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 it and either got myself a Costa and sat in the car with them, or put the radio on in car to drown noise out and busied the other kids in the front garden so we are directly with the car. I wouldn't go in the house and leave them in car.

A purse full of money is a far more attractive thing to steal than a screaming baby in my view so I can't say that's a rule I'd apply GLAAD

I think it's fine. I do this outside my MIL.

I used to do it all the time but with the doors locked and just check every few mins.

How long has baby been in the car seat? That would be my worry.

I would have loved to do this, but I can’t as I can’t park in front of my house. As long as you can hear and see her, I don’t see the issue.

You can hear if she cries but what if she chokes? Unless you have full view of your child then this is so wrong!

This can’t be real. What’s next? Putting a baby in the dog house for their nap?
I would never leave a baby alone in a car.

She's awake now and inside. I ran out as soon as I heard her start fussing so she would have cried more before I got her if I was actually driving.

I'm not worried about strangers as I was watching but unsure how I feel about doing it again. The poster that replied about animals getting in is a really good point, cats are very sneaky.

Up to you Unihorn - the OP asked and that's my view. To some people the baby might be a lot more attractive! Do it if you want OP, the majority seem to agree, it's perhaps inevitable that some will be more risk averse so not all will agree.

Oh it’ll be fine! Most things are more attractive to steal than a baby! And you can see the car!

@SantaIsReal I don't have full view of her when she naps inside in the pram bassinet. Babies can choke silently but that wouldn't be any different if she was napping inside

I wouldn't. There was a story in the news here last week that a mum left her baby in the car asleep, nipped in the house to get changed and the car was stolen with the baby in it.

@MyDcAreMarvel
“How long has baby been in the car seat? That would be my worry.”

Excellent point! Babies have died from positional asphyxiation due to being in a car seat for too long. That was why I did not get a snap in/snap out car seat. Babies should not be left to sleep in a car seat.

Would never forgive myself if anything happened so no I wouldn’t. Safely tucked up in the house for me.

I’m SO shocked by the number of people saying that this is okay! I was expecting people to be horrified by this - to be honest, I am! It’s really not okay at all in my opinion. I’m so shocked

She was in the seat for about an hour. But it was lay flat in the car when it stopped. (We have one that changes position)

I've done this loads. I live in a rural area, very quiet. Ds1 I would sit in the car with him and read. Ds2 I used to leave in the car with the boot open, and sit in the front room so I could see. Same as you, naps were always disturbed by older child so if I could let him sleep I would.

My biggest thought was that a wasp could fly in the open door and sting the baby, because you know, they do!

But yes there are plenty of other reasons why this isn't a good idea.

@Nottalotta we are rural. Nobody ever comes down here. Neighbours are all very close. I wonder if that gives me a false sense of security.
I sat watching the car like a hawk

My own opinion is that I wouldn't do this because 1. I wouldn't want a baby in a car seat longer than necessary 2. Too worried about someone trying to steal the car and not realising there's a baby in the back 3. Too worried about a cat getting in and sitting on baby.
Each to their own. I'm a natural worrier so I wouldn't do a lot that others would do.

@margaritaproblems my first child didn't nap unless in the car, sling, or moving pram. He woke every 40 minutes at night abs the less he napped, the less he slept at night. I soon decided (after nearly falling asleep driving) that car nap sleep was better than no naps. If you lock the car, mine at least, and something (child) moves inside it, the alarm goes off.

I think MN is some weird parallel universe. Nearly everyone I know irl has done this. Saying that, people on mn claim to take children into petrol stations to pay. I don't do that either.

My car was stolen from our drive, whilst we were at home. So you can probably guess my answer. We live in a very low crime area. No I would never leave my baby in a car alone for this reason.

@Nottalotta that's exactly what she's like! I don't think having older brothers and sisters around for 6 weeks has helped either. Every time she falls asleep she gets woken up again by someone being too loud. I'm rolling on next week when 4yo goes full days at school and we can get a better routine.

I’d be worried a local cat would climb in out of your sight, the same reason I wouldn’t leave a baby unattended in the garden