Parent and child spaces should be for those with children 5 and under

[seize]

Parent-child parking spaces at supermarkets should be reserved primarily for those with children aged 5 and under, aside from older children with special needs (although a blue badge might be more appropriate where they meet the criteria, in these cases).

I was alone with my 4 month old today, the trolleys with the baby seats are kept next to these spaces. The spaces which have the easiest access to the trolleys had all been taken with the last taken by someone just before me, I reversed into a space around the corner and the driver was shaking their head at me, presumedly because their space only had extra room on one side and my space came up to them (see picture). I was surprised to then see them get out with a child of about 13. I saw multiple other people using these spaces with children looking like teenagers. I was able to get a space which still had fairly easy access to the trolleys, albeit by needing to walk on the road and inbetween the other cars, multiple people had parked in the spaces with the easiest access with much older children. I was lucky to get a space at all, had I not I would have had to walk across the busy carpark holding my baby.

YANBU- Just because someone has a child under 16 doesn’t mean they should take up these spaces, they should save them for people who need them the most.

YABU- first come first served, who cares if someone with a baby is having to traipse across a busy car park holding a baby to get to the baby trolleys.

How about a priority system. So, cameras scan the car and, via facial recognition, determine who is entering the car park . This is linked to NHS and council records so it's able to determine if occupants have a recognised disability for which they need assistance and also official ages. It then ranks available spaces according to a score- eg more children, or disabled occupants, the higher the score- obviously less points allocated for single mims and step mothers. Fathers would be given more points as seeing a father with a child doing the shopping is such a novelty, it's worth it for entertainment value. The car is then directed to the best available space for their needs.

Based on this, I'm not sure the able bodied early 30s mum with a 4 month old baby would rank higher than an over tired, anti- depressant guzzling mum of 3 hairy teenagers.

As a parent of two that has never parked in a P&C space I really don’t understand why you are getting so worked up about this. I’ve coped perfectly fine (even with my massive Chelsea tractor that hardly fits in a space).

YANBU and I wouldn’t care if they were at the back of the car park, I just need the extra space to get child in / out of car seat.

I wouldn't care for myself obviously but my 3 year old, yes, I care. Usually I go for those spaces for the additional space to get her out and having her walking through a car park for as little time as possible.

Please tell me what hidden disability would mean you can walk through a shop completely fine, but can't walk across a car park? Based on what I've just googled, if it stops you walking through a car park it would also stop you doing a shop.

The mocking was unnecessary and not a response a grown woman should have even if she was embarrassed, she was being lazy and tbh selfish. I would never dream of using one of those spaces if I didn't have my child with me. My 84 grandmother, who would be justified tbh, would also never dream of it. Those that do that don't need to IMO are lazy

should be reserved primarily for those with children aged 5 and under, aside from older children with special needs (although a blue badge might be more appropriate where they meet the criteria, in these cases).

yesI get you, because blue badges are just handed out to everyone and everyone. My 10 has special needs. He wears mens size clothes! Apart from his baby face you'd never guess he was 10. He doesn't need a car seat but he does need some extra restraint than a seat belt and some space to get a child bigger than me into a car. Gets low rate mobility so not entitled to a blue badge even though he has higher rate care needs.

My 4 yo, he's a little dot. Also special needs & being 4 doesn't receive mobility yet until 5 he will also get the lower rate mobility so no blue badge, we tried a while back for him to get it under 5 but because he's not unable to walk and not seriously mentally impaired but also gets higher rate care for severe and complex needs. Still in a car seat and a special needs pushchair so even with just one of them it's hard so with 2 it's extremely hard. The looks, tuts and comments I get from people like you with too much but actually in comparison not enough going on in their lives to have enough time to find this an issue I'd a joke.

So I have the space I'll usually park miles across the car park where there's no other cars so I have room if there's no parent spaces.

I will continue to park where I want when I want (except a disabled space) until he gets a blue badge but even then if I want to park on a parent and child space I will.

Get out more.... and park where there's a space as long as you can park hey!

They are not a rule or a law it's just courtesy. First come first served

They're great if you get one, but 10 years ago they weren't even a thing and we all managed!

It’s funny how all these people who so desperately need these P&C spaces at shopping centres and supermarkets manage just fine and dandy at the hospital, zoo, cinema, garden centres, local authority car parks, etc where there aren’t any.

