Parent and child parking spaces

[WeightyMama]

I’m aware I might get thrashed for this but here goes.

At what age child do you think you should stop using parent and child spaces? I went to the supermarket yesterday and there were no spaces left. I had to park quite far away with my baby so that I had somewhere with enough space to get everything sorted. On my way back to the spaces I noticed a woman getting back in the car with one child of about 12/23 years old. Child opened the back door, got in (no car seat), no issues.

AIBU to say that at that stage you should park in a normal spot and let others have the parking? I would understand if the child was heavy handed and might bash the door into a neighbouring car or something, but this child was far from that.

Part of the problem is ordinary car park spots. My two are in car seats (hbb) but I still have to strap them. Most car parks this physically isn’t possible in a normal car parking spot. I’m not sure what age, 12 seems too old, but 5 seems too low a cut off especially if they have SEN (which won’t always qualify for a blue badge but might mean they need help getting safely strapped in).

At Morrisons they are called Parent & Toddler spaces...

@lakesidelife

For some reason I've never understood parent and child parking really annoys a large chunk of Mumsnet.

You get the, "I went shopping on a bus with six dc and never had any issues brigade".

Also people who talk about blue badge spaces even though they are aren't overlapping issues.

I've never understood why providing a service for families with small dc draws so much wrath on a website for families. But it always has.

I had twins and needed a special twin trolley kept at the front of the store by P&C parking.
I stopped using the spaces once dc were past toddler stage.

Agreed - but it draws so much wrath because some people love to give other mothers a kicking, because they dared to ask for what is perceived to be a premium spot.

People on here want to use these things because they feel like they're missing out if someone actually more needy uses them.

They will find whatever reason they can (you don't know if the child could have hidden disabilities! They might have co-ordination issues and throw up open doors) to push that person back to the normal spaces.

Also - why are some people on here justifying bringing their non-disabled teenager into parent and child spaces because they "throw the doors open"

Two helpful suggestions:

• use the child lock button - it's what it's there for
• actually parent your child

Mainsfed, I didn’t know that! Thanks!

@Bourbonic It’s not about the distance. I would not care if they were at the far end of the car park. It’s having the extra space around the car to easily/safely open the door and then get child out the seat and safely open the pushchair. If I don’t get a space when I shop it can be a nightmare trying to get in and out. Even worse if someone parks badly next to me when shopping. I have been unable to open and get my child in the car.

As a parent I would stop using them once my child is out of the car seat and able to get into and out the car safely. By then I would not require pushchairs and all the extra bits and bobs.

I think up to age 5 is reasonable - past the stage of needing baby seats and old enough to understand not to run off into traffic.

My understanding is the at they are meant for primary aged children and 12 is the cut off point. How can you tell the age of the child? My DD is 11 ands one in her class definitely look older when they’re not. FWIW I still use P&C spaces as my 8 year old still needs help with seat belt

The biggest problem with the perception of these spaces is that they're offered as a courtesy by supermarkets - they're not a legal right.

The other major aspect of this problem is the age banding for the "child" component - (0-12 years) .

It's way too large an age range for these spaces.

I don't know the stats of course but I can imagine if the average shopper spends 45 minutes, and at a major supermarket you'll have hundred of shoppers per hour... yeah. It's easy to see how those spaces would quickly fill up because a fair percentage of those will have children that fit that age banding.

My suggestions would be

• move the spaces away from the front. Put them next to the safe walking path to the door, have a trolley area near it. This stops the lone twats in the Boxsters "I'll only be a minute". It will also discourage the "my 13 year old has no disability but he flings car doors open" lot. I get the feeling they won't be visiting those spaces as much if it meant walking a bit 😆

• Change the age range from 0-12 to 0-3. This then means it's for people who are using the bulky child seats, or taking out children at the age we all know is trickier. Anything after that? parent your child!

@Hesma

My understanding is the at they are meant for primary aged children and 12 is the cut off point. How can you tell the age of the child? My DD is 11 ands one in her class definitely look older when they’re not. FWIW I still use P&C spaces as my 8 year old still needs help with seat belt

You can help her with her seat belt from a normal space. I do with mine.

Those spaces really should be for people who are taking out rear facing bulky seats, or strapping in very young children.

But from reading the Mumsnet audience, it's clear who on Earth is going to give up their entitlement to a space, for another parent who might or might not be along that hour? I get it.

12 maximum I did not know. Oh I missed on the opportunity to park on those for quite a few years. Always assumed it was for up to until they could walk.

Back in 1998 when I had DC1 at Tesco you joined the Tesco Parent and Baby Club. This gave you money off vouchers and also a sticker for your windscreen allowing you to park in the P&C spaces until your child was 5 and I think the date was on the sticker.

All I ever seem to see is people without children parking in P&C or people who’ve brought their entire family out for a day out to the supermarket.
I completely understand hidden disabilities or needs and would be happy for those who need to have the space. However, otherwise it’s just about consideration.

I have a 1 year old and need to get them in and out of the car, distance isn’t a thing as they can sit in the trolley or be carried (not au fait with walking everywhere just yet) but it’s the space to do the car seat up and get their coat on on a bad day, as I won’t put them in the car seat with a bulky coat on.
Yesterday I parked right at the back of the car park out of the way, but it’s the risk of the large majority of people who are part of the ‘abandon car at a funky angle somewhat near the lines but not within’ appearing next to you and making it difficult.

