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Original poster

Does anyone leave their child in the car when shopping?

157 replies

opinionsrus · 14/01/2007 06:59

Just wanted to know what the "proper" situation is with this as there seems to be no guidlines.

Is it ok to leave a baby in the car if fast asleep?

Is it ok to leave toddler in the car if happy?

Not including summer months when it is boiling of course, when you wouldn't or you make sure windows left open (which would present another risk as sm could get in).

Is there a "rule" that its ok to pop in to the local shop for milk, say, but not elsewhere (to leave in large supermarket car park), I don't mean to do an hours shopping, just for a couple of bits?

Just out of interest. Is it just your own judgement? My DS comes with me, but just wondered if it is supposedly ok to leave them too???

OP posts:
geekgrrl · 14/01/2007 12:58

mmmmh - but how likely is it that a car spontaneously combusts?

Maybe we shoud all stay inside and keep the curtains drawn... and the electricity off....

bandstand · 14/01/2007 12:58

no candles of course.

MamazonAKAfatty · 14/01/2007 13:00

has this kicked off yet?

DumbledoresGirl · 14/01/2007 13:01

Look entire families get killed in housefires. You had better not live in a house. Camp out in your gardens instead. For that matter, have you any idea how many are killed on our roads each year? Why do you have a car at all? It is ludicrous to tell us what could happen in a horrible freak accident.

mears · 14/01/2007 13:02

I would leave them in the car if paying for petrol or popping in for milk at corner shop. I wouldn't do a complete spermarket shopping.

A friend of mine actually was spoken to by the police recently when she had left 2 of her sons aged 11yrs and 13 yrs in the carpark at Tesco's. She was advised that she had not ensured their safety and not to do it again or she would be charged!!

VelmaDinkley · 14/01/2007 13:03

Have done @ the petrol station to go pay but now use the automated pump.. technically, I understand leaving a child unattended a a car is abandonment in the eyes of the law (from when I worked in England)

geekgrrl · 14/01/2007 13:03

fatty, we're just getting there now

bandstand · 14/01/2007 13:03

ooh, make your blood boil. "do some proper work"

bandstand · 14/01/2007 13:04

the police i mean

unknownrebelbang · 14/01/2007 13:05

Mine are older now but...

petrol station - yes, infinitely safer.
supermarket - no (do now they're older)
local shop where you're parked outside - yes.
local hospice - yes, several times over a 7 week period. Well the choice was take 4yo, 2yo and 4 month old in, sign in, disturb dying people and their relatives whilst fetching DH, sign out, or leave the three in the car and disturb no one.
outside school - yes, if could park right opposite, rather than down the lane, several other parents around and the lollipop lady and often her partner. We all watched over each other's iykwim.

Also used to leave them on the drive if they were asleep, and although nurseyjo's story is horrible, I would say that generally they were safer left in the car for 2/3 minutes whilst you unpack shopping etc, depending on how/where you park the car.

handlemecarefully · 14/01/2007 13:08

I used to gaily leave my 2 year old in the car asleep, parked a few hundred yards away from the school gates while I picked up dd. I couldn't actually see him from there but I would be a matter of minutes, and what could happen with all the comings and goings of other school gate parents etc?

However recently my car window was smashed and my handbag taken from my car in a fairly busy car park. Whole thing must have taken moments.

I figured - what's to say some creep doesn't break the window of my car and drag ds out of it. Unlikely I know - since there isn't a paedophile on every street corner. However since my handbag was stolen that way I've never been able to leave ds in his car seat like that again....if he is asleep I transfer him to his pushchair.

unknownrebelbang · 14/01/2007 13:08

Obviously depends on the copper - my DH has been known to leave the children in the car. There are all sorts of variables.

And, he does do proper work.

MamazonAKAfatty · 14/01/2007 13:08

in my own personal opinion i owuld say that runnign into your local corner shop to grab some milk is one thing.

stopping off at asda while you grab some veg is another.

and yes i do leave my two in the car, strapped in with the child lock on if i pay for petrol at a station that doesn't do pay at pump (why oh why do some still not have pay at pump)

I was in Sainsbo's the other day and ended up getting customer services to do an emergancy call out for a shopper. her daughter was about 8 months old. lockedinside the car. we saw her as we drove past, we found a space, got my own two children out of the car got cash from the machine and then found a trolley. by the time we had gotten to the car with the baby it must have been a good ten minutes or so. then the car alarm went off. poor baby was in hysterics inside the car.

I waited by the car trying to calm her down through the window but the poor child was terrified.

the alarm was going for ages and still no mother. even the trolley pushers were coming over commenting on how wrong it was.

So after she had been inside the car (to my knowledge at least) 20 minutes i went to cunstomer services and asked them tp do an emergancy call out stating that her alarm was going of and that her baby was still inside terrified.
When the woman finally came out looking very red faced ( and having to pass many tutting shoppers) i explained that i was a social worker and that although i was off duty (have been for the past 2 years but thats not the point) i felt it was essential that i explain child safety to her.
the woman tutted at me and got in her car.

I took the registration number and have reported her to the police station.

aS i say, grabbing milk is one thing...getting your shopping is another.

VelmaDinkley · 14/01/2007 13:08

child protection's not proper work then?... most people have sense with children- some dont- some dont care..

100PerCentCod · 14/01/2007 13:08

i dont do preper work

handlemecarefully · 14/01/2007 13:08

To qualify - I still leave him in his seat at a petrol station where I can see him

100PerCentCod · 14/01/2007 13:09

liar
you make him waddel in tot he shop to pay

mears · 14/01/2007 13:09

I don't actually think the police were wrong to speak to her. The boys were probably arsing around in the car or knocking seven bells out of each other as is often the case

Pablothelittleredfox · 14/01/2007 13:12

I don't leave them in the car generally.

For petrol I go where there is pay at the pump but most of the time I get dh to do it anyway (a bizarre thing, but I hate filling up, don't know why!).

For nipping in shops, I think I have done it on the odd occasion but would rarely need to now - go in school hours or else dh gets stuff we need on the way home from work.

Greensleeves · 14/01/2007 13:12

lol fatty, you can take the woman out od Social Services...

I would have done the same though, it's just disgraceful to leave a child in a supermarket car park. No excuse for it IMO.

MamazonAKAfatty · 14/01/2007 13:13

technically it can be seen as child abondonment or more frequantly neglect of care if you leave a child unattended, be that in a car or not.

it would rarely be acted upon unless there was evedence of it being for a period longer than say 5-10 mins.

but yes Velma child protection is very much a proper job.

tigermoth · 14/01/2007 13:14

shocked at your story, Mears. I am sure the police would not have stopped a 13 and 11 year old from walking in a car park (out of school hours). And that could be a lot more risky than sitting in a parked car!

I regularly leave my nearly 13 year old and 7 year old in my car in supermarket car parks as long as I am only doing a quick shop for three or four things.

MamazonAKAfatty · 14/01/2007 13:14

lol greeny i know.

i do try and stop myself but sometimes its just SOO hard

VelmaDinkley · 14/01/2007 13:14

I know that- it's part of my work too-it's my accent

bandstand · 14/01/2007 13:14

but 11 and 13, when is it ok? when they are 14? and they all behave like angels then I hope..