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.

Wasps and cats would be my biggest concern. I wouldn’t leave the door wide open, it’s just attracting attention to the car really. I can’t see much of an issue with it otherwise, the car is in full view and you’re only sitting a few feet away.

Surely the car seat can be transported inside though?

@ShirleyPhallus my first thought was also that sad case where the handbrake failed and the car rolled away. There doesn’t need to be a river - the car could roll away into traffic or hit a brick wall. I remember reading that the mother in that case was to face charges of neglect. I always stay in the car with my sleeping child.

I live on a quiet lane and park directly outside my front door but I would never leave my baby in the car whilst I go inside. Bit mad if you ask me.

I lived in a cul de sac when my children were little and if they were asleep I definitely left them in the car with windows open and checked every few minutes!! TBH I think that people overthink everything and each scenario...when did anyone last hear about a baby being snatched ?

I think it's about being sensible about risk. Road traffic accidents kill people every day, yet we don't stop driving.

Kidnappings are horrific but happen almost never, and yet lots of people see it as a primary risk. If we really cared about true risk reduction we'd all stop driving and just walk. Ridiculous of course to suggest and will never happen. Yet a baby napping in an observed, open, parked car on someone's property is deemed neglectful and risky.

It is actually less risky than you getting in the car with the baby and driving somewhere.

Used to leave mine in the car, in a safe place where I could see them, it’s all about risk assessment!

I used to do this occasionally. We also lived in a quiet cul de sac and I wasn’t worried about random kidnappers looking for an opportunity. Like pp has observed, how often have you read about a child being kidnapped from a car? The risk is incredibly low and you’re watching the whole time anyway.

I wouldn’t do it in our new house with the doors open as the neighbours cats are incredibly friendly and constantly walking into our house so I’m sure they’d think nothing of climbing into the car and all over baby too

@ShirleyPhallus on a driveway in a cul de sac, that wouldn't happen here anyway. If the handbrake failed then the car would roll towards the house. But the bonnet was parked about 3cm from the window anyway so I don't think it would really move and it's not on a hill

I really have no idea why posters are being so sneery or disbelieving of an accident, that did actually happen, happening.

If you don’t believe it would happen to you, then go ahead and leave your child in the car. That’s entirely your risk. But all these posters pointing out that things can and do go wrong do have a point.

It just depends on what level of risk you want to take vs what the outcome might be. One isn’t right over another but this giggling over the possibility of an accident which did result in a child dying is really in poor taste.

No way. Just a terrible habit to get into which you’ll start pushing the boundaries of without even realising.

I did this with both of mine. Earshot is fine, imo.

I live on a private road with secluded driveway though, I'm not sure if I was on a busier thoroughfare I would ever do it.

If we’re both there - me and hubby - one of us will just sit in the car with him while he sleeps.
If I’m on my own I’d take him inside in his car seat.
But we don’t have another child and I wouldn’t leave anything lying around insecure round here, and definitely not a baby!

Just as an aside I once dealt with a case where a car which had been left unlocked was nicked from a garage forecourt. The thief got about 100 yards before realising the car owner’s elderly parents were sitting in the back! I’m not sure who was more shocked - the thief or the parents!

@ShirleyPhallus you might need to reread my reply again, I didn't disbelieve you. I'm just saying that couldn't happen to my car on my drive. It slopes down towards the house and was parked pretty much up against the window

@NewPapaGuinea what makes you think that?