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Original poster

Popping out with kids asleep at home

86 replies

Beabea · 25/10/2006 16:16

i need to post some letters and the post box is just around a small corner. both kids were asleep (2yrs and 5weeks). 2yr old in buggy so both safe. would you pop out.

i didnt feel i could. just wondered if this was what most would do?

too late to post when they both wake as 5week old will sleep unless i pick him up. oh well will do it tomorow now!

OP posts:
ruty · 25/10/2006 17:24

no i wouldn't. if he woke up and i wasn't there he would be upset anyway.

PanicPants · 25/10/2006 17:31

No I wouldn't - mainly because I would be scared the neighbours would see me and think I was a bad mother.

I left ds in the car yesterday and ran back in the house to pick up a bag I'd forgotten and the GUILT!!! Felt really furtive!

LadyDooM · 25/10/2006 18:50

Nailpolish- This was in my local newspaper when I lived in virginia.It was maybe 5- 10 yrs ago, im not exactly sure cus Im bad with dates. Im not sure if it happened in virginia or not though, as they had sections for other news.

LadyDooM · 25/10/2006 18:54

I don't think 2-3 minutes is very long though, and that sort of thing is unlikely.

My ex- sister in law however used to stay in her room on the phone for extended periods. Once her just learned to climb daughter managed to push a chair across kitchen and climb up on the counter, reach a bottle of cough syrup and worked the lid off and drank it while she was on the phone. She swore she was only on the phone for a few minutes.. luckily her daughter was ok after being rushed to hospital and having stomach pumped.

Charleesunnysunsun · 25/10/2006 18:55

No i wouldn't just in case.

funnypeculiar · 25/10/2006 19:56

I wouldn't ... but boy have I been tempted to run to the cornershop for chocolate in this same situation...{grin]

SSSandy · 25/10/2006 20:10

I would have

MrsFish · 25/10/2006 20:13

I have put my bin out before whilst ds is sleeping, the driveway is really long so it takes me nearly 5 mins to do so, never felt guilty about it.

As an aside, how many people leave their kids in the car when at a petrol station to go and pay?

I do, am I a bad mother? I don;t think so, just using my common sense, he is in sight at all times, and I am only in there a minute or two at the most.

CountTo10 · 25/10/2006 20:15

Hmmmm I'd say no but then I take the rubbish out while ds is asleep and that's just the same!! What I would say is have you ever been on the wrong side of your front door??? The feeling you get really sums up why you shouldn't do it. You just don't know what could happen!! Without being too melodramatic!!!

CountTo10 · 25/10/2006 20:18

See I did used to nip into a shop etc and leave ds in a car until some weeks ago when a woman was doing that with her little girl at our local po/shop and someone tried to break into her car. Little girl was fine and the police couldn't say 100% what the guy was after but it just makes you think. Btw that isn't an urban myth, promise!!!

MrsFish · 25/10/2006 20:20

I suppose it depends where you live too. I live in a quiet village in derbyshire. If I lived in London/Manchester/Birmingham etc, I probably wouldn't

FloatingHeadOnTheMed · 25/10/2006 20:27

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

melrose · 25/10/2006 20:30

I always leave DS in the car at petrol station, lock the doors, but you can see them can't you. Never thought it was wrong tbh

But then again, I leave Ds asleep in his car seat on the drive if he has fallen asleep on a drive home and it is nap time. Just leave the windows open abit, lock the doors and put the baby monitor in there.

and when he was a baby he always slept outside in his pram in the daytime, all year round (ublessit was raining in which case he was in the porch with the door open)

gemmiegoatlegs · 25/10/2006 20:32

gosh, i just have a psychological barrier against these things, and my ds sleeps like the dead!. i did recently go and pick ds up from nursery whilst dd was asleep. my dh was in but asleep as he works nights and i was pained leaving her as if she was on her own...so i gave my hubby a few sharp prods and told him to keep an ear out. i was still wracked with "terrible thoughts" the whole 15 minutes i was out!

Rhubarb · 25/10/2006 20:35

I leave mine in the airport lounge whilst I just pop over to France for a holiday - I have some doubts obviously but unfortunately they are always there when I get back!

Eowyn · 25/10/2006 20:35

my mum only recently told me she used to leave me sleeping while she popped to the shops, about 5 mins away.. she says the neighbour listened out for me but I don't know exactly how that would have worked..
couldn't do it myself, but haven't had to thankfully.

MrsFish · 25/10/2006 20:36

lol

acnebrideofFrankenstein · 25/10/2006 20:42

i would and have.

The first time I locked myself out. Luckily we have a keyholding neighbour.

I'd do it again. and I never feel a twinge of worry about leaving a sleeping child with a sleeping dh tbh - if they need an adult they WILL wake you up eventually.

Clearly I'm borderline neglectful on this thread but I still would!

rustycreakingdoorbear · 25/10/2006 21:32

I can't see that leaving a sleeping child with a sleeping dh during the day is any worse than doing it at night.

Original poster
Beabea · 25/10/2006 21:34

I always leave the kids in the car when getting petrol. Its so impractical to take both out of the car to go and pay. Obviously any number of things could happen but the risk is rather low especially if you can see them the whole time.

OP posts:
CorpseBride · 25/10/2006 21:39

I wouldn't go to a shop. I don't leave my children in the car to go in a shop - except for petrol (they are 2, 3 & 5).

I do go to the end of long drive for postbox & bins. Washing line & chickens are also out of earshot.

A friend lived in Norway when her DDs were very young and it was generally agreed that it was better for children to sleep at home while mummy went out into the snow for the shopping. That was 30 years ago - I wonder if it's still true!

curlysmum · 25/10/2006 21:42

The girl who used to live in the flat upstairs popped to the corner shop and left her ds who was 2 years old asleep and then realised she had forgotton her keys , I was out and she had to call the fire brigade to break down the front door and her flat door , the boy was upstairs awake and distressed and I and the fire brigade were not impressed at all.

FloatingHeadOnTheMed · 25/10/2006 21:56

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

CorpseBride · 25/10/2006 22:07

My door is just ajar - in case DS1 wants to come in (he can't do our door handles yet!) and his room is a long way from ours. DD2 is a light sleeper so her door is shut properly. And I leave the stair lights on all night so they can all find the loo (and each others rooms, lost toys, Father Christmas, 5am breakfast etc).

Original poster
Beabea · 25/10/2006 22:07

We keep our bedroom doors open. If DD wakes she can then come in to our room and wake us. And she does in the morning.

OP posts: