Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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

755 replies

seize · 03/04/2024 16:41

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.

Parent and child spaces should be for those with children 5 and under
OP posts:
TheChippendenSpook · 03/04/2024 17:01

KeinLiebeslied54321 · 03/04/2024 16:59

YABVU.
PC places are a courtesy and policing other folk's use of them is pointless!

I absolutely agree. There more trouble than they're worth. They should be placed at the back of the car park or scrapped altogether.

They were only put there to placate people anyway. People used to manage without them.

ParsonsPont · 03/04/2024 17:01

My local supermarket has them reserved for children under 5.

Still gets used by more people without babies / toddlers than with.

If I’m in the mood, I do enjoy telling them they left their baby in the car. Before anyone @‘s me, I ignore anyone who looks like they need the space (elderly, walking slowly, wobbling, etc).

Kalevala · 03/04/2024 17:01

Hoplittlebunnyhophophopandstop · 03/04/2024 16:57

I’m not sure what point your making here?

If you don't get your preferred spot then you could leave the seat in the car and pop the baby in a sling. You would only need the extra space to get the seat out if you had a disability that meant you could lift a seat but not wear a baby.

KeinLiebeslied54321 · 03/04/2024 17:02

ParsonsPont · 03/04/2024 17:01

My local supermarket has them reserved for children under 5.

Still gets used by more people without babies / toddlers than with.

If I’m in the mood, I do enjoy telling them they left their baby in the car. Before anyone @‘s me, I ignore anyone who looks like they need the space (elderly, walking slowly, wobbling, etc).

I presume most of them just ignore you?

flipent · 03/04/2024 17:03

ParsonsPont · 03/04/2024 17:01

My local supermarket has them reserved for children under 5.

Still gets used by more people without babies / toddlers than with.

If I’m in the mood, I do enjoy telling them they left their baby in the car. Before anyone @‘s me, I ignore anyone who looks like they need the space (elderly, walking slowly, wobbling, etc).

Thank goodness you are there to decide who needs the space!

justaboutdonenow · 03/04/2024 17:04

I have no idea why people get so worked up about them, they're a courtesy & not legally protected.

I do my shopping late, late enough that there are few parents with young children out, I almost always have my disabled (but not quite blue badge eligible) daughter with me, & when I do I use the parent & child spaces as they are inevitably closer to the shop.

The butthurt parents can go & cry about that.

Notmyuser · 03/04/2024 17:04

Row23 · 03/04/2024 16:51

I think they should be for people whose child uses a car seat. It has the extra space so you can manoeuvre the door wide enough without hitting another car.
I don’t really get why someone with a 10 year old who can easily open a door safely would need so much extra space.
Don’t even get me started on people who park in these spaces who don’t have children or who leave the children sat in the car 🙄

A 10 year old is still in a car seat.

hangingonfordearlife1 · 03/04/2024 17:04

i really don't care, in the history of supermarkets these spaces are relatively new. My mom had to traipse me across the car park, it's a baby not a chain and ball. I have got a baby and teenagers but i don't even bother looking for these spaces to be honest.

People go on like they are a god given legal parking space when really it's just a service provided by the supermarket and anyone can park there with a kid of any age.

CagneyAndLazy · 03/04/2024 17:04

KeinLiebeslied54321 · 03/04/2024 17:02

I presume most of them just ignore you?

Or tell her to fuck off?

KeinLiebeslied54321 · 03/04/2024 17:05

TheChippendenSpook · 03/04/2024 17:01

I absolutely agree. There more trouble than they're worth. They should be placed at the back of the car park or scrapped altogether.

They were only put there to placate people anyway. People used to manage without them.

Many people tend to have unnecessarily wider/larger cars these days, baby/child car seats themselves haven't got hugely bigger. Many of the bigger cars aren't necessary.

KeinLiebeslied54321 · 03/04/2024 17:06

CagneyAndLazy · 03/04/2024 17:04

Or tell her to fuck off?

Well that too.
(I was trying to be polite).

Kalevala · 03/04/2024 17:06

KeinLiebeslied54321 · 03/04/2024 17:02

I presume most of them just ignore you?

Hopefully. 'Looks like they need the space'?

Hoplolly · 03/04/2024 17:06

I just carried the baby, what's the big deal? It's not like your hoiking a sack of spuds across the car park.

Notmyuser · 03/04/2024 17:06

Medschoolmum · 03/04/2024 16:54

I would get rid of p&c car parks altogether, personally. They are unnecessary and encourage some parents to be very precious.

