Friend leaving DC in car?

[LadySlipper11]

A friend of mine came round for coffee earlier, and as her DD (13 months) had fallen asleep in the car she left her there.... AIBU to think thats a bit weird? She wasnt parked on my driveway, just on the road, and for some reason I felt this was unsafe - but I'm not sure why I thought that. I did say "oh, will she be ok in there?" and my friend just said "of course!" as if I was being ridiculous. What is everyone else's thoughts? I'm a mean mother who wakes her child up (even though I try my best not to!) to transfer them into the house!

I would have left her if on the drive, not on the road unless just popping in.

I wouldn't. How would she know when the baby's awake?

I left my children asleep in the car but I parked where I could always see the car.

What if another car crashed into hers and babies aren't meant to be left unsupervised in car seats.

If DS fell asleep in the car one of us would always sit in with him until he woke, or we'd risk transferring him in to the house. We never left him alone, not even on the drive away. It was a great time to get some sleep myself, or read a book. I kind of miss those days!

I wouldn't personally but I do generally operate a worst/bad case scenario mindset.

Stems from my job.

But each to their own.

I always left mine in the driveway. Not sure I'd have left them on the road, though if it's a quiet road/cul de sac and the car was parked directly outside the house (with no front garden) then I probably would have left them.

I was once sat in my back garden and heard a toddler crying for a good 10 mins which was odd as we didn't have any neighbours with youngsters. I went exploring and found a young child strapped in her car, alone. Her parents had clearly left her in asleep - it took 10 minutes of knocking on doors to find her parents.

The child sounded terrified, as I guess most would waking up somewhere unfamiliar and alone!

What is the point of post? Permission to judge your friend? Fine go for it.

I assume child was fine and while it wouldn't be me I wouldn't be considering social services either. If she sat in the car it wouldn't be any less risk of an accident.

@sally872 point of post is to get some opinions - it had never occured to me to do this and as a FTM wondering if its the norm and I'm missing a trick or being too overprotective. Not judging my friend!

What is the point of post? Permission to judge your friend? Fine go for it.

The post doesn't sound judgemental at all. OP said she wouldn't do it herself but doesn't know why and was looking to see what the consensus was.

I wouldn't blink if it was a driveway. I don't do it myself but I don't think it's a bad thing to do. But the road would make me a little more uncomfortable I suppose. Did she have line of sight to the car at all times?

On the driveway so you can see if the baby wakes up, I wouldnt have an issue.
On the road for a few minutes while you pop into the shop/house, wouldnt bother me either.
On the road for a long time without eyes on the baby I wouldnt be happy with.

Although I dont really buy the "what if another car crashed into it" scenario - if the baby is asleep most parents would sit in the car and let them sleep at least for a while. You sitting in the front seat wouldnt stop a collision.

I wouldn’t do it - we once left DS in the car, on our driveway outside the house when he was 7. He’d fallen asleep after a long journey - he woke up a few minutes later and was very distressed as he couldn’t see us.

Never and not even on a driveway. Are people really sat there watching constantly? I just couldn't do it.

No I wouldn't do it, I'd just be too worried about something happening. Not on a street anyway. I can understand when people can see the child and it's on private land though. I still couldn't, I'm a natural born worrier.

I leave my son in the car asleep on my driveway, in a cul de sac, but I drag a chair to the porch and have a cuppa there so I can see the car. I also crack a window so I can hear him, and check on him periodically. I think your mate is reckless.

Oh god no. Never understood people who leave their babies in cars alone. Someone I knew did this and got social services turn up at their house.

I've left my D.C. to sleep in the car but only while the car was on the driveway and I kept checking on them. The anxiety of constantly checking made me not do it again. I now always risk waking them up . I find if you have a dummy ready and head straight to the nursery you can get them back to sleep quicker

When my Ds falls asleep in the car I always stay in there with him, and I live on a track with only one neighbour. Can't imagine being happy leaving him on a road!

My Aunty used to do this to my cousin and she hated it, she’d wake up upset and beg her Mum not to do it again. I think it’s cruel to be honest.

No, I wouldn’t. There’s a few mums in my kids school who drive and park near the school and leave their younger children in the car... which is out of sight. Worse thing is sometimes the mums in question will get there 5 minutes or so before the bell goes to chat to mums, sometimes it takes 10 minutes to get all the kids out (reception when) so they’ve potentially left them for 15 minutes in a car out of their sight. Drives me mad!

I know it’s frustrating when your little ones fall sleep on the car. I have left mine to sleep but I’ve always parked outside the house and stayed in the front garden or just sat in the car for a while!

I wouldn’t if it was more than a few minutes. I think likelihood of danger is low, but waking up distressed is high. I will leave mine in the car in the integrated garage with car doors open so I can hear when they wake. I wouldn’t on the drive unless I was staying in the car or garden.

It’s lazy and cruel