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Original poster

would you leave your baby in a locked car?

213 replies

Friendlygirl · 11/10/2005 10:47

have left my baby sleeping in my locked car while I dashed into the supermarket to buy a couple of things. Would any of you do that? Is it even l;egal? It worried me but I would rather do that than wake them up and sometimes I just have to get sometyhing from the shop for tea.

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lucyhoneybee · 14/10/2005 01:27

left my 9 year old with my toddler for 5 mins whilst nipped across to chemist to pick up pre ordered prescription. when i got back she said the driver of the next car in car park(would not leave them on road) had been staring at her and trying to open car door. left note on his windscreen asking for his side of story and explaining he had terrified my child; left my h's mobile no. he called to say he was worried we though he was a paedo; actually he was worried about small parking bay and did not touch our car but in case we thought he had he had contacted the police and given them our reg no. complicated much? i will consider the maturity issues of my child more carefully in future- but yes i may still do it if she agrees but NEVER on the road or for more than 5 mins(although that doesn't help in situations like I have just outlined- i guess things like that only happen to me anyway; the bizarro thread of my life is usually uppermost)

magicfarawaytree · 14/10/2005 02:18

he probably was a paedo trying to make sure he covered his back.

ruty · 14/10/2005 13:15

quite possibly.

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muma3 · 14/10/2005 18:01

please dont take this the wrong way but they say not to leave your animals in the car so i definitly wouldnt leave a baby in . sorry but i agree with the experts on this one . might be because that i am colostophobic

muma3 · 14/10/2005 18:03

plus i dont like the thought of my little ones waking up and me not being there and then they panicking aawww

jinglybits · 14/10/2005 23:09

sorry, i wouldn't do it. Would love to in the fantasy of my mind to make running an errand so much quicker and smoother but would die if i came back and found a smashed window and missing baby. As much as i'd love to believe it is the worlds not as nice as it used to be back in the days when my grandmother used to leave her pram outside a shop to go in for her groceries.

Jane17 · 16/10/2005 11:04

Hi I have left my little boy in the car to pay for petrol but only if I can see him all the time. Just thought I'd add this though - went shopping in Asda a couple of weeks ago and there was a small girl (about 2) locked in a Mini with a Police woman standing guard. Aparently the car park attendant had raised the alarm as the child had been unattended for about 40mins wby the time the Mum returned! The Police woman advised her that she had left the chld for too long and it was extremely dangerous etc but she did not advise that it is illegal! The Mum went mad and said she'd leave her if she wanted to and would do it again! I was amazed that the Police woman had little power to do anything else than advise. Does anyone else know if it is actually illegal or not? Although I would think this sort of time span is, it seems that even then it is not cut and dried.

misdee · 16/10/2005 11:10

i am going to get petrol later and will be leaving my 7month old baby and 3yr old dd in a locked car when i pay. why? becuase my 3yr old is a terror in shops, and likely to lay down on the forecourt due to too much gpoing on, and is a danger to herself and others. and i cant juggle baby and her at the same time. they will be safer in teh car.

mymama · 19/10/2005 08:29

It is illegal to leave a child alone in a car!!!

If I saw a child alone in a car in any carpark I would call police and possibly report to child services.

I have 3 children under 7 and find it really hard to run errands and do shopping but would never leave them alone in the car.

lucyhoneybee · 19/10/2005 21:10

Sadly, although it is wrong to leave a 2 year old alone in a car for 40 mins it is NOT illegal. I requested a leaflet 18 months ago from NSpCc as I was interested since I deal with children and vulnerable families in my work. It is not illegal to leave children alone in the house or car unless it can be proved they have suffered harm or been at serious risk of harm; this is subjective for a court and in the case of the woman at asda the policewoman could not have proved it. the rspca has a similar prolem with animals at present; they have to wait until animal is starved before they can remove as failure to look after is not same as causing harm. icidentally my 9 yr old is v mature and i have only left my younger one with her, but would not now do it after my experience. my mum left me at 12 in a caravan on a cornish campsite at night with my 2 month old sister while she drove 50 miles home to get the handheld tv she had forgotten. i didn't know how to use the chemical toilet, it was freezing and i had no food or drink. the following night my sister had a near cot death and had to be resuscitated. what if? what if? what would a 12 year old have done if that had happened?.am I close to my mum now? no way; and she rarely gets to babysit. but, it gave me lots of practical childcare experience as she used to put my sis in her pram sat morning, give me her drinks for the day and a pound for myself and tell me to bring her home at tea time.i am nearly the opposite with my kids!i hate them to go anywhere without me and i have to be able to see them wherever they are.

