Parent and child spaces

[Wuzzle85]

Looking for a general consensus here- at what age to stop using parent and child spaces.
I’ve been out running errands today with my 6 month old son, which has included multiple stops. At two of the places I have been unable to park in parent and child spaces as all have been taken. I ended up parking further away so I can open my door fully and get my son out his seat. I don’t mind this and accept it it is part and parcel. However both times as I was either leaving or arriving have come across parents using the spaces with older children. Both cases the children were old enough/big enough not be in car seats and on both occasions sat in the front seat- both around 10 plus. Now I always looked older than I was as a child so can appreciate that I could be over estimating their age or there could be other reasons (ie disabled child needing the space etc) but just wondered what the general consensus as to when is appropriate to stop using a parent and child space and when is it just taking the mick.

Ideally when they are no longer in car seats but I dont actually get annoyed if someone with older children uses them, they are parent and child after all. Now grown, single men in white vans using them...should be shot! (lighthearted...ish)

Think the “rules” say 12.
That’s the age (unless the child is taller) that they can stop using a car seat.

You don't know whether they were older children with disabilities.

This thread should go well.

🍿

When you no longer think it would be helpful to get out of the car.

Spot on @Sirzy .

When they don't need car seats or help getting in or out.

My older child has a disability so I will use the parent and child space. Not everyone with a disability is entitled to a blue badge.

Can we have a parking in P&C spaces topic please? People moaned about Brexit and Megxit threads being in AIBU. Well I'm moaning about this .

I use them with my disabled child who isn't in a car seat. He isnt entitled to a blue badge, but still needs supervision opening doors carefully, and getting to a safe path quickly. 🤷‍♀️

When your child no longer needs assistance doing up the seatbelt. Dd was 11 before sheccouils got

My older child has a disability so I will use the parent and child space. Not everyone with a disability is entitled to a blue badge

A much better use of the P&C spaces than perfectly able bodied parents and children using them just because their car is too big but they're "entitled".

I've used them for elderly relatives who don't have a blue badge

This again??

One climbing in completely independently and doing seatbelt up himself. Other case didn’t see.
I know these are courtesy spaces anyway and not a right so I don’t bank on having it.
Also people without children parking him then being a pain like onlyfallsandmothers says but just wondering if we don’t help ourselves when we take the mick using them when our children are older.

when he's old enough to reliably get himself out of his seat belt and open and close the door without either hurting himself or damaging our/other people's cars. 12 seems reasonable

Im not sure but as others have said, some people aren’t eligible for disabled badges but still need to be close to the shop with an older kids.
I wasn’t allowed one and on some days I can’t walk. I have a 3 year old so it’s helpful more for me than because I need a wider space to get out (but as it happens having a 3 year old in a seat means I can use them without guilt)

I never really thought of it as an age thing. I've always thought of it with respect to why parent and child spaces exist. While ever someone could benefit from the extra space to safely get their child in and out of the car then it seems reasonable to use them.

Personally I reckon I'll probably use them while ever my child is in a car seat. Maybe a bit longer if they start loading themselves into the car as I think they might be at risk of hitting another car whilst opening the door / getting in.

YABU.

I never do now and my youngest is 8. There's no reason to as there are no additional needs so he can climb in and do the belt up himself.

@PumpkinP
Completely agree with that and also think you should be entitled to blue badges if you need them as not everywhere has Parent and child spaces for you to rely on which can be tricky. I would also never say anything to someone as I don’t know their circumstances. It just struck me that we get other people without children using them and maybe the situation isn’t helped when they see parents without a clear need for the space using them. I don’t need to be closer to the shops- I just want to be able to open my car door to get my son out. (I have an i10 before anyone says about the size of my car either).

Ds is 10 and has a blue badge. There are some places I will still use the p and c spaces with him instead as the location of them in much more convenient for us.

There are many reasons that people will need to be closer to the store or need extra door room and being a parent is just one of those reasons. If a space is free use it if not park elsewhere

Well we are not entitled despite getting dla and having a diagnosis of autism. So im sure people judge me but she has zero sense of danger and the p&c spaces are always closest to the store

I was also not saying these parents shouldn’t use them as like I said in my original post- a disabled child needing the space. I just wanted to know what the general consensus was as to at what age to stop using them. I guess looking at it as ability may be a better phrase.

Children are so much more likely to be clumsy climbing in and out of the car.

Imagine trying to get in and out of a car that is twice the size. Everything is twice the size, so you need to clamber up or down a significant step, and the door is twice the height and weight. Reaching the handle is tricky. Pushing it open is harder. Because it’s larger, it’s much harder to push it to its half-open position - you have to give it a solid shove because the minute it’s a little bit open, it’s out of your reach. You have to stand in the footwell to reach out of the car to grab the handle to shut it, practically on tiptoes reaching out trying to get enough purchase on the handle to pull it toward you. You can’t put a foot up on the side because you’d slam the door on your foot. You pull the door but it’s heavy so it half catches. Then you have to swing it open again and try to give it a suitable slam, and climb up onto your seat.

Trust me as someone who has been trying to train a small child to get themselves independently in and out of the car without needing me to hoik them in and out for what seems like forever, a child is far, far more likely than a baby to whack the car next to you with the car door. Even if they are trying desperately not to.

When I had small babies I had a three door car, literally climbing in and out each time to unload from the rear facing seats. Annoyingly enough, a three door car would be BETTER now as none of the above would apply and I could just sling them in the back and there would be much lower risk of them whacking doors.