I'm a bad mum!

I left ds2 asleep in the car outside the pie shop whilst I nipped in to get one for breakfast.

Would just leave them in. DD is 9 months and wouldn't dream of increasing the hassle of removing her to pay for petrol. I think cars are only stolen from petrol forecourts when the daft owners go to pay for the petrol without locking the car. This would mean that they cannot claim their insurance either. By the law of averages it is more likely that there would be an accident crossing a busy forecourt than locking them safely in where you can still see them.

Surely you'd be watching the car like a hawk so you'd know if someone was approaching the car and you'd be able to get there before they'd actually managed to break in. This obviosuly doesn't protect you against someone crashing into your car, a fire in the petrol station etc but those things could harm you and your kids whether you took them with you or not.

Car theft is high at petrol station because many many people do not lock their cars when they go to pay for petrol.

I leave ds and dd in the car while I pay as long as I can see the car easily. Yes, there is a risk, a tiny one, but risks start as soon as I get up in the morning and if I spent my whole life trying to eliminate every risk I would do very little living.

I leave mine in the car although I remember agonising over this at first.

Things that could happen if you take them out of the car and in to pay with you:

• one of the kids slips away from you into the path of an oncoming car
  
• there's a hold up as you're paying and you find yourselves at gunpoint or one of you taken hostage
  
• everyone waiting for petrol gets furious as you struggle to strap the kids back into the car before vacating the pump
  
• your kids spot the sweets, drinks, toys inside the service station and start demanding them
  
  
  
  Sometimes I think you just have to stop worrying...

Am I the only person who thinks the car thief would probably rather steal a car that DOESN'T have a troublesome child or two in the back?!!

Even if a person wanted to steal a child, a forecourt that is likely to be covered by CCTV is the last place they would be likely to go

I agree with sari, sometimes you do have to stop worrying

Quick search of the net might make people think again.
BABY RECOVERED FROM STOLEN CAR

A 16-month-old baby strapped into the rear of a car which was stolen by an opportunist thief has been found safe and well, Staffordshire police said. The toddler was found sound asleep in her mother's Honda Civic, which was abandoned shortly after it was stolen in Walsall Road, Cannock. A police spokesman said: "The young child was not been harmed in any way."

That wasn't a garage forecourt though. I wonder what the baby was doing in a parked car on a road?

And another:
Car stolen from garage with girl inside Apr 21 2004







A 10-YEAR-OLD girl had a lucky escape when a thief stole her mum's car at a petrol station.

Police officers spent 40 minutes tracking the car, which had the girl and the family's pet Labrador in the back seat. It was eventually found on the B2036 near the Cowdray Arms, in Worth.

The Toyota Corolla was stolen from the Esso garage in Albourne Road, Hurstpierpoint last Thursday.

The vehicle was stopped and a 16-year-old youth arrested.

The child was released from the vehicle shortly after the theft and is now safe and well with her mother. The dog was also found nearby.

Inspector Tim Tapley, of Burgess Hill Police, said: "This was a terrifying situation for the mother and the child and we were anxious to trace the car as quickly as possible. All resources available were used to track down the car, and we're delighted it was found."

And the way it says opportunist makes it sound (to me) like the car was open. Surely if you've got any sense you should still lock the car, certainly if you're going out of sight.

I should think that's enough scare stories for now eh ?!

The fact that it was abandoned shortly after it was nicked makes me think that the thief didn't see the child until after he'd driven off. Where had she parked it? How long was she gone? Was it locked? Is this an example of someone leaving a child locked in the car whilst paying for petrol!!!!?????

Still going to leave them (no one can miss my kids in the car )

Type too slowly - that was of course referring to the first story.

struck by lightning 1

struck by lightning 2


struck bylightning 3

See, I can produce 3 links for something equally as unlikely !

two minutes max, under the shade of the petrol station canopy, in the sight of the CCTV camera, within your view at all times, locked into car with no keys, on a flat surface with handbrake on is probably safer and less hassle than carting two or more children across a forecourt. What else are we supposed to do (there are no pay-at-pumps facilities at my local petrol station).

