Would you leave baby asleep in car ?

[engalaaand]

Whilst you took older child to nursery (takes 3 minutes) ? Car is right outside and locked..

No, not for a moment.

Agree

You can't see the baby as the windows are blacked out. If the baby cried then yes, someone might call. But in the three minutes it takes to get back, it's unlikely they'd get far. I don't think the police would care.

If any of those things happened I’d go back and get the baby.

I wouldn't but I wouldn't think wrongly of anyone for doing it themselves. Logically I don't think there's much risk, but I feel uncomfortable at the thought of not being able to see the car. I find taking the car to nursery far more of a pain than walking on the odd occasion we have to drive there for this very reason!

On MN yes. Hugely.

I would love to walk, it's just too far unfortunately.

DHs old car got written off on the middle of the day parked in the street outside our friend's house. It was a quiet residential street, but someone going too fast (think 40 in a 30 rather than GTA) lost control and hit 3/4 cars. So no I wouldn't. In the car park off of the road and within eye/earshot maybe for a minute or two.

Not out of sight, or parked on a public street.

DH once had his parked car written off (while sitting in it!) hit head on by a reckless uninsured driver in a car he didn't own, driving on the wrong side of the road.

My biggest concerns would be if the car catches fire or if the baby chokes.

By themselves, any one of the reasons given so far may seem a remote possibility.
Then you add them all together, and the chances of something happening increases.

It probably depends where you live and I wouldn't do it if I lived in London or another busy city.

Out in the sticks, it's perfectly fine.

I used to sometimes leave my baby DS asleep in the car in the back of Tesco car park whilst I nipped to buy a coffee. I'd be gone a couple of minutes.

I wouldn’t. Risks for me would be that someone would steal the car without realising the baby was in the back (happened quite recently, it was in the news). That baby would wake up and start crying as someone was passing and they might steal the baby or phone the police on me. Something might happen to me on the way back to the car for example if I got hit by a car and was unconscious and no way to tell anyone that the baby was in the car. Another car hitting my car with the baby inside. Forgetting to lock the car and someone is watching me and steals my baby. I’m not saying any of these are rational whatsoever, just what goes on in my brain, even with baby number 3.

How would you know the baby was crying if you were out of earshot? What if you assumed they’d only be 1 more minute to let you in so thought it wasn’t worth it on this occasion?

Why would the baby choke ? Sorry just wondering, is this something I need to be worrying about at all times ?

Cars have been stolen with kids inside. Parked cars have rolled into canals with kids inside. The chances of anything bad are tiny but if it did the consequences would be enormous

I wouldn’t if I couldn’t see the car, then again my little boy is only 9 months old so maybe I’m just being paranoid.

I don't think you are. I think most people wouldn't, judging by this thread.

Babies can choke on their own sick. Unlikely but it's possible.

No I definitely would never do that. I understand things can happen all the time (such as when driving you're much more likely to have an accident) but the thought of something happening to my baby, however small a chance, and my baby being all alone... no.

I would but possibly in minority. Obviously not in hot weather.

Only if I was able to see the car, not if I was going any further.

No.
As others have said, only if you can see the car. I know of a parent that was pulled into school about leaving a baby in the school car park while taking children in. I also know of someone that would regularly let a baby sleep in the car outside the house but it's something that I couldn't do.

I would if I could see the car.

I wouldn't be concerned about kidnapping / fires etc. those are incredibly improbable. but I would be concerned about the car getting too hot in the sun and/or me being delayed at nursery & not getting back to the car. those are much more likely risks.

I agree chances of anything bad happening are minute, but never zero.
How would the conversation with the police go? I just wouldn’t want to be in the position of admitting I left my baby in a locked vehicle unattended.

Plus locked vehicles can be opened remotely without breaking the window - has happened to me more than once, only spare change was taken from my glove compartment. I didn’t even realise until I spotted the contents of said glove compartment on the pavement. During covid too! In this day and age you can’t be too careful, we’ve all read stories where the car has been nicked and the child/dog was inside it.

Your risk assessment is wrong then. There are far far far more road accidents involving parked cars per year than baby kidnappings!

I wouldn’t do it if I couldn’t see the car as it would be too stressful worrying about the unattended baby. What if your toddler fussed at drop off? What if the nursery worker wants to talk to you about something? 3 mins could easily turn into 5 mins or more. Far too stressful for me.