do you leave your baby in the car???

[Lisa78]

DS2 is 10 months old and after the Sainsburys shop, I called in at their petrol station. I left him in his car seat whilst I filled up, but then took him in with me whilst I paid. Obviously as I was holding him, this took a bit longer and the woman behind me was huffing and puffing a bit, but its hard to sign the slip and hold on to a wriggly baby!
Went back to the car, with her hot on my trail, and of course, had to strap DS2 into his seat, which yes, takes a couple of minutes. As I was doing this, she suggested that I should just leave him in the car whilst I paid - she wasn't really snotty or anything, just a bit exasperated with me, cos she couldn't get out until I did. I just said no, I didn't leave him unattended incase there was a problem but she acted like I was being stupid and said I could see him from the till anyway
But what if he started crying, or someone nicked the car or whatever, a million things could happen. I don't particularly want to hold people up, but its only a couple of minutes - and she shouldn't have pulled up so close to me if she wanted to get out quickly. I don't think I'm being stupid taking him in with me - do you???

Absolutely. Would never leave my child in a parked car while I vanished off for ages, and have personally called the police where I have seen this happen (distressed children, hottest day of the year, car parked on deserted side-street and parent nowhere in sight after ten - fifteen minutes) but leaving my perfectly happy son for a few minutes on a forecourt in a locked car, visible from where I am paying, I would say the risk was pretty low. Right down there with being run over on the forecourt or being caught in a shoot out by the till!

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At age 11 I would happily leave a child in a car - they can get out and come and find me if they need me. My ds is three though!

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I think 11 is fine to leave a child in the car but at 3 and 20 months a bit too young. Plus ds can now undo his seatbelt on his car seat so no doubt I would come back to a 3 year old sat in the drivers seat papping the horn

That's so sad, Kate. There was a very sad case last year when we were in LA of a child dying in his dad's car. Apparently, mum usually did the nursery run but that day, dad did it. The child fell asleep in the car on the way, dad was so preoccupied with what he had to do at work (he was a prof at a uni)that he forgot he had the toddler with him, went straight to work and parked the car. He remembered about the toddler at about 11am and rushed out to the car but it was too late. How awful to have to live with yourself for the rest of your life.