I’ve got a Blue Badge, so I’ll park in a blue badge space however in certain supermarkets P&C spaces are nearer the door so I’ll park there instead. I’ve told the managers that I do so, and they’re fine with it.

YANBU, they should be parent + pram (or babies using the baby seat trollies) spaces only

Deafness is one example. Busy car parks are especially dangerous for those who can't hear.

You saying 5 and under is absolutely ridiculous though! My eldest is 7 and absolutely needs extra room to open his door and climb into his car seat still as well as me checking he’s buckled in correctly! Wait until your child is 7/8 and you will see how silly this age sounds! They are still very much needing to be under supervision with car seat safety at 7/8/9 years old. I think of them as car seat spaces, as in if a child needs a car seat then you need the extra wide space to assist them.

Great idea

All kinds of disabilities might limit how far you can walk/how long you can keep going. Maybe some people can just about manage to get themselves around the shop but wouldn't have the stamina to go backwards and forwards across the car park as well? Or maybe they are in too much pain after getting around the shop to walk any further etc. It doesn't take much imagination to come up with possible reasons.

To me, a hidden disability that limits your mobility in some way is a far greater need than not wanting a 3yo to walk through a car park. Surely you just hold their hand to keep them safe and dress them appropriately to keep them warm and dry. There really isn't any risk to your child in parking elsewhere.

My dd is an adult now and I never use the P&C spaces, so I have no personal axe to grind here, but I am shocked that you think it's OK to challenge someone about a courtesy space when you have no idea why they might be parking there. Others on this thread have already shared how stressful such interactions have been for them. I honestly don't understand your sense of entitlement or indignation - if the spaces were full of parents with small children, you'd have to park elsewhere in any case. What's the big deal?

Please tell me what hidden disability would mean you can walk through a shop completely fine, but can't walk across a car park?

Anyone with limited mobility (for any number of multiple reasons) that means they can manage to walk across the car park OR walk through the shop, but they can't manage both one after the other without a rest in between times, and supermarkets tend not to have convenient seats for resting shoppers.

I wouldn’t be polite if you challenged me. I’d rather you reported me. I will explain my genuine circumstances to someone whose job it is. People like you are busybodies.

Much safer to carry a baby across the car park than to get an autistic 3 year old safely across (and will only be more difficult as he gets older). On a good day though you might think I was taking the piss parking there.
When my DDs were little I used to park at the back of the car park as there was always more space there.
You can feel annoyed but 5 is still quite young.

I really think it's not worth getting so worked up over. When I had my kids there were no parent and child spaces. We just got on with it. Disabled spaces are a different matter.

Wonderful! So 3/4 year olds in 5 point harness car seats don’t count then?! Would love to see how the child can climb into the seat and you buckle them in with another car parked 6 inches off their door! The spaces are for car seat access and safety, to allow room for a child to get into their car seat and the adult to buckle them in which requires the door to be open wider. This need doesn’t just evaporate once your child is older than a baby ffs! Both my kids were out of prams by age 2.5 but are still in 5 point harness car seats until age 6!

I agree. My kids are 11 and 13 and I wouldn't dream of using one of these spaces.

Have you ever had a toddler at all…

Can tell you’re a first time parent @seize. these days I will happily let others use the P&C spaces if I just have the baby with me, far easier to nip in and out a car with a small baby than it is with a toddler or several kids!

For me, it’s not so much about the space itself that annoys me. I generally park far away from the entrance anyway, so walking doesn’t bother me. What does bother me is the selfishness and entitlement of those taking something nice for themselves that wasn’t designed for them. It’s incredibly selfish. A need was identified to give parents with small kids extra room, and that doesn’t include a single shopper heading in to a shop for their lunch. Just walk the extra few steps and stop being so lazy.

I have 5 year old twins. Getting them out of the car is harder now because they are so much bigger than a newborn. It irks me when I can never get a parent & child space, especially when it’s for a driver with no child at all!!!
Bearing in mind I have only been successful in finding a free P&C space a handful of times, I would still feel comfortable taking one for as long as it’s awkward getting children safely in and out of a car.

Well I thought it was brilliant.

I needed the parent and child spot less when my child was a baby. I definitely need it now she's an eloping 3 nearly 4 year old. I'll continue using the spot until it's easier to wrangle her across a car park.
Often there isn't a space. Older people park in them, or people who are just popping in for a few bits. Really irks me.
Only needed it when she was a baby due to bad parking of other people meaning no space to get at the car seat. Or cars are too big for spaces now!