inside.

We leave DC to sleep in the car, but only if one of us stays sat in the car with them. I don’t think you should leave them completely unattended.

Our next door neighbours left their DD to sleep in the car once. She woke up and was very scared and distressed, but her parents were clueless and left her there for far longer than they should

I misread your pp. If you can see the car and hear her then I think it's ok.

Driver's door open and not in sight does not sound ok. Anyone could walk along and take her. Unless you are in the back of beyond and it is your land (clearly not as you said a cul-de-sac) then I wouldn't think this is ok.

Can you see the car?

I used to do this if I had been shopping. Come home, unpack the shopping and make a cuppa. Could see the car and would keep going back to check just in case.

This is how kidnappings happen it’s really not.

Ah if you are watching then my mistake. I wouldn’t leave her if the car isn’t in view. But our house has a different layout and if I was in the living room with the older ones I wouldn’t be able to see or hear the youngest as the room is at the back.

I actually think this is alright given what you’ve described. If you’re going to take your eyes off the car then no - you never know who’s around and some people are opportunistic. But as you’re watching and listening she should be fine x

I think OP can't see the actual baby but has full view of the car.

I have full view of the car and front door is wide open so if somebody came onto our driveway or walked past then I'd get up of course

I’m sure it would be fine.... until the car gets nicked or the baby gets kidnapped.
Then it won’t fine be.
If you don’t need to risk it, why would you?

Why wouldn't you just bring the car seat inside and into a room and close the door instead of sitting there like a fool watching the car