Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Other subjects
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:
DumbledoresGirl · 14/01/2007 13:16

God if a copper ticked me off for leaving my children in the car, I think I would have difficulty restraining myself. Look, my kids walk to school alone: of course I leave them alone in the car. the only difference is ds3 is with them, but I think a 10 and 9 yo (I exclude dd here as she is younger) should be able to care in the confines of a car for their nearly 4 yo brother.

I know last time we debated letting your children walk to school alone someone said she intended walking her child to school even when they were at secondary school, so I know there are some very protective individuals out there, but can you really imagine a policeman berating you for letting your children walk to school alone? Well, where is the difference?

MamazonAKAfatty · 14/01/2007 13:18

maybe the police officer was a little over zealous but if they were not behaving they could quite easily have caused either themselves or others harm.

"do a proper job" only ever gets said when you are doing something you beleive is accetpable. I doubt Holly and Jessica's parents thought the police officers checking children locked in cars were not doing a proper job when they were looking for their girls.

You have no idea what the officer's motivation for speaking to the mother was. He may have known of a peadophile in the area who preyed on young unattended boys.

you shouldn't make judgments until you are aware of all the facts

unknownrebelbang · 14/01/2007 13:20

What Mamazon said.

Greensleeves · 14/01/2007 13:20

"you shouldn't make judgments until you are aware of all the facts"

I think that should be branded onto the foreheads of ALL social workers at induction

sorry fatty, am gratuitously goading you now

bandstand · 14/01/2007 13:21

i will keep shtum

Greensleeves · 14/01/2007 13:23

But seriously, I think two adolescent boys locked in a car together could be disastrous. My brother and I used to take the handbrake off and see how far the car rolled. And sometimes she left the keys in the ignition too. Not to mention the fighting. It's treating kids like animals to leave them cooped up in a car so that you can have the luxury of shopping without them. Disgraceful.

tigermoth · 14/01/2007 13:24

In Mears' message the police advised the mother "that she had not ensured their safety and not to do it again or she would be charged!!"

If the check up was more to do with a paedophile threat, wouldn't the police have spoken to the mother about that instead or as well as?

bandstand · 14/01/2007 13:25

we used to sit in the pub car park with lemonade and crisps...as children.

what a dreadful childhood. tut.. no wonder...

bandstand · 14/01/2007 13:25

ooh, sorry I am keeping shtum.

tigermoth · 14/01/2007 13:26

Greensleeves, I think it depends on the boys and how they are feeling at that particular time. I agree that sometimes leaving my two alone in a car is asking for trouble, at other times I am happy that things will be ok. As with all ages, you as a parent, do a risk assessment each time.

100PerCentCod · 14/01/2007 13:27

aht he schottish police havent much to do
rogue outbreaks fo foot and mouth adn pumas spottted in the heather
that kind of thing

MamazonAKAfatty · 14/01/2007 13:27

nope. the fact that there was a peadophile localy would be classified info and he would not be allowed to disclose it her.

tbh there is more than likely a peadophile within 3 miles of each and every one of us so you hsould just take it as read that in your local area there IS a peadophile.

Greeny - you don't need to tell me. I have had some infuriating arguments with some colleagues about jumping to conclusions. you do wonder sometimes if they have ever managed to wipe their own backsides, some of them are that wet behind the ears

unknownrebelbang · 14/01/2007 13:28

Yes, my 12 year old would prefer to be left in the car, reading or doing a crossword etc, and has done for ages, but put the 10 year old with him.........

100PerCentCod · 14/01/2007 13:29

i used to pretend to be asleep to avoid my parents outtings.

they go off and leave me

it got borign readign the car manual after a while

Greensleeves · 14/01/2007 13:34

I spent many an hour wedged in between my brother and sister outside Homebase or fucking Tesco. It was purgatory, we fought like ferrets in a sack. And then they'd come ambling back, laden with stuff, all smiles, and we'd get the "What's up with your faces? Oh, give over, we were only gone a few minutes!" Lazy heartless tossers.

tigermoth · 14/01/2007 13:35

I can see what you are saying about classified information, and I see that Mears said the boys were probably fighting, so that could have got the attention of the police. Who knows? I can't see a reason to suppose it was anything more sinister IMO.

tigermoth · 14/01/2007 13:37

ah but would you really have preferred to have been dragged around Homebase instead

bandstand · 14/01/2007 13:37

but would you want to go shopping with them greeny? really>? nha.,

Greensleeves · 14/01/2007 13:38

Yes, I would have preferred to be out stretching my legs and not being squashed/bored/thumped by my siblings for up to three hours. Funny, that

bandstand · 14/01/2007 13:39

i must be old, i dont think there was a home base or tescos when i was a child, just corner shop.. a mace.

Fillyjonk · 14/01/2007 13:41

the thing is, kids do die when cars hit them. it happens all the time. it is common enough to often not be reported really. Certainly I'd have thought a station forecourt a rather likely place for this to happen.

when cars spontaneously burst into flames or paedophiles break into cars and haul toddlers out and make off with them...now we do hear about these events, I think.

You know what we need? More parent and chid parking...thus reducing need to schlep bull bar height kids across half a car park.

hunkermunker · 14/01/2007 13:49
Fillyjonk · 14/01/2007 13:55

Well I don't think thats funny At All hunker

i'm sure there must be hundreds of safety pin prick injuries a year going unreported as a result.

(although that is a rather good idea. You could have them on one of those elastic dog leads and just haul them in at dinner time)

hunkermunker · 14/01/2007 13:59
100PerCentCod · 14/01/2007 14:02

lol at peedofiles