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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

parking in parent parking with a 5yr old?

110 replies

littlemoominmamma · 10/11/2009 12:15

hello,

Title says it all really... is she getting a bit too old? Or should i continue just because it feels soo much safer. What age is too old?

OP posts:

nappyaddict · 10/11/2009 14:24

Undecovermutha Can your 3.4 year old clip and unclip the seatbelt to her booster then?

Undercovamutha · 10/11/2009 14:32

NappyAddict - yes she can but (amazingly - as she doesn't normally listen to my instructions!) always asks me if its okay to do it once we have parked. She has one of the highbacked booster seats (not just the booster), and if we are parked on a busy road or a tight space, she climbs in my car door, over the seat and then into the back. She has a little stool in the car footwell to help her as my car seats are quite high. I have to fasten the belt for her though obviously!

Arsed · 10/11/2009 14:39

Even old cars have child locks.

Tesco P&C parking is up to 5 i think.

Housemum · 10/11/2009 14:42

Sorry, can't see why you'd need a space for the average 5 year old. Stopped using them with DD2 when she was about 4/5 as she was quite capable of climbing in herself, and her seat was easy enough to do up. Could perhaps see the point if you had a 3 door car (ie you need to clamber in with door open) until 5 or poss a bit older (at this age she could do her own belt up so I just checked it from the driver's seat.

I usually can't be bothered with circling for P&T spaces, if I see one free I use it (only if with DD3 aged 1) otherwise park a bit further down where it's less likely someone will park next to me.

A few big car parks near us don't even have P&T spaces, presumably because of the hassle they cause (eg Reading Oracle)

nappyaddict · 10/11/2009 14:44

So she can undo it but she can't do it up? Is that right, sorry got a bit confused.

Original poster

littlemoominmamma · 10/11/2009 14:49

Arsed - I bow to your superior knowlege.

If you have a spare moment could you let me know where they are on a P reg Corsa....... will be waiting with baited breath.....many thanks......x

OP posts:

Undercovamutha · 10/11/2009 15:00

Thats right - she can undo it but she can't do it up.

nappyaddict · 10/11/2009 15:27

Don't you find you need the extra space so you can help her do it up?

paisleyleaf · 10/11/2009 15:52

I've never owned a car with a child lock.

Undercovamutha · 10/11/2009 16:39

Nappy addict - nope. I just lean between the seats. Its a medium size car and I'm not exactly a waif, but I seem to manage okay.

nappyaddict · 10/11/2009 16:47

Ah you mean from the driver's seat?

ChunkyMonkeysMum · 10/11/2009 17:07

sadlynoNOTthatPeachy - Your circumstances are quite clearly different, so I understand why you would park in P&C spaces.
I still think it's wrong that those of us who have children with disabilities which aren't physical aren't entitled to a blue badge, or at least some kind of permit for supermarket disabled spaces as it is more difficult. Or are we supposed to only go shopping without our kids??!
I have never been to a supermarket where all the disabled spaces are being used. There are always far more of them than P&C spaces. Why is this?!

sadlynoNOTthatPeachy · 10/11/2009 18:10

Ah tis bollocks, the Councillor I have begged for help without even a reply was outside the house tonight looking uncomfortable as ds3 managed to so a dash four times in five minutes...... but she just hung her head and scarpered.

Just something I have to accept I think; luckily Dh is around a bit atm,in a few years he will often work away so I have everything crossed ds1 will be more releiable by then or else- eeeeeek

namechangedmoi · 10/11/2009 18:14

LOL at Korma!!! But to the OP - yes, YUBentirelyU. I stopped using the spaces when I no longer had to hoist and strap in a toddler/baby into a seat. No other reason you would need the space quite frankly - sorry!

CaliforniaDreams · 10/11/2009 18:27

iateallthecremeeggsyummy - I'm sure Tesco used to allow mums-to-be to park in their P+C spaces, or possibly was it Safeway? (Racking memory to remember which company ran our local supermarket when last pg 8 years ago!) Either way it's very difficult hauling yourself in and out of a narrow space in that condition, not sure why supermarkets no longer recognize this...

toddlerama · 10/11/2009 18:46

littlemoomin - not sure about P reg, but on S reg corsa, open door and look at the part of the door that sits in the door frame (ie hidden from interior and exterior when closed). There is a drity, greasy little switch (perhaps that was just mine...) which is your child lock! HTH

foxinsocks · 10/11/2009 19:17

lol korma

just park when you want as long as it isn't a disabled space.

Taramuddle · 10/11/2009 19:37

I saw a woman use 1 with her 'child' the other day, this boy was about 5ft 10!! She said 'he's tall for his age, he's only 13, he's my child' I replied that were are all someone's 'child'.
They are really for people who need to put their child in a seat surely. Common sense should prevail shouldn't it?

frogetyfrog · 10/11/2009 19:49

Does anybody really worry about whether a parent with a child of 6 or 7 should be using a wider parking space compared to a child of 2! Surely each case differs. I will continue to use them until I dont have to bend in with door wide open to clip them in. And my children are 8,6 and 4!! They would be perfectly capable of clipping themselves in if the car seats werent too wide for our car and hence its tight and difficult. Perhaps if we had the luxury of a massive 4x4 with individual seats then they could climb in and do it themselves - but until then I dont think twice about taking a wide space. Better than the belts not being properly clipped in when the dc attempt to do it.

iateallthecreameggsyummy · 10/11/2009 19:50

thought so Calafornia my DH worries when I park there but as plenty of mums have seen me along with staff no one has said anything to me

Although with my waddle theres no way people could think im not expecting along with the grunts I seem to make getting in and out

twolittlekings · 10/11/2009 19:56

Taramuddle
'he's tall for his age, he's only 13, he's my child' I replied that were are all someone's 'child'.

Loving that .

notnowbernard · 10/11/2009 19:59

In response to OP:

I wouldn't/don't

Tbh, I just go in the 1st space I find. Not really a conscious choice

Used to go for P&T when the DC were in the Stage 1 car seats, as it was impossible to get them in and out if someone had parked too close to you

ObsidianBlackbirdMcNight · 10/11/2009 20:10

I had an argument with a dumb lazy couple who had parked in one without any DC, but 'they had a car seat'.....

Twats. And I told them so. Just because it says up to 12, or you must have a car/booster seat, doesn't mean someone else doesn't need it more. I think once you don't need to lift the child in and out of the seat then you can manage in a normal one.

fifitot · 10/11/2009 20:32

'I do occassionally with my 4yo dts. I know they can get in and out of the car on their own, but it is easier. Most of the time I park in disabled.#

Chopstheduck?????? You park in a disabled space? You are disabled then?

If not then you are truly unreasonable.

nappyaddict · 11/11/2009 00:57

frogety presumably if it's tight it's not possible to do it from being sat in the front and leaning back?

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