My husband and I took our kids to a local car park for some practice cycling. car park was mostly empty and we were there around an hour, both practicing with one kid each.
I half noticed a car arrive and park up a little while after we arrived. Didn't see the owners- was with wobbly 4 year old. 5 mins later I noticed the car doors were all open, and there was a little boy in the car. I assumed someone else was in the car with him.
About 10 mins after that, the boy started making some noises- animal type fun noises. I remember thinking that his parent must be one of the people over on the other side of the car park chatting. But another ten minutes later those people left and I saw the boy sort of hanging out of the car door sort of smiling and checking out what our kids were up to.
Dh and I mentioned this to each other at that stage as we passed each other by with our dc, wondering if we just couldn't see the boys adults, if he was ok etc. Assumed we should just keep out of it.
Around 10 mins later as we were starting to get ready to go, two ladies go over to the car and I realise it's the lady who runs a nursery my daughter used to go to for a while a few years ago.
The boy in the car was her son, who I remembered has additional needs. She lives around the corner from the car park but wouldn't have been able to see him from their home.
We waved and they drove off.
My husband feels strongly we should report her. He feels that not only did she leave her son in danger, but also because she is in a position of huge responsibility taking care of other people's kids, and her judgement is obviously totally off. Her nursery is run from a forest, so it's even more important that she is on the ball and aware of danger.
I suppose I feel the same, but I'm finding it hard to say yes to reporting her. She's lovely, passionate about what she does, and on one level I just don't feel she deserves to be reported to social services for what may have been a momentary lapse.
AIBU to pause before reporting this lady?
AIBU?
To report this woman
KangaFandanga · 31/05/2020 22:31
Fourplastics
What is there to report, a 8/9 year old sitting in a car or the parents who think that a car park is a play ground for little ones to ride their bikes, as i said above even with the odd explanation of it was empty enough for bike riding, but dangerous if the kid got out of the car 
, we could see if cars coming from a long distance, but nobody could see the boy unless they were in the carpark.
I find the bike riding in a car park more worrying than a child sitting in a car.
The child didn't leave the car though, so the mother's judgement was quite right
Whereas you were letting small children ride bikes in a car park - I think it is your judgement that is off OP.
@NotEverythingIsBlackandWhite
What if he got out of the vehicle and went into the park leaving the car unattended? Would he have left the car doors open leaving it vulnerable to theft? He could have met other kids in the park and had non-socially distanced interaction with them. In this case he didn't, but what if he'd seen children he knew?
But he didn't do any of those things, he stayed in the car.
I doubt the mum would have left him if he was likely to wander off.
It's fine and normal for older children to be out of sight of their parents. You know 9 year olds can play in the park, walk to school, go swimming without adults, right?
The doors were open because it's hot
No one would leave a 9 year old locked in a car they couldn't open anyway - child locks are only on rear doors and are designed to stop toddlers jumping out of moving vehicles.
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