Child alone in car at supermarket

[weakpanda]

AIBU to think of your child isn't old enough/safe enough to sit in the front seat of the car it's not safe to leave them alone in the car while you shop???

At Tesco earlier while loading my shopping i saw a child alone in the car next to mine. I got the refg of the car and was going to go into Tesco and let security know but then the mum came back and started shouting at him, think he had set an alarm off earlier as hazard lights were flashing.

She then started shouting at him to get into the back of the car as he wasn't old enough to sit in the front and it wouldn't be safe, this boy I'm guessing would have been around 7/8 years old, he was crying so much and then they left.

It's been bugging me all day, nothing I can do about it now but that poor boy

@Hellocatshome yes many many issues, permanently excluded from school -in a lot of trouble, for 2 years in and out of court. on a tag. But I never gave up on him, set boundaries, went looking for him supported him went him done well, consequences when he didn't, every court appearance, showed the court he came from a decent hardworking family, ( had the police interview mr to tell me that could take my house of me I told them they would have a job I own it outright. When the police came to the house they used to say they couldn't believe he lived "here" In a decent living home. He went off the rails when my H left me 1 week before he started senior school. He was only happy in his "gang"

His probation officer said he has ADHD. We got medication and things slowly changed. He now is a lovely ( he always was ) young man decent human being, hard working and has a lovely young family - has MH issues but much better now - did take an overdose about 4 years ago, he is the only one of the "gang who didn't go to prison. But all of the gang are now good law abiding young men. It was a very difficult time which I navigated through on my own with many many tears. You can judge me I don't mind. It's my truth

A few years ago I left DS2 and DD, at their choice, in the car on a horrible wet rainy evening while I popped into a shop. They'd have been about 10 and 7. Got back and they were in fits of laughter as they'd overhead someone say dramatically "look at those poor children!" They were quite happy in the warm and dry. We still laugh about it sometimes when we park on that car park.

Can all these judgey folks please contact my ds's school as nobody can see fault with him..
Ta!

@Mintyt I didnt need your full back story and my point still stands putting a post on a thread about what age a child can be left alone in a car saying you wouldn't leave your 14 year old is a bit pointless when there are very specific reasons you wouldnt leave your 14 year old. You must be able to see that it doesn't apply to most people and most 14 year olds can be left in a car without issue.

Yabu
You don’t know the child, the family and it really was none of your business

Children of that age go out and play round the streets and round blocks and off to the park unsupervised.
You don’t know what instructions the mother gave to him, if the car was in gear in case he let the handbrake off.
It is not your job to parent other parents

I left DD once when she was about 8. I was gone for about 5 minutes.

Came back to the car in the car park lane and DD sobbing her heart out. A woman had parked behind and rammed my car out of the space into the road. She'd then got out, locked up and left.

Ended up calling her on the tannoy, she'd not even realised she'd done it. How do you hit a car and push it 4ft forward without even realising?
I never left DD after that.

No I wouldn’t leave a child in a car - not worth the risk.

I was left in the car from about 7-8 years old - normally when my mum had to go to the supermarket on the way home from school.

It was fine, but I suppose it depends on the child.

I’m not reading all the comments but my initial thought was she might not have left him other than to perhaps put the trolley back?
Would that be possible?

In any event I wouldn’t be quick to judge especially since you don’t know the wider context

DS now 12 has been known to sit in the car playing on his phone whilst I do a food shop. Been doing this a few years now... I'd say from about 8ish. He has his phone if he needs me, knows how to get out of car if necessary and can follow instructions not to touch. Always leave windows open a little. Never been an issue but I tend to park close ish to entrance in case he does need help (never happened yet)

I'd from about 8 is fine to leave a child in a car for a few minutes.

I remember being that sort of age and left in the car while my mum would go and do something for a few minutes.

Unless we are talking about popping into Tesco Express for a pint of milk, then I wouldn't leave a child in the car any sooner than I would leave them at home and drive ten minutes to the supermarket, half hour shop, then home. I don't remember the first scenario coming up as we had little money so the grocery shop was planned weekly with no extras. I left DS at home from age eight for the weekly shop. I understand taking them and leaving in the car if it's a half hour drive to the supermarket though.

Front seat was age 10, seat pushed back away from the airbag, only because of car sickness. Otherwise would have been 12.

@shouldistop

I've always taken mine with me until they were old enough to stay home alone

And what age is that?

32 😂

@Hellocatshome For gods sake - maybe it was a trigger that made me write it, I don't even know why I did, but that was for ME for MY child I wouldn't leave again, you do you as you do. You and many on MN are very judgemental and, I'm not al all sorry my back story pissed you off. Your very welcome