I used to bring DS with me, but with the arrival of DS2 I usually leave them both in the car, although I always give DS1 the option.
There is an old thread on this issue, must have a look.

everything is risky, I think this is an acceptable risk.

NomDePlume

I agree with eefs it all about acceptable risk - I wouldnot leave dd in car at petrol station but dh will leave both of us in car at petrol station - madness and double standards but there you go

Nowadays it's not an issue as older 2 at school and DD2 at nursery, so I'm usually on my own.

What I used to do when they were little (or in school holidays) is leave the 3 of them in the car, unlocked but take keys with me. I literally can see them all the time as the kiosk is right in front and has wall to wall glass.

Considered this safer than getting "3 under 4s" out of the car then marching them all across the forecourt.

You have to take "risks" everytime you shut your front door - and I consider it far more dangerous driving them out somewhere than it is leaving them in a car in full view for 2 mins max!

(Don't have Pay at Pump facilities locally either).

I personally take both dds out when i get petrol, but I know from discussions in the past this is a real problem for eg parents of sn children especially when there are siblings.

I have 3 little ones and leave them strapped in (car locked) in these situations. I'd rather not, but I think they'd be in more danger racing about the garage forecourt.

It's interesting - and reassuring - to read that so many of you do the same as I'm only too quick to beat myself up about this kind of thing.

I have a friend and her husband scared the s* out of me quite recently when this very subject came up. He treated me to a ten minute 'discussion' (sounded like lecture to me) about the fact that they NEVER EVER leave their dd in the car alone, NOT FOR A SECOND because the car might catch fire. I said that this was possible, but unlikely..surely you're more likely to have an accident in the car than a fire. But no, on and on it went. I think they consider themselves to be model parents though in lots of ways - but they only have one child to cope with. I think when you have more, sometimes the practicalities of getting everyone out then in again force you to compromise in situations like this.

I feel a bit better about it now having read some of your replies, because he sure made me feel like a crap Mummy at a time when I was finding the whole business of juggling 3 extremely difficult; I was angry about it for days!

Tiny

Don't worry at all - you're not a crapy mummy I know how hard it is juggling with 3 small ones and I have also been on the "receiving" end of "advice" from my neighbour with 1 DD

She used to lecture me about everything (even though my eldest is 2 years older than hers!) and used to pass comments when I had DS1 on reins when he was 2 (although I had DD2 in a pram) and a 4yo to keep my eye on - "never had to use reins myself etc etc - its so easy to keep an eye out".... well yes, if you have one child with 2 hands then it is b**dy well easy

She's now highly neurotic, fusses about everything with her child and annoys the teachers when she hangs around the classroom EVERY morning - even though her child has been at school for the last 2 years

Slimky, I think I was a perfect mother too until ds2 was born
Tiny - how patronising of your friends DH.

I do leave my ds's in the car at the petrol station, but also feel highly anxious until I'm back in the car with them. I'm also unsure about locking the car. I just can't stand some holier than thou person trying to make me feel worse. Motherhood is guilt and feeling guilt as a mother means you're doing it right, i..e. you care.

Daisy1999 - do you really think that we are all taking unacceptable risks by leaving our children in the car at petrol stations?

Interesting debate. I think I'll start another thread on other "risk's" I take with my kids.

Oh, thank you for that Slinky

My friend is really nice, but I sometimes think 'oh, should I be doing x,y &z like her?' but I have to keep reminding myself that she is in quite a different situation to me. She's just one of these people who can sound, well, a bit 'right' about everything on the child care front.

I wouldn't say she's neurotic as such about her dd but sometimes I want to say, 'Hey, we ALL feel our children are extra special, you know..' it's like she has the monopoly on that, iyswim.

Yes, there is an old thread on this very issue, My views are still the same, I try to get petrol when on own/with DH if poss (not too hard for me) but if have to leave kids then don't take eyes off car. Have to be reasonable about risks IMHO. Don't think it makes any of us bad mummies, if we were we wouldn;t even be worrying about it.
old petrol dilemma thread