To leave sleeping child in locked car?

[Wouldyoudothisiwonder]

Went to supermarket to get prescription for DD(2) and she fell asleep on the way. Would you lock the car and leave her sleeping while you run in? Or not?

I really don’t have to explain why I think leaving a child unattended for and out of eyeshot is irresponsible and the risks involved.

It is basic common sense.

Parents can disagree with me all they like. It’s a risk they’re willing to take. Not me.

Absolutely agree

you always get people on threads like this that try to be cool when in reality they’re coming across as negligent arseholes

People will always disagree about something to do with childrearing. You might not extended-rear-face your child and someone who does might consider you a ‘negligent arsehole’ as a child in a moving car is at much greater risk than a child in a stationary one. 🤷‍♀️

No, I wouldn't. I don't even leave my daughter in the car when paying for fuel - always use pay at pump. Aside from the risks I know she'd be terribly upset if she woke from a sleep and she was alone in the car. Our local supermarket pharmacy is so busy that it would take at least 20 mins to collect a prescription. When I was in this situation I woke her and took her to collect the medication.

The chance of something going wrong is tiny.

But the consequences if it did are huge.

I can think of dozens of scenarios that may never occur but just possibly could.

eg a parent faints in the store. Or collapses for some reason. Unlikely but not impossible. Child is alone for however long as the parent is not able to talk.

Car crashes into parked car.

Car develops a fault and bursts into flames (like one did outside my village shop when the elderly owner was inside buying stuff.)

Child vomits and chokes on own vomit.

Child undoes buckles etc on harness, gets out and into the front seats. (not unheard of - some children have undone the handbrakes on cars and cars rolled away.)

All of these are probably 1: million chance. But not impossible.

Why are you so angry and swearing? I was saying that people disagree about plenty to do with child rearing. I offered you an example of one issue that is contentious around raising kids. You only have to look at the ERF Facebook groups to see people feel extremely strongly about it. I’m happy to leave my sleeping child in the locked car for two minutes while I drop off a script or pay for my fuel. You’re not. That’s the end of it. My choices don’t affect you so I don’t understand your anger.

Incidentally, there’s no law against leaving a child alone in a car. It’s a broad offence to leave a child in a situation that places them at significant risk. Securely asleep in a car, parked right outside the front door of a supermarket, while dropping off a script to the pharmacy just inside, being away from the car for two minutes is unlikely to constitute ‘significant risk’.

You can't say it would be 2 minutes. The staff may be held up doing something else. I have never known anyone be in a pharmacy for 2 minutes!

Also, I have seen a car combust while the owner was inside a small village shop.

I'm guessing if it's 2 minutes it's not likely to be within a supermarket either. Never been to an in-store pharmacy that's directly by the entrance.

Because it’s essentially a narrative around justifying something which needlessly places your child in a vulnerable situation.

there is no specific law you are correct in terms of leaving a two year child asleep and unattended in a parked car. The consequences, however of this could be life changing though and arose entirely because essentially a parent chose to do the easy thing rather than the inconvenient and ultimately correct thing. Stretching the debate into extended rear facing or extended breast feeding is not the same. If a young child was killed in a car accident and evidence showed that they might have lived if they were rear facing wouldn’t mean action being taken against the parents. If a young child was left for a period of time and was injured / died in a car in a car park alone - for whatever reason - whilst the responsible adult was queuing for a prescription then that would not be the end of the matter.

equally the my choices don’t affect you narrative is just nonsense. Taking this example of your choices don’t affect someone else let’s run with that. Let’s say that somebody accidentally crashed their car into yours in the car park and your small Unwell child was in their on their own, how do you think that person would feel? How do you think a person who walks past the car and sees it would feel? I would be horrified and it would impact me enough to call the police If you were doing any other than just putting the trolley back.

The judgement of other parents and society is undeniable, nobody is saying otherwise. But to stretch that analogy to cover the arses of parents who make shocking decisions is not on.

The pharmacy inside my closest Sainsbury’s is right inside the door. Next to Vision Express. And a launderette. The P&C parking is nigh-on visible from where a queue would be.

But you’re missing the point that plenty of parents don’t see it as a vulnerable situation. They’ve assessed any risk and determined the comfort of their child at that moment outweighs the risk of someone crashing at speed into their parked car, or their well-maintained car spontaneously bursting into flames in the exactly couple of minutes they’re not in it.

I wouldn't have expected any less! Practically a drive-thru! Perhaps that's the one OP uses, you could give her a wave next time you're there. Be sure to let me know and I'll come keep an eye on your children. Will put my mind at ease, even if you're not concerned

No I’m not missing the point

i choose to condemn any parent who waltzes off and leaves an unwell toddler alone in a car while they go into a supermarket and queue possibly for twenty minutes for a prescription

As I think many others would
their risk management is non existent

Petrol yes because paying takes a minute plus you have to walk/dodge other cars.
Pharmacy can take ages even if you are collecting a prescription you put in days ago.

What about if your child is infectious? Say Covid, single parent needing to nip into supermarket to get Calpol.

Leave in car or bring with?

I remember being left around 5/6 when I had chickenpox, mum got me a magazine and a gingerbread man

Bring with. Every time.

Put a mask on them if needs be. They’re hardly going to infect the whole supermarket.

Leaving children alone, unsupervised is at the highest level of irresponsibility.

Under primary age, I would bring them with me every single time.

I do think from 5-6 years old, though, it is a little bit different and you can probably leave them for a few minutes without it being a major issue - simply because they can understand where you've gone etc. without becoming distressed.

If you can see your child/car from the shop yes.

If I have to get fuel from a garage that doesn't have pay at pump I lock my 3yr old in the car and run in quickly, I wouldn't If my child/car was out of sight though.

Yeah I wouldn't with a supermarket but I would (and have) at the local pharmacy where you can park outside and see the car the whole time. I wasn't wrestling a sleeping baby and toddler out of the car for less than a minute of being in the shop on that occasion! But being unable to see and far away from the car would be a no for me.

Would you leave your purse in a locked car?

Of course they wouldn't, they'd even go back for it if they realised they had. It's not inconvenient to take a purse though is it 🙄

Obviously they'll be back to say they've left their purse on full display 10000000 times and it's never been stolen, therefore it never will be.

Cousin left 3 and 5 year old in car to pop into shop. 3 year old released handbrake, car rolled down and across road into jag, caused thousands of £s damage. Children fortunately OK. Would I have left them . NO

Not a risk I would take.

Friend used to leave her primary age daughters in isolated pub car park of an evening while she 'popped in for a drink'. Again they survived. Would I do it. NO.