FrumpyGrumpy · 19/10/2005 21:14

Not always happy doing it but regularly do. Its impossible not to with 3 kids under 4 and two of them the same age. Generally take oldest with me and generally its the safest option.

FrumpyGrumpy · 19/10/2005 21:15

40 minutes is unacceptable though. My max would be 10, maybe 15 if it was an emergency.

lucyhoneybee · 19/10/2005 21:42

frumpygrumpy, i agree.

madmummyof2 · 19/10/2005 21:54

when i go to get petrol i try and use teh bP one down the road that has PAY AT PUMMP facilty otherwise i will leave DD in the car ( she is 13 months and strapped into her car seat)

sometimes when i drop my ds off at school i will leave her in teh car, locke, in her carseat and inside the school carpark with locked gates

never have i nor would i leave her for more than a couple of minutes

Trickorflum · 19/10/2005 21:57

Lucyhoneybee. Wow I can't believe it is not illegal to leave children alone in a house!

beckybrastraps · 19/10/2005 22:40

Just found this thread and am gobsmacked! I always leave mine in the car at a petrol station! It has honestly never occurred to me to unload them. In fact, I can't remember the last time I saw a child in a petrol station shop, so I can't be the only one. It's such a short time! How distressed are they going to get? And all this stuff about spontaneously combusting cars and other freak accidents! Blimey!

handlemecarefully · 19/10/2005 22:47

leave it alone!

mymama · 20/10/2005 01:20

It is illegal in Australia to leave a child in a car or a house alone!!!!! I am sorry but 5 mins to a child seems like hours. I did have 3 children under five and have still never done this. My 2 yo has life threatening food allergies and the fight with him not to touch the chocolatess and lollies at his eye level in shops is incredible. I am sorry that taking your children with you is such a hardship!!!!

madmummyof2 · 20/10/2005 11:28

if your ds's allergies are so very dangerous surely you are putting him at more risk by taking him into a potential minefeild of goodies than you are by leaving him strapped into a car seat in a licked car where he can see you at all times??

my son has SN and it is far more distressing to all involved if i would have to get him out of the car drag him into a shop, not let him touch all the nice shiny things and then drag him back to a car and strap him in again.

jmo

mymama · 21/10/2005 04:47

How can they see you inside a supermarket or a school???? Sorry but car jackings do happen and cars have caught on fire at petrol stations from static electricity and petrol fumes. I am sure all of those people said "it won't happen to me" too. At least if my child had an allergic reaction I would be with him to help him. Accidents are exactly that. No one plans to have them.

shannen · 21/10/2005 15:42

I'd never ever leave my kids in the car while I went shopping. Ever. I wouldn't be able to do the shopping for worrying about the children.

I don't drive but I wouldn't feel comfortable about leaving them in car at petrol station - but that is more acceptable than them being out of your sight.

Sometimes I think I'm too much of a worrier but I think you have to be mad to leave you children unattended when there are so many things that could happen to them.

muma3 · 26/10/2005 16:47

MYMAMA, i have to agree 5 mins seems like forever to a child and you just walking away from the car you have just left them in, is distressing enough but to then be gone from their sight God only knows what they must be thinking . Cars setting alight and theifs taking cars with children in DOES happen so dont be in denial and think it wont happen to you because it happened to someone and it COULD happen to your child next. This world is becoming over crowding with weirdos and no matter what tantrum my child laid out for me id rather put up with any thing than lose my child to a crazy person or put them under that kind of stress of being left sorry just my opinion

fullofwhoe · 31/07/2006 10:16

Well I left my 3 year old asleep in the car whilst I ran in to collect a reserved parvel...a heavy large box. I parked the car right outside the shop with three windows open and I was only gone three mins when announcement came over the tannoy someone had called the emergency services. I ran out immediately and left the box.. I now face charges of child neglet or endangerment and an investigation from the social services. They advised no child should be left unattended in a vehicle for any lenght of time.... at all !!! so my life is in a real mess over 3 mins...it's just not worth it...NEVER LEAVE THEM...

Overrun · 31/07/2006 11:06

blimey fullowhoe, that is awful, did you mean to add to the more recent thread about leaving kids in cars?

schneebly · 31/07/2006 11:27
  • god that is awful!
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