Is it okay to leave a child in the car to pop into a shop?

[loveisanumber]

Local mum.

She has a baby/toddler who's recently celebrated her 1st birthday.

I've noticed on a few occasions now that she leaves the baby in the car whilst she pops into the chemist for prescriptions, pops into the little Tesco for a few bits etc.

Most of the time she's roughly a few minutes but the reason I'm starting this thread is because today she was talking to me whilst waiting for a prescription. We were standing there for a good 15 minutes before her name was called because mine was called just before

When I was walking by me said bye again, she opened the car door to get in and was saying 'It's okay darling, I'm back' and I heard the baby crying

AIBU to think it's wrong?

YANBU, definitely not ok!!

@Miscellaneousme thought so! H thinks I'm being really over the top

No way

No. It's neglect.

Not OK in those circumstances

Yes. It’s wrong.
My dp’s knew someone whose baby died in a car fire on their own driveway.
Baby had fallen asleep so they left her in the car and went in, they couldn’t get her out of the car quickly enough.
It was 30 years ago but it stuck with me.

Mind your own business, concentrate on your own life! Leave people do as they see fit ffs

No tales seconds to break into a car, it takes seconds for a parked car to be hit, it takes only minit s for a car fire to start.

You get my drift, it's always the freak accidents and situations you never even considered.

Meh

Ive done it I don't think it's the mad risk others make it

Obviously she doesn't either

This

I always did if the child was asleep and I was literally grabbing something from our local shop where I could see the car .Same with paying for petrol.

Mad risks, yes leave an underaged child in a locked metal flammable container, full of fuel.

Tell that to all the parents who are still living with the consequences of mad risks, my DH is one of the poor fuckers who has had to attend this once in his life time and once was once to many.

@Jobalons

'locked metal flammable container, full of fuel'

You drive?

Nipping in to pay for petrol, yes, I think it's more dangerous to take a toddler out of the car. Any other situation I wouldn't.

Not at that age no, I personally wouldn’t. I’d probably leave my 7 year old in the car whilst paying for fuel, but not my 4 year old.

I wouldn’t go into a shop where I couldn’t see the car though! Saying that, I don’t even like going to the post box outside my front door without taking them with me.

FFS not this one again

How is it more dangerous?

2 mins paying for petrol is a lot different to 15 minutes waiting for a prescription.

The baby was upset.

That should be enough to stop any reasonable person leaving their child alone. Why does it have to be 'mad risks','why not just not wanting the child to be upset?

It's definitely not right and would be frowned upon by most people I would think.

But I have overheard a mum at my dcs' school saying she'd left her toddler napping in the car and another mum saying "oh yeah I used to do that all the time". That was quite recently, so I think people do still do it.

I've done it loads of times.

Report me if you like.

Mumsnet where seemingly no one ever tires of boring discusions on leaving small children in cars. There is nothing anyone could possibly post that hasn't been said a million times before

It's about considering risk so if literally popping in and can see car so eg paying for petrol or buying a pint of milk then I'd not be too concerned. But not something like picking up a prescription as that often takes 10-15 mins because of queue or not ready etc. Also depends on where - I'd feel more comfortable at local shop in residential area than in town centre or on a retail park. However, I think what she did is more "not what I'd do, don't think it's a great idea" than "report to social services" which no doubt someone will suggest soon.

Only ok if you can see the car at all times.

Perhaps I don't have great petrol stations near me, but being a pedestrian is scary enough on the forecourt without a toddler in my arms. I'd rather leave them in a parked car, visible to other cars. Fact is everyone has to make their own risk assessment of situations, I'm not saying I'd judge anyone for doing differently!