The worst are people who park in the spaces when they’ve got their child in the car, but only one of them is going into the shop and the child remains in the car, very common around here.

It is a terrible situation where people who obviously need a blue badge are refused one. I had a patient recently who was in this situation and while we are appealing the decision, I've told them to use the P&C parking spaces. I've also provided a letter for them to show the supermarket if need be as they were worried about being abused. This is a person who is already abused frequently for not being able to wear a mask.

Oh and as a child,free person I've never noticed whether a baby is in a car seat or whatever. Like most childfree people I have little interest in how babies are transported so will leave parents to judge other parents for that.

On Friday I went to our local big M&S as we needed to get a gift and some work clothes for DP. We have a nearly 2 year old who is in a rear facing seat. We found a parent and child spot which meant we could fully open the door to get him out which was amazing and saved me panicking over accidentally hitting the car next door! (Side note we usually try and park as far away as needed to get an end space so we have the extra room!!
We shop and come back at the same time as a lady pulling into the space next to us. She got out the car (please note that the BB spaces were in front of us and empty apart from one car!) went into the boot, grabbed a baby on board sign, put it in the back mirror and strolled off (clearly not pregnant or any disability!). It was so cheeky!!

@warmup

On Friday I went to our local big M&S as we needed to get a gift and some work clothes for DP. We have a nearly 2 year old who is in a rear facing seat. We found a parent and child spot which meant we could fully open the door to get him out which was amazing and saved me panicking over accidentally hitting the car next door! (Side note we usually try and park as far away as needed to get an end space so we have the extra room!! We shop and come back at the same time as a lady pulling into the space next to us. She got out the car (please note that the BB spaces were in front of us and empty apart from one car!) went into the boot, grabbed a baby on board sign, put it in the back mirror and strolled off (clearly not pregnant or any disability!). It was so cheeky!!

That is both shocking and slightly hilarious that she is using a “baby in board” sign like a blue badge. I’d have been tempted to shop her to security and ask them to watch out for her on the way back. They could also look in the window and note that no child seat in there.

About 10 if NT? Older than 10 most kids can open the door without bashing the car next you, and are old enough to stand next to the car while you get the shopping bags out the boot etc not go wandering off like a younger child might. Or stand and wait somewhere safe while you reverse into a tight space.

I can see why the parent of an 8 year old might use a P&C space as from the age of about 5 most kids can unclip themselves from their boosters and get out. Sure you can keep the child locks on but if you’re reaching into the back seat to get bags or coats, a child can easily get out the other door and go running off after a ball/butterfly/race sibling to the store etc.

Yes they’re great for prams and when you need to get a car seat out to clip car seat onto pram chassis without waking the baby. Or when you need to hold onto a toddler while dealing with baby! But there are ways around this. I used to put baby in the sling for shopping most of the time as it was less hassle than getting the car seat in and out. They tend to fall asleep again in slings!

They could also look in the window and note that no child seat in there

Not if you have darkened windows or took the car seat into the store. Eg maybe the woman’s partner was in the store with the baby in the car seat (seats clip onto trollies and prams) and she was just picking them up? So she may have needed the space to get the seat back inside the car.

I can see why the parent of an 8 year old might use a P&C space as from the age of about 5 most kids can unclip themselves from their boosters and get out. Sure you can keep the child locks on but if you’re reaching into the back seat to get bags or coats, a child can easily get out the other door and go running off after a ball/butterfly/race sibling to the store etc.

I'm sorry. Can you explain what it is about parent and child spaces that would prevent a child from being able to get out and go off?

I'm sorry. Can you explain what it is about parent and child spaces that would prevent a child from being able to get out and go off?

My mistake, it won’t stop them running off. But it will give them more safe space around the car to stand and wait if they get out before you’re ready (rather than standing in the road).

Also spaces for P&C tend to be closer to the store and directly accessible via the pedestrian walkway, so if they wander they’re more likely to wander onto the pedestrianised but not into the car park.

@BeneathYourWisdom

They could also look in the window and note that no child seat in there

Not if you have darkened windows or took the car seat into the store. Eg maybe the woman’s partner was in the store with the baby in the car seat (seats clip onto trollies and prams) and she was just picking them up? So she may have needed the space to get the seat back inside the car.

Trust me when I say she did not have a baby or a child for that matter! There was no child paraphernalia at all - car was immaculate. Woman was probably in early 60s. She got a little trolly on the way in...

@3AndStopping

Iminaglasscaseofemotion YANBU but aot of people on MN just about wet themselves with the excitement of making sure a parent with young children should know they have no right to those parking spaces, anyone can park in them, and they will most definitely have a hidden disability (very rarely the case). It's quite pathetic.

This is so true...

The same group of people who are so defensive of disabled spaces, are the same ones frothing out the mouth over p&c ones. (I’ll be accused of saying pregnancy/child are a disability now.) 🙄

@VeganVeal no real reason then just more practical? Imagine how much more practical they are for people with children...

There are disproportionate number of P/C spaces at our local supermarket, many more than disabled, which I'd never park in. If there is a free P/C space, yes I'll park in it, I'd rather hear a few 'tuts' from others than have some thoughtless twat putting a dent in my car door.

Upto age 10.

* Those spaces really should be for people who are taking out rear facing bulky seats, or strapping in very young children.*

^I agree with this

I once saw a woman park up and 2 blokes who could only be described as the Mitchell brothers get out the car with her. I guess, technically, she had a right to park there but it pissed me off no end as it was the last space available