If we have to have them, it would make sense to put them as far away from the shop as possible so that others have no reason to park in them.

I really can't understand the issue with carrying a baby across a car park? How do you get through life?!

Most people I see parking in them are young men (20s) with their precious cars that they want more space for. It’s not about distance, it’s about space.

CagneyAndLazy · 03/04/2024 17:06

justaboutdonenow · 03/04/2024 17:04

I have no idea why people get so worked up about them, they're a courtesy & not legally protected.

I do my shopping late, late enough that there are few parents with young children out, I almost always have my disabled (but not quite blue badge eligible) daughter with me, & when I do I use the parent & child spaces as they are inevitably closer to the shop.

The butthurt parents can go & cry about that.

Yep.

They're only provided as a marketing tool - "got to have P&C spaces because all the other supermarkets do, and parents spend lots of money"

If another group of people were identified as spending loads of money, the spaces would be for them instead.

fungipie · 03/04/2024 17:07

YANBU- hate to see those spaces taken by people with 1 or 2 kids who look like teenagers and defo don't need them!

InTheShallowTheShalalalalalalalow · 03/04/2024 17:07

Do you know the criteria you have to meet to get a blue badge? It's ridiculous.

There's more people I know with older kids who need that accessible space than able bodied folk with babies.

The hyperbolic language on these threads when talking about walking a few feet through a carpark with a baby is ridiculous honestly.

Globules · 03/04/2024 17:08

Wait until you've got a 20 month old and a newborn.

You'll be even more cross.

You're 4 months into parenting. If you get upset at every little thing, you're going to spend a lot of the rest of your life being cross.

Let it go OP. Save your anger for important things.

Youdontevengohere · 03/04/2024 17:08

I have an autistic 7 year old. He’s not eligible for a blue badge but he’s also a danger near traffic. I will carry on using parent and child spaces as long as he’s a child.

Notmyuser · 03/04/2024 17:08

KeinLiebeslied54321 · 03/04/2024 17:05

Many people tend to have unnecessarily wider/larger cars these days, baby/child car seats themselves haven't got hugely bigger. Many of the bigger cars aren't necessary.

Extended rear facing seats are pretty large and most people who care enough about safety to use a erf seat on a child beyond the toddler age would like to check their child is strapped in properly. My daughter rear faced til 6 and we needed to open the door just as wide to strap her in as we did when she was a newborn.

YaMuvva · 03/04/2024 17:08

OolongTeaDrinker · 03/04/2024 16:44

I just think life is too short to get upset about this kind of thing. Keep a sling in your car incase you have to walk across the car park with your baby. How big and busy is this car park though? You’ve made it sound like it’s the equivalent of crossing the M25 in rush hour!

  1. not all babies lol slings. My DD screamed her head off one
  2. You still have to open the door really widely to get the baby out. The tiny normal spaces don’t cut the mustard even with medium sized cars
  3. My kids normally fell asleep in the car and I didn’t want to disturb them by moving them so they stayed in the car seat which you need lots of room to take out the car
Sirzy · 03/04/2024 17:09

Youdontevengohere · 03/04/2024 17:08

I have an autistic 7 year old. He’s not eligible for a blue badge but he’s also a danger near traffic. I will carry on using parent and child spaces as long as he’s a child.

Carry on using them into adulthood if that’s what he needs!

ds is 14 and does have a blue badge but if the P and C spaces are more suited to his needs then I will use that happily.

Kalevala · 03/04/2024 17:09

InTheShallowTheShalalalalalalalow · 03/04/2024 17:07

Do you know the criteria you have to meet to get a blue badge? It's ridiculous.

There's more people I know with older kids who need that accessible space than able bodied folk with babies.

The hyperbolic language on these threads when talking about walking a few feet through a carpark with a baby is ridiculous honestly.

It is ridiculous. I'm a parent and I've never used a space as I've never needed one. Some parents do, it's about need not the age of a child.

YaMuvva · 03/04/2024 17:10

Hoplittlebunnyhophophopandstop · 03/04/2024 16:49

Parent and child spaces are to allow enough space to fasten and unfasten a child car seat. They’re not to make to make it a shorter walk. I wish they would put them all at the far side of the car park to put off people who don’t need to use them.

My local Sainsburys has it at the far end of the car park and I think it does put people off parking in them with no kid

MrsMurphyIWish · 03/04/2024 17:10

I had less of a need for a P and C space with a 4 month old than I do with a 9 year old autistic child. And no, blue badges aren’t an option.

Swipe left for the next trending thread