Husband left child in the car

[Cozza92]

Hi everyone, so, I had a situation this morning that has really irked and concerned me. I know it’ll likely lead to an argument with my husband because he feels that I criticise his parenting choices. However, this morning he left my 4 yo son in the car with the engine running. The car was still in our drive way and he was just running the empty bins back around the house but there were a couple of points at which the car was out of sight to him (maybe 10-20 seconds). I was in the house but heard the engine running and bins rolling and went to investigate. Our drive is covered by trees so I have briefly ran in the house to grab something with DC in car but only with keys in my hand and car door locked. We live on a quiet residential street so it’s unlikely that anyone could have run into drive and reversed car out of narrow wall in that time. However, it’s not impossible!!
I was quite angry with him but I’m not sure this is the hill to die on.. What do you guys think? Am I being over the top?

You're making a mountain out of a molehill.

https://m.independent.ie/irish-news/baby-girl-who-was-in-the-back-seat-of-car-stolen-in-north-dublin-is-perfect-her-mother-has-said/36482295.html

@Marblessolveeverything

Bravo 🤣🤣🤣

Jesus OP, 4 minutes? On your own drive? Come on now

I don't understand your bravo comment? A family went through hell the area was absolutely floored. I fail to see the laughing matter.

Your comment was disrespectful insinuating it doesn't happen well it happend in my county. Every parents worse nightmare, but hey if it is funny to you.....

I assumed this post was going to be your DH left the kid in the car while he went to the shops. Not sitting in the driveway of your house for 2 mins. Massive over reaction and that's coming from someone with crippling anxiety!

Total over reaction, I thought this would be about leaving a baby in a car during a heatwave to sleep

I wouldn’t trust my preschooler not to escape their seat and cause havoc. This is so dangerous. Less dangerous to cut the engine and take the key with you, particularly if it’s flat and the wouldn’t roll if the preschooler managed to get the handbrake off. My kid might just be particularly bonkers but I wouldn’t do this with anyone else’s better behaved child either.

I’d be angry about the idling engine. I hate that. Why did he do it?
Couldn’t care less about him leaving the kid in the car on his own damn driveway. It’s a non-issue.

Just ask him next time not to leave the car running. All the worst case scenarios are massively unlikely but it’s not completely impossible that he’s escape his seat try to drive. Also it’s bad for the environment, and quite possibly illegal depending on where you live- on our street you could be fined by the traffic warden. Then you drop it and move on. Definitely not worth going nuclear or getting angry about.

Stop being a drama llama.

@Marblessolveeverything

On an individual level that's sad.

But statistically the risk is low. Am I going to base all life decisions on a sad story in another country - no.

My 'Bravo' to you was proving my point about anecdotes so quickly.

Calm down dear. It was fine.

Yep I can see why he thinks you criticise is parenting.

a rare poster who listens to advice

I think we a see things and think I wouldn’t do that but in the big scheme of things it’s ok and not an issue

I'd be more pissed off about leaving the car running.

What on earth is wrong with that?! Please describe exactly what you thought could happen?

Jesus I thought this was going to read he left a 4 month old in a multi storey while he went grocery shopping. YABU!

A kid I knew got out of his seat and took off the handbrake which was a button and rolled down the drive.

OP if you have multiple children this is the only way to leave the house. One strapped in while another goes to toilet or whatever. It's not physically possible to put all children in the car at the same time and there are often emergency nappy changes.

Me too. Total over reaction. I personally think locking the dc in the car whilst going in the house is worse, to be honest.

@MinervaMcGonagallsCat if you are interested there are examples in UK, NZ and given that Ireland crime rates are significantly proportionally lower I would think it is relevant.

But by all means be rude to posters who are providing factual references.

I thought this was going to be child left in tescos car park In car on hot day for 1 hour.
i can’t see the issue- is it that you’re worried about theft or that the child would try and drive the car??
Id just ask DH to not leave the keys where child can access them, at any time.

I wouldn't have left the engine running in his position. An odd thing to do. I wouldn't be furious with him but would ask that he turn off the engine in future.

This takes me back a few years - person left car on a hill with two slightly older children in the back - messing about, somehow one of them knocked off the hand brake. There were 5 of us holding the car on the hill. Busy road at the bottom. The children could not understand how to put the hand brake on, and the windows were shut, so we could not reach in.
How steep was the drive?