To feel that parents with older children shouldn't be using parent and child car parks?

[mickitee]

Several times since having my baby, I've been to car parks where all the parent and child spaces were full, and then struggled with her pushchair in a regular car space only to look over and see a family with older children (8+) getting into a car in one of the parenting child spaces.

Am I wrong to feel that these parks are designed for families with babies and younger children using pushchairs, or who actually need what's the extra space to be able to get their child in and out safely without risking damage to cars around them. If your child is at an age and ability level where they are capable of getting in and out of the car safely by themselves, you don't need the space and are just making life more difficult for other parents.

So, AIBU to feel annoyed about this?

I thought the logic was bigger spaces to get children in/out easier was the aim. Alot of car parks have walkways and crossings so no safety issues navigating a carpark

@EmeraldDuck

Up to 12 years IS the car seat age range.

I kinda agree but cars were much smaller, car seats were more basic and buggies weren’t the size of a small tank either.

They’re quite obviously for parents with children who need help getting in and out of the car, with that be your 6 month or 11 year old with additional needs. Agree it’s really selfish for those with children who can get in and out themselves to use them.

I think you've articulated this much better than I have managed to, this is exactly what I meant.

I still don't understand why mums need to take the car seat out the car 🤷‍♀️

Baby is sleeping, so instead of waking baby up or waiting for baby to finish its nap, you can put the car seat on the base of the pushchair and use that instead.

Or some parents use the car seat as the seat for the pushchair.

Not really that hard to understand…

you might see me parking in those spaces with my 18 year old and 13 year old. both perfectly capable of getting in and out of car. but I am disabled, I need to be able to open the car door fully to get in and out. my blue badge has expired. if I park in a normal space and someone parks next to me, I can't get in my car

why don't you just assume that people are using them for legitimate reasons. all of us with older kids have had babies/toddlers. we know the difficulties that you have with that age. but we also understand that there are reasons that parents need them with older kids/no kids. I remember the feeling of being a new parent and you really feel like it couldn't be harder. but it often is

I have mentioned above that I am not talking about situations where someone needs the space, and an adult without children who has a disability is using the space for a valid reason. I am specifically talking about situations where someone does not need the space and uses it anyway for convenience.

how would you know??

I'm an able bodied Grandma and I can't get the baby seat out of the car without opening the door wide. Baby is not big enough to be carried or go in trolley seat.
If no parent/child parking then I try and park in an end space but it's not always safe.

It's not for me to know. I'm not walking around policing it. I'm asking whether people think it's ok to make that choice themselves.

I park in them with my kids 8 and 12 but will keep doing it as we’ve got a massive 4x4 that doesn’t fit into normal spaces!

of course it's ok for people to make that choice themselves. who else are you proposing should make the choice?

I've got more of an issue with people parking in them who don't have children with them

Mike in his Shogun just rocks straight in, it's too big to park in a normal space innit

I'm not sure if you are being deliberately obtuse in order to argue about something I haven't actually said. I have not questioned anyone's freedom to make their choice for themself, or even suggested that the park use be policed by anyone external. People who know they need to use the space that are free to use it, even if that need isn't obvious to anyone else. I expect that people know their own needs. My point is that when people who know that they don't need the space and choose to use it anyway for convenience, it is unavailable for someone who does need it. Do people think that is ok?

Then what exactly is the point of your post? Everyone who parks in a parent and child space without a child of the right age in tow, has made the choice to use it. If you're not interested in policing it then whatever their reason was must be considered valid.

In those cases, I'd suggest a blue badge and disabled space would be more appropriate.

Oh OP if you’re finding one baby in a buggy from a carpark difficult waiting until you’re trying to get two toddlers out safely without one running into the road while you get the other.

mum and baby/buggy spaces should be at the back of a carpark with lots of room as that’s all that’s needed and a path.
parent and multiple toddler spaces need to be big and near the shop.
Parent and child spaces could be anywhere but a bit bigger because of swinging doors.
Obviously children with SEN should be able to use any space at any age - would they be able to use blue badge spaces? I don’t actually know.

Which not every disabled person is entitled to

yes, this is where I'm at too 🤷🏼‍♀️

I only do it in Waitrose where we're all entitled.

@Sunnydaysareahead

That's a great comment, to be fair!

I wish these spaces were much further away from the shop. I need the extra width to get a newborn and a toddler in and out of their car seat safely. I don't give two hoots about having to walk further, I just want the width. I think if they were further away it would make them less appealing to use for people who don't need them.

If they're all going in the shop with kids, then fair enough... I hate it when whole families park in them and just the mum or dad gets out... Why on earth take up a P+C space in the first place?

There's nothing ridiculous with expecting a 7 year old to be able to manage themselves around a car and in a car park.

Seriously, raise your expectations.

Regardless of unpredictability, there's no need for a P&C space for 7 year olds without additional needs.